Best Colleges in South Dakota 2026

South Dakota has 23 colleges and universities in our database; 18 report the graduation-rate data our ranking requires. The top 18 are ranked below by a fixed four-factor formula: 6-year graduation rate (30%), median earnings 10 years after entry (30%), admission selectivity (20%), and in-state tuition affordability (20%).

Schools Ranked

$47,924

Avg. Earnings

49.8%

Avg. Graduation Rate

Top 18 Schools

College rankings
#	School	Graduation Rate	Median Earnings	Acceptance Rate	In-State Tuition
1	Mitchell Technical College Mitchell, South Dakota	70.7%	$50,743		$7,524
2	Lake Area Technical College Watertown, South Dakota	63.9%	$45,473		$6,718
3	South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Rapid City, South Dakota	58.2%	$72,257	82.7%	$10,400
4	Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls, South Dakota	50.8%	$46,709		$7,650
5	Western Dakota Technical College Rapid City, South Dakota	53.1%	$40,240		$8,008
6	Augustana University Sioux Falls, South Dakota	75.6%	$59,217	65.8%	$39,190
7	South Dakota State University Brookings, South Dakota	59.6%	$55,070	86.1%	$9,299
8	National American University-Rapid City Rapid City, South Dakota	60.0%	$37,325		$16,065
9	University of Sioux Falls Sioux Falls, South Dakota	60.5%	$54,521	76.0%	$20,740
10	Northern State University Aberdeen, South Dakota	52.2%	$47,618	78.1%	$8,845
11	Dakota State University Madison, South Dakota	49.3%	$50,970	78.9%	$9,633
12	University of South Dakota Vermillion, South Dakota	61.4%	$51,926	99.5%	$9,432
13	Mount Marty University Yankton, South Dakota	60.6%	$48,179	68.4%	$33,100
14	Dakota Wesleyan University Mitchell, South Dakota	46.4%	$53,728	74.8%	$32,890
15	Black Hills State University Spearfish, South Dakota	38.6%	$46,674	96.6%	$9,000
16	Sisseton Wahpeton College Sisseton, South Dakota	13.0%	$31,546		$4,330
17	Oglala Lakota College Kyle, South Dakota	11.5%	$22,517		$2,684
18	California Intercontinental University Sioux Falls, South Dakota	10.2%			$9,054