Overview
Career outlook
Employers hire BSN-prepared registered nurses for direct patient care as well as roles requiring expanded leadership, research, and community-health competencies across nearly every healthcare setting.
Getting in
What South Dakota State University asks for, taken from its own admissions page.
What you'll need
- Drug screen
- Background check
- Health insurance
- Immunizations
- CPR certification
- Prerequisite courses
Standard BSN: about two years of prerequisites then five semesters of nursing; apply via NursingCAS plus a general SDSU application if not enrolled. Fall entry (Brookings, Rapid City) opens first week of January, priority deadline Feb. 15, space available until June 1; spring entry (all three sites) opens first week of August, priority Sept. 15, space available until Oct. 15. Seats: 64 Brookings each fall and spring, 72 Rapid City each fall and spring, 48 Sioux Falls each spring. Tuition is the 2026-27 SD resident estimated curriculum cost ($462 per credit); coursework from other nursing programs may not transfer.
Checked Oct 2026 on the school's site. Requirements change each cycle, so confirm before you apply.
Prerequisites
The prerequisites you'll need to meet to apply to this program at South Dakota State University. Open a category to see each one.
College courses
13
Entrance exams
1
Certifications
1
Health and background checks
4
Application basics
1
Paths
Routes into BSN. The first step is where you enroll today.
Pre-Nursing to RN
University BSN pathway
Ready to become a nurse? Start with Pre-Nursing, find university BSN programs that fit your goals, and get help planning your prerequisites and applications.
- Timeline
- 4 years
Pre-Nursing to RN
HBCU BSN pathway
Ready to become a nurse? Start with Pre-Nursing, find BSN programs at historically Black colleges and universities, and get help planning your prerequisites and applications.
- Timeline
- 4 years
CNA Exam Prep to RN
University BSN pathway
Ready to become a nurse? Start by preparing for your CNA exam, gain patient care experience, and get help planning your path into a university BSN program.
- Timeline
- 4 years
Georgia CNA to RN
University BSN pathway
Ready to become a nurse in Georgia? Start with your CNA, gain patient care experience, and get help planning your path into a BSN program at a Georgia university.
- Timeline
- 4 years
Acceptees
Acceptees whose paths lead to this program, and how they got in.
