State Rankings

Best Colleges in South Dakota

Top colleges in South Dakota ranked by national standing and graduate outcomes — updated 2026.

Colleges listed: 18

Avg grad earnings: $46,961

Public / Private: 13 / 5

Top Colleges in South Dakota

Nationally ranked schools appear first. Remaining schools are ordered by median graduate earnings.

State #	School	Type	Grad Earnings	Admit Rate	SAT Avg	Grad Rate	Out-of-State
1	Augustana University Sioux Falls#309 national	Private	$59,217	59.3%	1,187	75.6%	$39,190
2	South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Rapid City#379 national	Public	$72,257	85.3%	1,245	58.2%	$14,800
3	South Dakota State University Brookings#727 national	Public	$55,070	98.7%	1,121	59.6%	$12,809
4	University of Sioux Falls Sioux Falls#815 national	Private	$54,521	82.1%	N/A	60.5%	$20,740
5	University of South Dakota Vermillion#874 national	Public	$51,926	99.0%	1,122	61.4%	$12,942
6	Mitchell Technical College Mitchell#895 national	Public	$50,743	N/A	N/A	N/A	$7,524
7	Mount Marty University Yankton#975 national	Private	$48,179	48.1%	1,120	60.6%	$33,100
8	Lake Area Technical College Watertown#1245 national	Public	$45,473	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,718
9	Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls#1257 national	Public	$46,709	N/A	N/A	N/A	$7,650
10	Dakota Wesleyan University Mitchell#1339 national	Private	$53,728	72.8%	N/A	46.4%	$32,890
11	Northern State University Aberdeen#1501 national	Public	$47,618	92.8%	1,090	52.2%	$11,947
12	Dakota State University Madison#1525 national	Public	$50,970	97.9%	1,129	49.3%	$12,735
13	Western Dakota Technical College Rapid City#1826 national	Public	$40,240	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,008
14	Black Hills State University Spearfish#2203 national	Public	$46,674	94.4%	1,050	38.6%	$12,100
15	Sinte Gleska University Mission#2530 national	Public	$20,948	N/A	N/A	0.0%	$4,714
16	Oglala Lakota College Kyle#2557 national	Public	$22,517	N/A	N/A	11.5%	$2,684
17	Sisseton Wahpeton College Sisseton	Public	$31,546	N/A	N/A	13.0%	$4,330
18	Kairos University Sioux Falls	Private	N/A	74.3%	N/A	N/A	N/A

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Excludes for-profit institutions.

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