List of colleges and universities in South Dakota facts for kids
South Dakota has many places where you can continue your education after high school. These places are called colleges and universities. They offer different kinds of learning experiences, from getting a quick skill certificate to earning a special degree like a doctor's or lawyer's.
In South Dakota, there are 22 colleges and universities. These schools are listed by a system called the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, which helps group them by what they offer.
Brookings is home to South Dakota State University (SDSU). It's the largest public university in the state. In spring 2012, SDSU had 12,725 students. A "public university" means it gets money from the state government. SDSU is managed by the South Dakota Board of Regents. This board also oversees the University of South Dakota (USD), which is the second largest public university. The Board of Regents manages four other public universities in South Dakota too.
The University of South Dakota (USD) is the oldest public university in the state. It was founded way back in 1862. Augustana University, located in Sioux Falls, is the biggest private university that is "not-for-profit." This means it uses its money to improve the school, not to make a profit for owners. In spring 2012, Augustana had 1,871 students.
The smallest school in South Dakota is Sioux Falls Seminary. It's a special school for religious studies, also in Sioux Falls. In spring 2012, it had 141 students. Globe University–Sioux Falls was a "for-profit" private university, meaning it aimed to make money. It had 262 students and was the second smallest school at that time.
South Dakota has only one law school, which is part of the University of South Dakota School of Law. It's approved by the American Bar Association. USD also has the state's only medical school, called the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine.
Most colleges and universities in South Dakota are "accredited." This means they meet high standards for education. The main group that checks this is the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Many schools are also approved by other groups for specific programs. For example, some are approved for teaching programs, music programs, or nursing programs.
Contents
Colleges and Universities in South Dakota Today
This section lists the colleges and universities that are currently open in South Dakota. You can see where they are, what kind of school they are, how many students attend, when they started, and which groups approve their programs.
| Institution | Location(s) | Control | Type | Enrollment (spring 2024) |
Founded | Accreditation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augustana University | Sioux Falls | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 2,086 | 1860 | HLC, CCNE, NASM, NCATE |
| Black Hills State University | Spearfish | Public | Master's university | 3,425 | 1883 | HLC, NASM, NCATE |
| Dakota State University | Madison | Public | Master's university | 3,241 | 1881 | HLC, CAEP, CoARC, ACPSP, CAHIIM |
| Dakota Wesleyan University | Mitchell | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 887 | 1885 | HLC, NLNAC |
| John Witherspoon College | Rapid City | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 2012 | TRACS | |
| Lake Area Technical Institute | Watertown | Public | Associate's college | 2,238 | 1965 | HLC, ADA, AOTA, APTA, NLNAC |
| Mitchell Technical Institute | Mitchell | Public | Associate's college | 1,203 | 1968 | HLC, JRCERT |
| Mount Marty University | Yankton | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 1,252 | 1936 | HLC, CCNE, AANA, NLNAC |
| National American University–Ellsworth AFB Extension | Ellsworth Air Force Base | Private for-profit | Special-focus institution | 1941 | HLC | |
| National American University–Rapid City | Rapid City | Private for-profit | Master's university | 1,151 | 1941 | HLC, CCNE |
| National American University–Sioux Falls | Sioux Falls | Private for-profit | Baccalaureate/associate's college | 1941 | HLC | |
| Northern State University | Aberdeen | Public | Baccalaureate college | 3,344 | 1901 | HLC, NASM, NCATE |
| Oglala Lakota College | Kyle | Public | Tribal college | 1,177 | 1971 | HLC |
| Sinte Gleska University | Mission | Private not-for-profit | Tribal college | 544 | 1970 | HLC |
| Sioux Falls Seminary | Sioux Falls | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 1858 | HLC, ATSCA | |
| Sisseton Wahpeton College | Agency Village | Public | Tribal college | 187 | 1979 | HLC |
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | Rapid City | Public | Special-focus institution | 2,492 | 1885 | HLC |
| South Dakota State University | Brookings | Public | Research university | 11,327 | 1881 | HLC, ACPE, AND, CCNE, NASM, NCATE |
| Southeast Technical College | Sioux Falls | Public | Associate's college | 2,453 | 1968 | HLC |
| University of Sioux Falls | Sioux Falls | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 1,594 | 1883 | HLC, CCNE, NCATE |
| University of South Dakota | Vermillion | Public | Research university | 9,856 | 1862 | HLC, ABA, ADA, AOTA, APTA, APA, ASHA, LCME, NASAD, NASM, NAST, NCATE, NLNAC |
| Western Dakota Technical Institute | Rapid City | Public | Associate's college | 1,267 | 1968 | HLC |
Former Colleges and Universities
This table lists schools that used to be open in South Dakota but have since closed.
| Institution | Location(s) | Control | Founded | Closed | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Technical University - Sioux Falls | Sioux Falls | Private for profit | 1990 | 2016 | |
| Columbus College | Chamberlain Sioux Falls |
Private | 1909 | 1929 | |
| Freeman Junior College | Freeman | Private | 1903 | 1986 | |
| Globe University–Sioux Falls | Sioux Falls | Private for-profit | 1877 | 2017 | |
| Huron University | Huron | Private | 1897 | 2001 | |
| Kilian Community College | Sioux Falls | Private not-for-profit | 1977 | 2016 | |
| Redfield College | Redfield | Private | 1885 | 1932 | |
| University of South Dakota – Springfield | Springfield | Public | 1881 | 1984 | |
| Wessington Springs College | Wessington Springs | Private | 1887 | 1964 | |
| Yankton College | Yankton | Private | 1871 | 1984 | |
| Presentation College | Aberdeen | Private not-for-profit | 1951 | 2023 |
What Do the Abbreviations Mean?
This section explains the short forms (abbreviations) used for the different accreditation agencies in the tables above. These agencies are groups that check if schools and their programs meet certain quality standards.
| Abbreviation | Accrediting agency |
|---|---|
| AANA | American Association of Nurse Anesthetists |
| ABA | American Bar Association |
| ACICS | Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools |
| ACPE | Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education |
| ADA | American Dental Association |
| AND | Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics |
| AOTA | American Occupational Therapy Association |
| APA | American Psychological Association |
| APTA | American Physical Therapy Association |
| ASHA | American Speech–Language–Hearing Association |
| CCNE | Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education |
| JRCERT | Joint Review Committee on Education Programs in Radiologic Technology |
| LCME | Liaison Committee on Medical Education |
| NASAD | National Association of Schools of Art and Design |
| NASM | National Association of Schools of Music |
| NAST | National Association of Schools of Theatre |
| HLC | Higher Learning Commission |
| NCATE | National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education |
| NLNAC | National League for Nursing |
| TRACS | Transnational Association of Christian Colleges & Schools |
More Information
- List of college athletic programs in South Dakota
- Higher education in the United States
- List of American institutions of higher education
