Acceptance Rate and Admission Trends for South Dakota Colleges

There are 19 active four-years colleges and universities in South Dakota - 9 public and 10 private schools. The 2023 average acceptance rate of the 4-year colleges in South Dakota is 81.87% - 20,280 students accepted out of total 24,364.

Compared to the acceptance rate of 10 years ago, the rate becomes higher from 80.70% to 81.87%. The South Dakota Colleges' yield, also known as enrollment rate, is 29.35% and the yield is lower than 42.35%, rate of 10 years ago.

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Acceptance Rate Changes

The average acceptance rate over the last 10 years is 81.68% where the current academic year rate is 81.87% at South Dakota Colleges. By gender, men students' acceptance rate is 80.69% and women students' rate is 82.40%. The next table and chart illustrate the acceptance rates changes at South Dakota Colleges over the past 11 years (2012-2023).

Year	Total	Men	Women
Year	2012-13	80.70%	79.58%	82.13%
2013-14	82.28% 1.58%	82.12% -0.27%	81.86% -0.27%
2014-15	81.03% -1.25%	79.61% 0.47%	82.33% 0.47%
2015-16	77.57% -3.45%	76.85% -3.70%	78.63% -3.70%
2016-17	82.15% 4.58%	80.83% 4.39%	83.03% 4.39%
2017-18	83.59% 1.43%	82.89% 0.77%	83.79% 0.77%
2018-19	83.38% -0.20%	82.81% -0.28%	83.51% -0.28%
2019-20	80.51% -2.87%	78.70% -1.71%	81.80% -1.71%
2020-21	84.99% 4.47%	83.41% 5.12%	86.92% 5.12%
2021-22	80.43% -4.56%	80.21% -5.86%	81.06% -5.86%
2022-23	81.87% 1.44%	80.58% 0.30%	81.36% 0.30%
Average	81.68%	80.69%	82.40%

South Dakota Colleges Acceptance Rate Changes Chart

Admission Yield (Enrollment Rate) Changes

The average admission yield of the last 12 years is 38.18% where the current academic year yield is 29.35%. The yield, also known as enrollment rate is the percentage of admitted students who finally enrolled. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at South Dakota Colleges from 2012 to 2023.

Year	Total	Men	Women
2012-13	42.35%	40.90%	43.89%
2013-14	44.70% 2.35%	44.11% 3.00%	46.89% 3.00%
2014-15	40.01% -4.69%	39.56% -6.89%	40.00% -6.89%
2015-16	39.96% -0.04%	40.42% -0.88%	39.12% -0.88%
2016-17	39.34% -0.62%	38.79% 0.16%	39.28% 0.16%
2017-18	38.62% -0.72%	38.47% -0.83%	38.45% -0.83%
2018-19	36.15% -2.48%	36.27% -3.03%	35.42% -3.03%
2019-20	32.69% -3.46%	33.17% -3.22%	32.20% -3.22%
2020-21	38.42% 5.73%	37.53% 8.43%	40.62% 8.43%
2021-22	38.33% -0.09%	39.10% -1.30%	39.33% -1.30%
2022-23	29.35% -8.98%	29.83% -5.75%	33.58% -5.75%
Average	38.18%	38.01%	38.98%

South Dakota Colleges Yield (Enrollment Rate) Changes Chart

Applicants, Admitted, and Enrolled Headcount Changes

The average number of applicants is 19,726, the average number of admitted is 16,635, and the average number of enrolled students is 6,328 over the last 10 years. The number of applicants to South Dakota Colleges increased by 10.22% (2,259 applicants) compared to last year. The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at South Dakota Colleges from 2012 to 2023.

Year	Applicants	Admitted	Enrolled
2012-13	17,285	14,443	6,416
2013-14	16,695 -590	14,511 152	6,568 152
2014-15	18,125 1,430	15,639 -254	6,314 -254
2015-16	18,921 796	15,354 -119	6,195 -119
2016-17	18,293 -628	15,551 37	6,232 37
2017-18	19,481 1,188	16,671 293	6,525 293
2018-19	20,567 1,086	17,536 -31	6,494 -31
2019-20	22,230 1,663	18,530 -206	6,288 -206
2020-21	18,925 -3,305	16,139 -328	5,960 -328
2021-22	22,105 3,180	18,330 183	6,143 183
2022-23	24,364 2,259	20,280 333	6,476 333
Average	19,726	16,635	6,328

South Dakota Colleges Applicants Trends Chart

Most Searched South Dakota Colleges (last 30 days)

Undergraduate

Northern State University Public, four-years | Aberdeen
Presentation College Private, four-years | Aberdeen
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Public, four-years | Rapid City
Sinte Gleska University Public, four-years | Mission
Sanford Medical Center Private, 2-4 years | Sioux Falls
Southeast Technical College Public, 2-4 years | Sioux Falls
University of South Dakota Public, four-years | Vermillion
National American University-Ellsworth Private, four-years | Box Elder
Broadview University - Globe University - Sioux Falls - Teach-Out Private, Less than 2-years | Sioux Falls
Institute of Lutheran Theology Private, four-years | Brookings

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Graduate

Avera Sacred Heart Hospital Private, 2-4 years | Yankton
South Dakota State University Public, four-years | Brookings
University of Sioux Falls Private, four-years | Sioux Falls
Sisseton Wahpeton College Public, four-years | Sisseton
Stewart School Private, Less than 2-years | Sioux Falls
Western Dakota Technical College Public, 2-4 years | Rapid City
National American University-Harold D. Buckingham Graduate School Private, four-years | Rapid City
National American University-Watertown Private, four-years | Watertown
Augustana University Private, four-years | Sioux Falls
Columbia College - Ellsworth AFB Private, four-years | Ellsworth AFB

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Online Schools

Avera Sacred Heart Hospital Private, 2-4 years | Yankton
South Dakota State University Public, four-years | Brookings
University of Sioux Falls Private, four-years | Sioux Falls
Sisseton Wahpeton College Public, four-years | Sisseton
Stewart School Private, Less than 2-years | Sioux Falls
Western Dakota Technical College Public, 2-4 years | Rapid City
National American University-Harold D. Buckingham Graduate School Private, four-years | Rapid City
National American University-Watertown Private, four-years | Watertown
Augustana University Private, four-years | Sioux Falls
Columbia College - Ellsworth AFB Private, four-years | Ellsworth AFB

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Technical Colleges

Northern State University Public, four-years | Aberdeen
Presentation College Private, four-years | Aberdeen
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Public, four-years | Rapid City
Sinte Gleska University Public, four-years | Mission
Sanford Medical Center Private, 2-4 years | Sioux Falls
Southeast Technical College Public, 2-4 years | Sioux Falls
University of South Dakota Public, four-years | Vermillion
National American University-Ellsworth Private, four-years | Box Elder
Broadview University - Globe University - Sioux Falls - Teach-Out Private, Less than 2-years | Sioux Falls
Institute of Lutheran Theology Private, four-years | Brookings

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