In South Dakota, there are a total of 54,497 students enrolled in higher education institutions. Of these, 45,386 attend public colleges and universities, while 9,111 are enrolled in private institutions. This comprehensive overview highlights the scale and diversity of college enrollment in South Dakota, helping prospective students and families understand their options among the largest educational institutions.
Explore Largest South Dakota Colleges with the Most Students, where 12,056 students are enrolled at South Dakota State University, making it the largest institution in terms of enrollment.
Following closely, University of South Dakota ranks second with 10,619 students, while Northern State University holds the third spot at 3,708. These institutions set the benchmark for large-scale education.
The average undergraduate tuition & fees of the schools is $18,201 and graduate tuition & fees is $15,487 for the academic year 2024-2025.
At these High Enrollment South Dakota Colleges, the average acceptance rate is 82.44%, and the average SAT score is 1,157, making them not only cost-effective but also accessible options for a wide range of students.
Our analysis includes colleges with at least 1,000 total enrollments and excludes online universities to provide a balanced overview. For a comprehensive list of online universities, visit the largest South Dakota online colleges.
| School Name | Total Population | Undergraduate | Graduate | Men | Women | Online Enrollment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - | South Dakota State University Brookings, SDPublic, 4-year | 12,056 558 | 10,719 (88.91%) | 1,337 (11.09%) | 5,309 (44.04%) | 6,747 (55.96%) | 2,300 (19.08%) |
| 2 - | University of South Dakota Vermillion, SDPublic, 4-year | 10,619 751 | 7,619 (71.75%) | 3,000 (28.25%) | 3,880 (36.54%) | 6,739 (63.46%) | 3,777 (35.57%) |
| 3 - | Northern State University Aberdeen, SDPublic, 4-year | 3,708 187 | 3,169 (85.46%) | 539 (14.54%) | 1,425 (38.43%) | 2,283 (61.57%) | 1,636 (44.12%) |
| 4 - | Black Hills State University Spearfish, SDPublic, 4-year | 3,346 129 | 3,198 (95.58%) | 148 (4.42%) | 1,247 (37.27%) | 2,099 (62.73%) | 1,315 (39.30%) |
| 5 - | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Rapid City, SDPublic, 4-year | 2,576 84 | 2,216 (86.02%) | 360 (13.98%) | 1,961 (76.13%) | 615 (23.87%) | 129 (5.01%) |
| 6 - | Augustana University Sioux Falls, SDPrivate, 4-year | 2,390 232 | 2,003 (83.81%) | 387 (16.19%) | 937 (39.21%) | 1,453 (60.79%) | 106 (4.44%) |
| 7 - | University of Sioux Falls Sioux Falls, SDPrivate, 4-year | 1,450 59 | 1,241 (85.59%) | 209 (14.41%) | 595 (41.03%) | 855 (58.97%) | 152 (10.48%) |
| 8 - | Mount Marty University Yankton, SDPrivate, 4-year | 1,284 30 | 1,022 (79.60%) | 262 (20.40%) | 638 (49.69%) | 646 (50.31%) | 76 (5.92%) |
| 9 - | Oglala Lakota College Kyle, SDPublic, 4-year | 1,188 41 | 1,139 (95.88%) | 49 (4.12%) | 359 (30.22%) | 829 (69.78%) | 495 (41.67%) |
| Average | 4,291 | 3,592 (83.71%) | 699 (16.29%) | 1,817 (42.34%) | 2,474 (57.66%) | 1,110 (25.86%) |