Acceptance Rate and Application Statistics
The following table compares the admission related statistics including number of applicants, admitted, and enrolled between best schools in South Dakota. The average acceptance rate of best schools in South Dakota is 88.27% and the average admission yield (enrollment rate) is 27.02%.
Mount Marty University has the tighest (lowest) acceptance rate of 42.57% and Northern State University has the highest yield (enrollment rate) of 35.25% among best schools 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.
| Rank | Name | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled | Acceptance Rate | Enrollment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 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%) |
| 2 | Augustana University | 3,017 (1,476/1,531) | 2,044 (923/1,112) | 534 (227/307) | 68% (63%/73%) | 26% (25%/20%) |
| 3 | 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%) |
| 4 | Black Hills State University | 1,690 (540/1,150) | 1,628 (523/1,105) | 490 (154/336) | 96% (97%/96%) | 30% (29%/29%) |
| 5 | Northern State University | 1,086 (446/640) | 1,010 (398/612) | 356 (147/209) | 93% (89%/96%) | 35% (37%/33%) |
| 6 | University of Sioux Falls | 2,291 (826/1,435) | 1,899 (647/1,230) | 290 (107/183) | 83% (78%/86%) | 15% (17%/13%) |
| 7 | Dakota State University | 2,418 (1,620/767) | 2,129 (1,426/678) | 383 (285/98) | 88% (88%/88%) | 18% (20%/13%) |
| 8 | Mount Marty University | 1,750 (1,063/687) | 745 (461/284) | 170 (96/74) | 43% (43%/41%) | 23% (21%/11%) |
| Average | 3,188 (1,499/1,499) | 2,814 (1,286/1,521) | 760 (330/430) | 88.27% (85.8%/101.5%) | 27.02% (25.7%/28.3%) | |
SAT Scores Comparison
The average SAT score of best schools in South Dakota is 1172. By subject, the average score of the SAT EBRW(Evidence-based Reading and Writing) is 575 and the average SAT Math score is 597.
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 best schools in South Dakota. The following table compares SAT Scores between best schools in South Dakota for the academic year 2024-2025.
| Rank | Name | Submit%* (Submit#**) | SAT Total | Evidence-Based Reading and Writing | Math |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota State University | 2% (45) | 1130 | 570 | 560 |
| 2 | Augustana University | 4% (24) | 1255 | 630 | 625 |
| 3 | University of South Dakota | 4% (60) | 1205 | 570 | 635 |
| 4 | Black Hills State University | 6% (30) | 1060 | 530 | 530 |
| 5 | Northern State University | 2% (7) | 1060 | 530 | 530 |
| 6 | University of Sioux Falls | Test Score is NOT considered for University of Sioux Falls admission. | |||
| 7 | Dakota State University | 16% (61) | 1320 | 620 | 700 |
| 8 | Mount Marty University | Test Scores are considered (not required), but no data is available/reported. | |||
| Average | 5.67% | 1172 | 575 | 597 | |
ACT Scores Comparison
The average ACT score of best schools in South Dakota is 22. By subject, the average ACT English score is 21 and the ACT math score is 22.
The following table compares ACT Scores between best schools in South Dakota for academic year 2024-2025.
| Rank | Name | Submit%* (Submit#**) | Composite | English | Math |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota State University | 75% (1,828) | 22 | 21 | 23 |
| 2 | Augustana University | 51% (273) | 24 | 23 | 24 |
| 3 | University of South Dakota | 62% (877) | 22 | 21 | 22 |
| 4 | Black Hills State University | 66% (317) | 21 | 20 | 19 |
| 5 | Northern State University | 74% (264) | 21 | 20 | 20 |
| 6 | University of Sioux Falls | Test Score is NOT considered for University of Sioux Falls admission. | |||
| 7 | Dakota State University | 67% (254) | 24 | 22 | 24 |
| 8 | Mount Marty University | 48% (66) | 22 | ||
| Average | 63.29% | 22 | 21 | 22 | |
*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 best schools in South Dakota based on academic year 2024-2025 data.
| Rank | Name | HS GPA | HS Rank | HS Record | Prep. Program | Rec. | Compe. | SAT/ACT | TOEFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota State University | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✔ |
| 2 | Augustana University | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✔ |
| 3 | University of South Dakota | ✓ | ✓ | ✔ | ✔ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✔ |
| 4 | Black Hills State University | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| 5 | Northern State University | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✔ |
| 6 | University of Sioux Falls | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| 7 | Dakota State University | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✔ |
| 8 | Mount Marty University | ✔ | ✓ | ✔ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
✔: 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)
The ranking data is provided by CollegeEvaluator. We compare the schools that ranked top 10 in South Dakotaand in top 500 ranking for all colleges and universities in United States.
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.