Private nonprofit · University

Augustana University

Sioux Falls, South Dakota · Midsize city

#1 graduation rate in South Dakota#2 most selective in South Dakota#2 for grad earnings in South Dakota
67.8%
Admit rate
$23,894
Avg net price
73%
Graduation rate
$59,217
Median earnings

Augustana University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (midsize city setting), enrolling 1,965 undergraduates. It has a Evangelical Lutheran Church religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,965 undergradsMidsize cityAccessible · 68% admitNCAA Division II with football · Northern Sun Intercollegiate ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Augustana University's admitted students.

Admit rate
67.8%
SAT (mid 50%)
1150–1370
Avg GPA (est.)
3.45

Enter a test score to see where you land against Augustana University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Augustana University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Sioux Falls is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls's history revolves around the cascades of the Big Sioux River. The falls were created about 14,000 years ago during the last ice age. The lure of the falls has been a powerful influence. Downtown Sioux Falls hosts a SculptureWalk every summer and "First Fridays" on the first Friday of each summer month. The annual Downtown Riverfest embraces the beauty of the Big Sioux with live music, art, and kids' activities. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
317 miles
Nearest airport
4 miles to Sioux Falls (FSD)

How Augustana University compares

Selectivity67.8%

More selective than 67% · #2 most selective of 11 in South Dakota

SAT average1195

Higher than 57%

Graduation rate73%

Higher than 82% · #1 of 11 in South Dakota

First-year retention86%

Higher than 79%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$59,217

Higher than 66% · #2 of 11 in South Dakota

Average net price$23,894

Cheaper than 32% · #10 cheapest of 11 in South Dakota

Median debt at graduation$25,000

Lower than 34%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 59%

Undergraduate enrollment1,965

Larger than 57%

Percentiles compare Augustana University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in South Dakota.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

2,352students
  • Undergraduate1,96584%
  • Graduate38716%

Undergraduates by gender

1,965undergrads
  • Women1,28265%
  • Men68335%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White73%
  • Black5.1%
  • Hispanic4.7%
  • Asian2.0%
  • Other or multiracial15%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,965
Graduate enrollment
387
Student–faculty ratio
12 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
18%
First-generation students
14%
Students over 25
3%
Median family income
$83,402
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$56,916
Endowment
$126,552,473

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
67.8%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1150–1370
SAT average
1195
SAT reading
570–680
SAT math
580–690
ACT composite
21–27
Average GPA (estimated)
3.45

Cost

In-state tuition
$40,160
Room & board
$10,326
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$55,159
Average net price
$23,894

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
73%
Graduated on time (4 years)
56%
First-year retention
86%
Transferred to another college
13%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$49,826
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$59,217
Median debt at graduation
$25,000
Students with federal loans
52%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
81%

About 17% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
56%
Low-income (Pell)
63%
First-generation
68%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,376
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
70%
Housing charge (year)
$4,170
Meal plan (year)
$5,300
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division II with football
Football conference
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
Varsity athletes
700 (413 men · 287 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (13)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)221
Football124
Swimming and Diving (combined)63
Baseball47
Other Sports42
Wrestling37
Soccer35
Basketball32
Ice Hockey27
Volleyball19
Golf18
Tennis18
Softball17

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
3.1 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
6
Property offenses (2022–2024)
16

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,390 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

7.3reported offenses a year
2.0 violent a year5.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
3.3
Burglary
1.7
Rape
1.3
Aggravated assault
0.7
Arson
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$18,746
$30–48k
$18,895
$48–75k
$17,937
$75–110k
$24,787
$110k+
$27,327

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$77,909

$17,937/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$26,189
average award, among those who get one

Augustana University discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $26,189. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 553 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$59,217
Typical debt at graduation
$25,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
42%
Out-earn a HS grad
74%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.2 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$56,815
Men
$62,841

Men out-earn women by $6,026 (11%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
85°F
Winter low
7°F
Annual rain
28.3″
Annual snow
45.3″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.34.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Sioux Falls Wfo AP, SD US station (4.3 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Augustana University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Augustana University side by side →

Colleges near Augustana University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.