Do South Dakota Residents Get In-State Tuition in Hawaii? (Graduate, 2026)
WRGP — in-state rate
Sometimes — South Dakota and Hawaii both belong to Western Regional Graduate Program, which can bring graduate tuition at UH Manoa Graduate Division down to the in-state rate of about $16,300 from $36,000, but only for approved majors. It is not automatic in-state status.
- You would pay
- $16,300/yr
- Resident pays
- $16,300/yr
- Non-resident rate
- $36,000/yr
- Saved over 2 yrs
- $39,400
Conditional: Applies only to approved majors at participating campuses — confirm both before you apply.
Tuition and mandatory fees only, compiled from published rates and rounded. Excludes housing, books and course differentials. Eligibility is decided by the institution, not by this page.
Open this pair in the checker to switch level, compare other states, or copy a link to the result.
The route from South Dakota to Hawaii runs through Western Regional Graduate Program. Unlike the rate-cap programs, it pays the in-state rate outright — $16,300 at UH Manoa Graduate Division — but only for a specific approved degree.
South Dakota residents start from $10,300 a year, the in-state graduate rate at USD Graduate School. Measured against that, Hawaii costs $6,000 a year more than staying home. 14 other states offer South Dakota residents a reduced graduate rate, the lowest being Wyoming at about $7,000.
Treat the figure below as a planning number rather than a quote. Rates are set per campus and per college within the campus, and a program in engineering or nursing frequently carries a differential the headline rate does not include.
Every route from South Dakota to Hawaii
| Route | What it gives you | Per year | Saving | Guaranteed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Regional Graduate Program | WRGP is the graduate half of the same agreement, and it is more generous and much narrower: students admitted to an approved master's, graduate certificate or doctoral program pay the receiving institution's full resident rate, but only a specific published list of programs takes part. | $16,300 | $19,700 | Conditional |
Where South Dakota residents pay less
Staying home, a South Dakota resident pays $10,300 a year for in-state graduate tuition at USD Graduate School. The cheapest Hawaii option for you is $16,300 at UH Manoa Graduate Division, which is $6,000 a year more than staying home, or $12,000 over 2 years.
South Dakota belongs to Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) at graduate level, so 15 of 50 states offer South Dakota graduate students a reduced rate, and Hawaii is one of them.
| State | Route | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| South Dakota to Wyoming | Western Regional Graduate Program · University of Wyoming graduate programs | $7,000 |
| South Dakota to Montana | Western Regional Graduate Program · University of Montana Graduate School | $8,000 |
| South Dakota to New Mexico | Western Regional Graduate Program · UNM Graduate Studies | $8,000 |
| South Dakota to Nevada | Western Regional Graduate Program · UNLV Graduate College | $9,000 |
| South Dakota to Utah | Western Regional Graduate Program · University of Utah Graduate School | $9,300 |
South Dakota's neighboring states, compared
What a South Dakota resident pays for graduate tuition in each state that borders South Dakota, cheapest first:
- Wyoming$7,000/yr · Western Regional Graduate Program
- Montana$8,000/yr · Western Regional Graduate Program
- North Dakota$12,700/yr · Western Regional Graduate Program
- Minnesota$20,000/yr · Minnesota-Dakotas Tuition Reciprocity
- Nebraska$28,300/yr · non-resident
- Iowa$31,600/yr · non-resident
Compare all 50 states from South Dakota in the checker. Each figure is one reference campus per state, not a state average.
Hawaii residency, in brief
Hawaii grants in-state tuition after 12 months of domicile before the term begins (Haw. Admin. R. § 20-4), and a financially dependent student takes the parents' domicile. Moving to Hawaii to enroll does not by itself start the clock.
Hawaii residency requirements in full · how long every state requires
Step by step
- Check that your chosen Hawaii campus participates in Western Regional Graduate Program — membership is a state-level agreement, but each campus decides whether to offer it and how many awards to fund.
- Confirm your intended major is on the approved list. Applies only to approved majors at participating campuses — confirm both before you apply.
- Apply for the award at the same time as admission, and well before the campus deadline — most participating institutions award on a first-come basis and close early.
- Keep your South Dakota residency documentation current; the program is only open to residents of a member state.
- Compare the result against the residency route: Hawaii grants in-state status after 12 months of domicile, currently $16,300 a year.
Official links
Related
Asked and answered
›Do South Dakota residents get in-state tuition in Hawaii?
Effectively yes, through Western Regional Graduate Program, but it is not residency. You pay the in-state rate of about $16,300 while remaining a South Dakota resident for every other purpose, and the benefit ends if you leave the approved program.
›How long does it take to get in-state tuition in Hawaii?
Hawaii requires 12 months of domicile before the term begins (Haw. Admin. R. § 20-4), and a financially dependent student takes the parents' domicile.
›How much would graduate study in Hawaii actually cost a South Dakota resident?
About $16,300 a year in tuition and mandatory fees under Western Regional Graduate Program, against $36,000 at the published non-resident rate and $16,300 for a Hawaii resident. Over 2 years that is roughly $39,400 saved. Figures are compiled 2025–26 published rates and exclude housing, books and course-specific differentials.
›Where can South Dakota residents get reduced graduate tuition?
In 15 states at graduate level. Outside Hawaii, the lowest are Wyoming ($7,000), Montana ($8,000), New Mexico ($8,000). Each figure is one reference campus, and awards are made campus by campus.
›Is studying in Hawaii cheaper than staying in South Dakota?
No. South Dakota's in-state graduate rate is $10,300 a year at USD Graduate School, and the cheapest Hawaii option for a South Dakota resident is $16,300, so Hawaii costs about $6,000 more a year, or $12,000 over 2 years, in tuition and fees alone.
Sources
Every eligibility rule on this page is checked against the operating compact commission or the state's own residency authority. Last verified 2026-08-07.
Tuition figures on this page are compiled 2025–26 published rates (basis: published compiled), rounded to the nearest $100 and refreshed each June. Eligibility rules are checked against the cited compact commission or residency authority.
- University of Hawai'i System — residency for tuition purposes ↗Accessed 2026-08-07
- UH Manoa Graduate Division — tuition and fees ↗Accessed 2026-08-07
- USD Graduate School — tuition and fees ↗Accessed 2026-08-07
How this page was made
Compiled and checked by Billy Reiner, editor of In-State Check. Last verified 2026-08-07.
- Compiled from published rate pages
- The in-state and non-resident figures are tuition and mandatory fees for one full-time year, read from UH Manoa Graduate Division’s own 2025–26 rate page and rounded to the nearest $100. Housing, books, travel and course-specific differentials are not included in them.
- Checked against the administering body
- Compact membership at this level was checked against the commission that runs the program (WICHE). The residency test — the durational requirement, the domicile evidence and the dependent-student rule — was checked against University of Hawai'i System, Haw. Admin. R. § 20-4. Nothing here is taken from another comparison site.
Not advice. In-State Check is independent of every college, compact and state agency named here. Residency classification and award decisions are made by the institution you apply to. Found an error? Send the page URL and the source that contradicts it to [email protected], and the page is corrected and re-dated. Full methodology.