univstats
  1. Home
  2. State Data
  3. South Dakota

South Dakota Colleges Key Statistics

South Dakota Best Schools Compare All South Dakota Schools
Average Tuition & Fees $13,260
($11,928)
Average Acceptance Rates 82.33 %
Total Student Population 54,497
Average Graduation Rates 53.91 %
Average Student To Faculty Ratio 13.04 to 1

South Dakota Colleges Distribution

For the academic year 2024-2025, 26 colleges and universities are active in South Dakota - 13 public and 13 private schools. By school level, there are 17 4-year, 6 community colleges (2-4 years), and 3 trade/vocational schools (less than 2-years) in South Dakota. The following table shows the number of schools by school type and level in South Dakota.
South Dakota College Distribution by Type and Level
Number of Schools
School Types
Public13 schools
Private (not-for-profit)8 schools
Private (for-profit)5 schools
School Levels
4-Year or High17 schools
Community Colleges (2-4 Year)6 schools
Trade Schools (Less than 2-year)3 schools

Average Key Statistics for South Dakota Colleges

The average acceptance rate for South Dakota colleges is 82.33% and the average graduation rate is 53.91% in academic year 2024-2025. Total 54,497 students including in both undergraduate and graduate programs have attended South Dakota colleges and universities and the average students to faculty ratio is 13.04 to 1.
Tightest South Dakota Colleges to Admit South Dakota Colleges with Highest SAT Scores Largest South Dakota Colleges with Most Students
Next charts are illustrating the core statistics for colleges and universities located in South Dakota.
[Chart] South Dakota Colleges Academic Statistics
Average Transfer-out Rate for South Dakota colleges is 6.6363636363636 %
Average Retention Rate for South Dakota colleges is 77 %

2025 Average Tuition & Fees For South Dakota Colleges

For the academic year 2024-2025, the average undergraduate tuition & fees for South Dakota colleges are $11,928 for South Dakota residents and $13,260 for non-residents. For graduate schools, its average tuition and fees are $10,084 for in-state students and $13,033 for out-of-state students.
Expensive South Dakota Colleges Inexpensive South Dakota Colleges Highest Graduate Tuition in South Dakota Colleges Lowest Graduate Tuition in South Dakota Colleges
South Dakota 2024-2025 Average Tuition & Fees
In-StateOut-of-State
Undergraduate$11,928$13,260
Graduate$10,084$13,033
[Chart] South Dakota State 2024-2025 Average Tuition & Fees

Offered Degree Programs at South Dakota Colleges

South Dakota colleges and universities are offering 1,396 programs through online and on-site education. Next table lists number of programs by offered degree.

Offered Programs at South Dakota State
Award LevelTotal Number of ProgramsAvailable Online Class
Less than 12-Week Certificate41
Less than one year certificate13238
One but less than two years certificate8315
Associate's Degree26447
Two but less than four years certificate94
Bachelor's Degree55153
Post Bachelor's Degree7224
Master's Degree19266
Post Master's Degree132
Doctor's degree - research/scholarship6112
Doctor's degree - professional practice144
Doctor's degree - other10

Special Learning Opportunities at South Dakota State

In South Dakota, 3 colleges offer all programs online completely. 23 colleges offer the undergraduate online programs and 17 colleges offer the graduate online programs. 8 colleges have the ROTC programs and 9 colleges offer the study abroad programs. Next table shows the number of South Dakota schools which are offering special learning opportunities by category.

Special Learning Opportunities at South Dakota State
Online Completely3 out of 29 Schools
Undergraduate Online Classes23 out of 29 Schools
Graduate Online Classes17 out of 29 Schools
ROTC8 out of 29 Schools
Weekend/Evening College9 out of 29 Schools
Teacher certificate11 out of 29 Schools
Study Abroad9 out of 29 Schools
Know about South Dakota Colleges