One of the Most Affordable Accelerated BSNs in the Region
SDSU prices its accelerated BSN at $451 per credit for South Dakota residents — and extends that same rate to students from eleven neighboring states through its “South Dakota Advantage” program. That puts a full accelerated degree near $27,962 for a wide swath of the Midwest and Mountain West, well below most 12-month options.
The program packs the nursing major into five compressed terms of eight to 12 weeks, with students typically carrying 11 to 13 credits per term.
It runs at two distance sites: Rapid City, starting each January, and Sioux Falls, starting each August. SDSU graduates posted a 93.27% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate in 2025, and the college awarded over $532,000 in scholarships in 2024.
ABSN Admission Summary
Admission is competitive and reviewed holistically — the committee weighs experiences and attributes alongside metrics rather than ranking on GPA alone. Rapid City admits up to 72 students each January; Sioux Falls admits up to 48 each August.
Core criteria
- Cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher
- Grade of C or higher in every course required for graduation
- All prerequisites, System General Education Requirements, and electives completed to reach 120 total credits (prerequisites may be in progress at application but must finish before the first nursing term)
- Application to SDSU plus a separate nursing application through NursingCAS
Prerequisite coursework
- BIOL 221/221L Human Anatomy and Lab (4)
- BIOL 325/325L Physiology and Lab (4)
- MICR 231/231L General Microbiology and Lab (4)
- CHEM survey, organic/biochemistry, or general chemistry with lab (4)
- NUTR 315 Human Nutrition (3)
- PSYC 101 General Psychology (3)
- SOC 100/150/240 or ANTH 210 (3)
- HDFS 210 Lifespan Development (3)
Applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution have already satisfied the System General Education Requirements. Nonnative English speakers must submit qualifying TOEFL (79, speaking 26), IELTS (6.5), or Duolingo (110) scores.
After admission: federal and supplemental background checks (annual), a 10-panel drug screen, AHA or Red Cross BLS certification, proof of health insurance, HIPAA and infection-control training, an approved laptop, and a full immunization panel (TB, hepatitis B, MMR, varicella, Tdap, influenza; COVID-19 optional).
Curriculum
Students complete 120 total credits, with the nursing major built around four interlocking sequences — Client-Centered Care, Clinical Judgment, Clinical Application, and Professional and Population Health Nursing — that pair concept learning with hands-on practice in every term.
Skills labs and simulation reinforce assessment and intervention before students apply them in clinical placements.
Prerequisite Overview: Foundational sciences and behavioral courses (listed in the admission section) are completed before the nursing major begins, so the accelerated terms focus entirely on nursing coursework and clinicals.
Nursing Major Courses (2025-26 catalog)
NURS 228 – Assessment of Individuals and Populations Across the Lifespan (4 cr.)
Develops systematic physical, psychosocial, and population-level assessment skills, teaching students to gather and interpret data across every age group.
NURS 246 – Professional and Population Health Nursing I (2 cr.)
Introduces the professional nurse role and the foundations of population health, framing how individual care connects to community well-being.
NURS 323 – Introduction to Pathophysiology (3 cr.)
Examines disease processes across the lifespan, linking altered biology to clinical signs, treatment rationale, and nursing priorities.
NURS 225 – Clinical Application I (3 cr.)
Translates early coursework into supervised patient care, building fundamental skills and professional habits in real clinical settings.
NURS 338 – Client-Centered Care I (4 cr.)
Builds patient-centered care planning for common acute and chronic conditions, emphasizing safety, evidence, and individualized goals.
NURS 346 – Professional and Population Health Nursing II (2 cr.)
Advances professional concepts and population health strategies, exploring collaboration, communication, and prevention across settings.
NURS 353 – Clinical Judgment I (2 cr.)
Strengthens clinical reasoning through case analysis and reflection, helping students recognize cues and prioritize nursing action.
NURS 351 – Pharmacology for Nursing Practice I (2 cr.)
Covers drug classes, mechanisms, and safe administration, connecting pharmacology to patient assessment and monitoring.
NURS 365 – Clinical Application II (3 cr.)
Expands clinical responsibility with more complex patients, refining assessment, intervention, and documentation skills.
NURS 348 – Client-Centered Care II (4 cr.)
Deepens care management for diverse populations, integrating multiple conditions and coordinated, goal-directed planning.
NURS 373 – Clinical Judgment II (2 cr.)
Continues reasoning development with higher-acuity scenarios, sharpening prioritization and clinical decision-making.
NURS 361 – Research, Quality and Safety in Nursing (3 cr.)
Introduces evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and safety science as tools for improving patient outcomes.
NURS 375 – Clinical Application III (4 cr.)
Provides advanced clinical practice across specialties, building confidence managing care for complex patients.
NURS 448 – Client-Centered Care III (4 cr.)
Addresses complex and high-acuity care, integrating advanced concepts into comprehensive, patient-centered management.
NURS 446 – Professional and Population Health Nursing III (2 cr.)
Synthesizes professional practice and population health, examining leadership, policy, and community-level interventions.
NURS 453 – Clinical Judgment III (2 cr.)
Applies clinical reasoning to multifaceted situations, preparing students to manage and coordinate care independently.
NURS 451 – Pharmacology for Nursing Practice II (1 cr.)
Extends pharmacology to complex regimens and high-alert medications, reinforcing safe practice in advanced care.
NURS 425 – Clinical Application IV (4 cr.)
Delivers advanced clinical immersion, integrating leadership and complex care management ahead of practice entry.
NURS 482 – Transition to Professional Nursing (3 cr.)
Prepares students for entry to practice through professional role development, accountability, and licensure readiness.
NURS 473 – Clinical Judgment IV (2 cr.)
Consolidates clinical reasoning at a near-practice level, emphasizing safe, autonomous decision-making.
NURS 495 – Capstone (COM) (4 cr.)
A culminating, field-based practicum where students apply accumulated knowledge and skills under close supervision.
More curriculum detail is available in the SDSU course catalog.
Clinical Experience
Clinical training is woven through every term via the Clinical Application sequence, with rotations in hospitals and community settings around each campus city.
A baccalaureate degree at SDSU carries 620–945 clinical practice hours, and students rotate across specialties — medical-surgical, pediatrics, obstetrics, mental health, and community nursing — before a capstone practicum that consolidates readiness for licensure.
- Rapid City: coursework, labs, and clinicals based at Black Hills State University’s Rapid City campus
- Sioux Falls: classes at Southeast Technical College’s Terrance Sullivan Health Science Center, with local clinical rotations
- Simulation training in high-fidelity labs that replicate complex care environments
Tuition
Estimated curriculum cost is about $27,962 at the $451 per-credit rate, which applies to South Dakota residents and to students from the eleven “South Dakota Advantage” states: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Colorado, Montana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Nonresidents outside that group pay $572 per credit, for roughly $35,464. Even at the nonresident rate, the program lands at the low end for an accelerated BSN, and the Advantage pricing makes it especially competitive across the region.
Budget separately for textbooks, background checks, travel, and the ATI Nursing Education bundle. Financial aid and scholarships are available through SDSU’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.
See the official tuition page for current rates.
Accreditation
The accelerated programs in Rapid City and Sioux Falls are South Dakota State University programs delivered at distance sites; graduates earn their degree from SDSU. The College of Nursing’s baccalaureate program is accredited, and graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN and pursue RN licensure nationwide.