At its regular business meeting, held on the campus of Northern State University, the South Dakota Board of Regents received a report on the annual survey of student costs at public higher education institutions in this region. The survey looked at student costs at all four-year public institutions in the states surrounding South Dakota, which include Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming. Idaho was also included in the survey because of its economic and rural similarities. By looking at total costs of tuition, fees, room and board, we get a better idea of what it costs a student to attend a state university in this area.
Total cost includes tuition and mandatory fees, room, and meal costs.
When you consider that South Dakota has the second lowest percent of state support for higher education in the region, I think that we are doing an excellent job of keeping total costs for students down. The charts below and on the following page show how each state compared.