Acceptance Rate and Application Statistics
The following table compares the admission related statistics including number of applicants, admitted, and enrolled between Colleges in South Dakota. The average acceptance rate of Colleges in South Dakota is 87.15% and the average admission yield (enrollment rate) is 27.33%.
Mount Marty University has the tighest (lowest) acceptance rate of 42.57% and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology has the highest yield (enrollment rate) of 38.08% among Colleges in South Dakota. The numbers in parenthesis() in below table represent the number and rate by gender (men/women). The statistics is based on the latest data from IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education for academic year 2024-2025.
Compare Selected Schools
| Name | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled | Acceptance Rate | Enrollment Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augustana University | 3,017 (1,476/1,531) | 2,044 (923/1,112) | 534 (227/307) | 68% (63%/73%) | 26% (25%/20%) | |
| The Salon Professional Academy | The school has an open admission policy. | |||||
| Black Hills State University | 1,690 (540/1,150) | 1,628 (523/1,105) | 490 (154/336) | 96% (97%/96%) | 30% (29%/29%) | |
| Dakota State University | 2,418 (1,620/767) | 2,129 (1,426/678) | 383 (285/98) | 88% (88%/88%) | 18% (20%/13%) | |
| Dakota Wesleyan University | 1,247 (706/499) | 915 (531/350) | 192 (112/80) | 73% (75%/70%) | 21% (21%/16%) | |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Rapid City | The school has an open admission policy. | |||||
| Lake Area Technical College | The school has an open admission policy. | |||||
| Avera McKennan Hospital School of Radiologic Technology | No admission statistics available for the school. | |||||
| Mitchell Technical College | The school has an open admission policy. | |||||
| Mount Marty University | 1,750 (1,063/687) | 745 (461/284) | 170 (96/74) | 43% (43%/41%) | 23% (21%/11%) | |
| National American University-Rapid City | The school has an open admission policy. | |||||
| National American University-Sioux Falls | no recent data available (probably not active) | |||||
| Kairos University | 39 (24/15) | 33 (19/14) | 3 (2/1) | 85% (79%/93%) | 9% (11%/7%) | |
| Northern State University | 1,086 (446/640) | 1,010 (398/612) | 356 (147/209) | 93% (89%/96%) | 35% (37%/33%) | |
| Oglala Lakota College | The school has an open admission policy. | |||||
| Presentation College | no longer opens and does not accept applicants (Closed: 08/04/2023) | |||||
| Avera Sacred Heart Hospital | No admission statistics available for the school. | |||||
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | 1,565 (1,147/418) | 1,250 (925/325) | 476 (381/95) | 80% (81%/78%) | 38% (41%/23%) | |
| South Dakota State University | 7,287 (3,598/3,689) | 7,166 (3,526/3,640) | 2,441 (1,113/1,328) | 98% (98%/99%) | 34% (32%/36%) | |
| Sinte Gleska University | The school has an open admission policy. | |||||
| University of Sioux Falls | 2,291 (826/1,435) | 1,899 (647/1,230) | 290 (107/183) | 83% (78%/86%) | 15% (17%/13%) | |
| Sanford Medical Center | No admission statistics available for the school. | |||||
| Sisseton Wahpeton College | The school has an open admission policy. | |||||
| Southeast Technical College | The school has an open admission policy. | |||||
| Stewart School | The school has an open admission policy. | |||||
| University of South Dakota | 5,965 (2,424/3,541) | 5,892 (2,383/3,509) | 1,418 (511/907) | 99% (98%/99%) | 24% (21%/26%) | |
| Western Dakota Technical College | The school has an open admission policy. | |||||
| National American University-Ellsworth | no longer opens and does not accept applicants (Closed: 09/29/2023) | |||||
| National American University-Harold D. Buckingham Graduate School | no recent data available (probably not active) | |||||
| California Intercontinental University | The school has an open admission policy. | |||||
| Broadview University - Globe University - Sioux Falls - Teach-Out | no recent data available (probably not active) | |||||
| National American University-Watertown | no longer opens and does not accept applicants (Closed: 02/26/2018) | |||||
| Institute of Lutheran Theology | The school has an open admission policy. | |||||
| Columbia College - Ellsworth AFB | no recent data available (probably not active) | |||||
| Average | 2,578 (1,261/1,261) | 2,246 (1,069/1,169) | 614 (285/329) | 87.15% (84.8%/92.7%) | 27.33% (26.7%/28.1%) | |
SAT Scores Comparison
The average SAT score of Colleges in South Dakota is 1180. By subject, the average score of the SAT EBRW(Evidence-based Reading and Writing) is 579 and the average SAT Math score is 601.
Dakota State University has the highest SAT scores of 1,320 and Black Hills State University has the lowest SAT scores of 1,060 among Colleges in South Dakota. The following table compares SAT Scores between Colleges in South Dakota for the academic year 2024-2025.
Compare Selected Schools
| Name | Submit%* (Submit#**) | SAT Total | Evidence-Based Reading and Writing | Math | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augustana University | 4% (24) | 1255 | 630 | 625 | |
| The Salon Professional Academy | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| Black Hills State University | 6% (30) | 1060 | 530 | 530 | |
| Dakota State University | 16% (61) | 1320 | 620 | 700 | |
| Dakota Wesleyan University | Test Score is NOT considered for Dakota Wesleyan University admission. | ||||
| Paul Mitchell the School-Rapid City | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| Lake Area Technical College | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| Avera McKennan Hospital School of Radiologic Technology | No data is available. | ||||
| Mitchell Technical College | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| Mount Marty University | Test Scores are considered (not required), but no data is available/reported. | ||||
| National American University-Rapid City | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| National American University-Sioux Falls | no recent data available (probably not active) | ||||
| Kairos University | Test Scores are considered (not required), but no data is available/reported. | ||||
| Northern State University | 2% (7) | 1060 | 530 | 530 | |
| Oglala Lakota College | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| Presentation College | no longer opens and does not accept applicants (Closed: 08/04/2023) | ||||
| Avera Sacred Heart Hospital | No data is available. | ||||
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | 25% (116) | 1230 | 600 | 630 | |
| South Dakota State University | 2% (45) | 1130 | 570 | 560 | |
| Sinte Gleska University | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| University of Sioux Falls | Test Score is NOT considered for University of Sioux Falls admission. | ||||
| Sanford Medical Center | No data is available. | ||||
| Sisseton Wahpeton College | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| Southeast Technical College | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| Stewart School | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| University of South Dakota | 4% (60) | 1205 | 570 | 635 | |
| Western Dakota Technical College | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| National American University-Ellsworth | no longer opens and does not accept applicants (Closed: 09/29/2023) | ||||
| National American University-Harold D. Buckingham Graduate School | no recent data available (probably not active) | ||||
| California Intercontinental University | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| Broadview University - Globe University - Sioux Falls - Teach-Out | no recent data available (probably not active) | ||||
| National American University-Watertown | no longer opens and does not accept applicants (Closed: 02/26/2018) | ||||
| Institute of Lutheran Theology | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| Columbia College - Ellsworth AFB | no recent data available (probably not active) | ||||
| Average | 8.43% | 1180 | 579 | 601 | |
ACT Scores Comparison
The average ACT score of Colleges in South Dakota is 23. By subject, the average ACT English score is 22 and the ACT math score is 23.
The following table compares ACT Scores between Colleges in South Dakota for academic year 2024-2025.
Compare Selected Schools
| Name | Submit%* (Submit#**) | Composite | English | Math | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augustana University | 51% (273) | 24 | 23 | 24 | |
| The Salon Professional Academy | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| Black Hills State University | 66% (317) | 21 | 20 | 19 | |
| Dakota State University | 67% (254) | 24 | 22 | 24 | |
| Dakota Wesleyan University | Test Score is NOT considered for Dakota Wesleyan University admission. | ||||
| Paul Mitchell the School-Rapid City | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| Lake Area Technical College | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| Avera McKennan Hospital School of Radiologic Technology | No data is available. | ||||
| Mitchell Technical College | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| Mount Marty University | 48% (66) | 22 | |||
| National American University-Rapid City | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| National American University-Sioux Falls | no recent data available (probably not active) | ||||
| Kairos University | Test Scores are considered (not required), but no data is available/reported. | ||||
| Northern State University | 74% (264) | 21 | 20 | 20 | |
| Oglala Lakota College | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| Presentation College | no longer opens and does not accept applicants (Closed: 08/04/2023) | ||||
| Avera Sacred Heart Hospital | No data is available. | ||||
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | 79% (364) | 26 | 24 | 27 | |
| South Dakota State University | 75% (1,828) | 22 | 21 | 23 | |
| Sinte Gleska University | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| University of Sioux Falls | Test Score is NOT considered for University of Sioux Falls admission. | ||||
| Sanford Medical Center | No data is available. | ||||
| Sisseton Wahpeton College | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| Southeast Technical College | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| Stewart School | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| University of South Dakota | 62% (877) | 22 | 21 | 22 | |
| Western Dakota Technical College | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| National American University-Ellsworth | no longer opens and does not accept applicants (Closed: 09/29/2023) | ||||
| National American University-Harold D. Buckingham Graduate School | no recent data available (probably not active) | ||||
| California Intercontinental University | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| Broadview University - Globe University - Sioux Falls - Teach-Out | no recent data available (probably not active) | ||||
| National American University-Watertown | no longer opens and does not accept applicants (Closed: 02/26/2018) | ||||
| Institute of Lutheran Theology | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||
| Columbia College - Ellsworth AFB | no recent data available (probably not active) | ||||
| Average | 65.25% | 23 | 22 | 23 | |
*Number of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students submitting SAT scores.
**Percent of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students submitting SAT scores.
Application Requirements
The following table list and compare the requirements when applying Colleges in South Dakota based on academic year 2024-2025 data.
Compare Selected Schools
| Name | HS GPA | HS Rank | HS Record | Prep. Program | Rec. | Compe. | SAT/ACT | TOEFL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augustana University | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✔ | |
| The Salon Professional Academy | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||||||
| Black Hills State University | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | |
| Dakota State University | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✔ | |
| Dakota Wesleyan University | ✔ | ✗ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✔ | |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Rapid City | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||||||
| Lake Area Technical College | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||||||
| Avera McKennan Hospital School of Radiologic Technology | Information about requirements for applying to school is not available. | ||||||||
| Mitchell Technical College | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||||||
| Mount Marty University | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| National American University-Rapid City | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||||||
| National American University-Sioux Falls | no recent data available (probably not active) | ||||||||
| Kairos University | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✔ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Northern State University | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✔ | |
| Oglala Lakota College | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||||||
| Presentation College | no longer opens and does not accept applicants (Closed: 08/04/2023) | ||||||||
| Avera Sacred Heart Hospital | Information about requirements for applying to school is not available. | ||||||||
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | ✓ | ✗ | ✔ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✔ | |
| South Dakota State University | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✔ | |
| Sinte Gleska University | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||||||
| University of Sioux Falls | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
| Sanford Medical Center | Information about requirements for applying to school is not available. | ||||||||
| Sisseton Wahpeton College | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||||||
| Southeast Technical College | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||||||
| Stewart School | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||||||
| University of South Dakota | ✓ | ✓ | ✔ | ✔ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✔ | |
| Western Dakota Technical College | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||||||
| National American University-Ellsworth | no longer opens and does not accept applicants (Closed: 09/29/2023) | ||||||||
| National American University-Harold D. Buckingham Graduate School | no recent data available (probably not active) | ||||||||
| California Intercontinental University | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||||||
| Broadview University - Globe University - Sioux Falls - Teach-Out | no recent data available (probably not active) | ||||||||
| National American University-Watertown | no longer opens and does not accept applicants (Closed: 02/26/2018) | ||||||||
| Institute of Lutheran Theology | The school has an open admission policy. | ||||||||
| Columbia College - Ellsworth AFB | no recent data available (probably not active) | ||||||||
✔: Required △: Considered but not Required ✔: Recommended ✗: Neither Required nor Recommended
- HS GPA: High School or Secondary School GPA
- HS Rank: High School or Secondary School Rank
- HS Record: High School or Secondary School Record
- Prep. Program: Completion of College Preparatory Program
- Rec.: Recommendations
- Comp.: Formal demonstration of competencies (e.g., portfolios, certificates of mastery, assessment instruments)
Top Colleges By Subject
- Tightest Schools To Admit (Lowest Acceptance Rate)
- Affordable Schools To Admit (Highest Acceptance Rate)
- Most Favored Schools (Highest Yield)
- Colleges with Low Yield
- Expensive Colleges (Highest Tuition & Fees)
- Inexpensive Colleges (Lowest Tuition & Fees)
- Colleges with Most Students
- Colleges with Least Students
- Colleges with Most Online Students
- Colleges with Least Online Students
- Colleges with Highest Graduation Rates
- Colleges with Lowest Graduation Rates
- Low Student to Faculty Ratio
- High Student to Faculty Ratio
*Number of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students submitting SAT scores.
**Percent of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students submitting SAT scores.