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General Biology at South Dakota State University

If you plan to study General Biology, consider the program at South Dakota State University. The following information will help you decide if it is a good fit for you.

South Dakota State University sits in Brookings, SD.

For the most recent IPEDS reporting year, 127 general biology degrees were granted at South Dakota State University.

Online & Distance Learning at South Dakota State University

Many students take online classes at South Dakota State University. Among 12,056 students, 2,300 (19%) studied exclusively online and 4,028 (33%) took at least some classes online.

General Biology Rankings at South Dakota State University

Rankings can help you compare South Dakota State University’s General Biology program against peer institutions.

Master’s-Level Rankings

Ranking	Scope	Rank
Best Value	South Dakota	#3 of 7
Best Schools (Quality)	South Dakota	#5 of 7
Best Schools (Quality)	The Plains States (Region)	#51 of 114
Best Value	The Plains States (Region)	#51 of 114
Best Schools (Quality)	Nationwide	#508 of 1,249
Best Value	Nationwide	#623 of 1,237

Earnings for General Biology Graduates from South Dakota State University

Students who complete South Dakota State University’s General Biology program earn at the following median levels (per the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard):

Years After Graduation	Median Earnings
1 year	$27,268
2 years	$29,685
3 years	$37,398
4 years	$43,780
5 years	$58,408

How does this compare to the school overall? Four years out, General Biology graduates from South Dakota State University take home a median $43,780, compared with $62,701 for all South Dakota State University graduates — about 30% lower than the school-wide median.

Median Debt at Graduation

The median debt for General Biology graduates from South Dakota State University is $27,000.

Student Demographics & Diversity

Take a look at the composition of General Biology graduates at South Dakota State University, broken down by degree level.

Program-wide, General Biology graduates at South Dakota State University are 72% women (91) and 28% men (36).

General Biology Bachelor’s Program at South Dakota State University

Among the 103 bachelor’s general biology graduates at South Dakota State University, 70% were women (72) and 30% were men (31).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of General Biology bachelor’s degree recipients at South Dakota State University.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	95
Hispanic / Latino	1
Black / African American	1
Asian	1
Two or More Races	3
International (Nonresident)	1
Unknown	1

Minority students account for 6% of General Biology bachelor’s degree recipients at South Dakota State University, lower than the national average of 47%.*

General Biology Master’s Program at South Dakota State University

Of the 23 master’s general biology degrees awarded at South Dakota State University, 78% were women (18) and 22% were men (5).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of General Biology master’s degree recipients at South Dakota State University.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	17
American Indian / Alaska Native	1
International (Nonresident)	4
Unknown	1

Racial-ethnic minorities make up 4% of General Biology master’s degree recipients at South Dakota State University, lower than the national average of 41%.*

General Biology Doctoral Program at South Dakota State University

Of the 1 doctoral general biology degrees awarded at South Dakota State University, 100% were women (1) and 0% were men (0).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of General Biology doctoral degree recipients at South Dakota State University.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
Hispanic / Latino	1

Minority students account for 100% of General Biology doctoral degree recipients at South Dakota State University, above the national average of 26%.*

*The racial-ethnic minorities figure is the total number of graduates minus White, international (nonresident), and unknown-race graduates.

More Specific General Biology Concentrations at South Dakota State University

This General Biology program at South Dakota State University offers more specialized concentrations:

Concentration	Graduates
Biology Studies	47
General Biomedical Sciences	80

Top-Paying Careers for General Biology Graduates

Students who finish General Biology program at South Dakota State University pursue many career paths. The table below ranks the highest-paying careers for General Biology majors, ordered by median annual salary:

Occupation	Nationwide Median Wage
Water Resource Specialists	$179,716
Natural Sciences Managers	$132,227
Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists	$111,314
Clinical Research Coordinators	$110,931
Food Science Technicians	$100,898
Biological Technicians	$100,160
Molecular and Cellular Biologists	$100,077
Life Scientists, All Other	$97,541
Bioinformatics Scientists	$92,484
Forensic Science Technicians	$85,117

References

• IPEDS — Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
• U.S. Department of Education — College Scorecard
• O*NET Online (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• National Center for Education Statistics

More about our data sources and methodologies.