South Dakota Best Colleges Comparison

View the South Dakota Best Colleges Comparison and compare the schools with key academic characteristics such as tuition and test scores to get right decision.
request info

Colleges In South Dakota Statistics

There are 34 colleges in South Dakota - 13 public and 21 private schools. The 2023 average undergraduate tuition & fees of the schools is $12,775 and the average graduate tuition & fees is $13,399. The average SAT scores of enrolled students is 1,099 and the average acceptance rate is 82% for South Dakota Best Colleges Comparison.
The next table shows the key academic facts for all colleges in South Dakota. You may want to check more statistics and compare all South Dakota colleges at South Dakota Statistics page.
2022-2023 Colleges In South Dakota Statistics
Top 8 colleges in South DakotaAll colleges in South Dakota
Number of Schools8 schools
(5 public, 3 private)
34 schools
(13 public, 21 private)
Undergraduate Tuition & Fees$9,242 (in-state)
$19,445 (out-of-state)
$7,582 (in-state)
$12,775 (out-of-state)
Graduate Tuition & Fees$7,777 (in-state)
$16,355 (out-of-state)
$6,489 (in-state)
$13,399 (out-of-state)
Average Financial Aid$10,730$7,224
Test Scores1,104 SAT, 22 ACT 1,099 SAT, 22 ACT
Acceptance Rate81.17% 81.87%
Yield (Enrollment Rate)31.46% 29.35%
Population36,12552,280
Undergraduate30,15444,198
Graduate5,9718,082
Graduation Rate56.00%45.10%
Transfer-out Rate23.40%16.42%
Students to Faculty Ratio15.75 to 111.21 to 1

Top Colleges In South Dakota Comparison

The next table lists the top 8 colleges in South Dakota for academic year 2022-2023. South Dakota State University ranked top in the South Dakota Best Colleges Comparison and Augustana University and University of South Dakota follows it. The 2023 average tuition & fees is $19,445 for undergraduate programs $16,355 for graduate programs. The average SAT score of the top colleges in South Dakota is 1,104 and the acceptance rate is 81.17%. The average students to faculty ratio is 15.75 to 1 for top colleges in South Dakota. You can sort the schools by clicking column name that you want to sort.
2022-2023 Top colleges in South Dakota Comparison
Rank*NameTuition & FeesAverage Financial AidPopulationAcceptance RateTest ScoresStudents to Faculty Ratio
1 South Dakota State University
Request Info
Public, 4-yearsBrookings, SD
$12,809
($9,299)
$4,636 11,32786% 1,140 SAT
22 ACT
18 to 1
2 Augustana University
Request Info
Private, 4-yearsSioux Falls, SD
$39,190 $23,837 2,08666% 1,200 SAT
24 ACT
12 to 1
3 University of South Dakota
Request Info
Public, 4-yearsVermillion, SD
$12,942
($9,432)
$6,850 9,85699% 1,185 SAT
22 ACT
14 to 1
4 Black Hills State University
Request Info
Public, 4-yearsSpearfish, SD
$12,100
($9,000)
$4,601 3,42597% 1,030 SAT
21 ACT
18 to 1
5 Northern State University
Request Info
Public, 4-yearsAberdeen, SD
$11,947
($8,845)
$6,261 3,34478% 990 SAT
21 ACT
16 to 1
6 University of Sioux Falls
Request Info
Private, 4-yearsSioux Falls, SD
$20,740 $9,961 1,59476% - 17 to 1
7 Dakota State University
Request Info
Public, 4-yearsMadison, SD
$12,735
($9,633)
$5,725 3,24179% 1,080 SAT
23 ACT
18 to 1
8 Mount Marty University
Request Info
Private, 4-yearsYankton, SD
$33,100 $23,972 1,25268% -
20 ACT
13 to 1
Average$19,445
($9,242)
$10,730 36,12581.17% 1,104 SAT
21.8571 ACT
15.75 to 1
*Ranking data provided by CollegeEvaluator.
All data used in our site is from IPEDS (The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System), U.S. Department of Education, academic year 2022-2023