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 2024 average acceptance rate of the 4-year colleges in South Dakota is 82.21% - 21,407 students accepted out of total 24,745.

Compared to the acceptance rate of 10 years ago, the rate becomes lower from 82.28% to 82.21%. The South Dakota Colleges' yield, also known as enrollment rate, is 28.12% and the yield is lower than 44.70%, rate of 10 years ago.

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Acceptance Rate Changes

The average acceptance rate over the last 10 years is 81.82% where the current academic year rate is 82.21% at South Dakota Colleges. By gender, men students' acceptance rate is 80.76% and women students' rate is 82.58%. The next table and chart illustrate the acceptance rates changes at South Dakota Colleges over the past 11 years (2013-2024).

Year	Total	Men	Women
Year	2013-14	82.28%	82.12%	81.86%
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%
2023-24	82.21% 0.34%	80.37% 2.75%	84.11% 2.75%
Average	81.82%	80.76%	82.58%

South Dakota Colleges Acceptance Rate Changes Chart

Admission Yield (Enrollment Rate) Changes

The average admission yield of the last 12 years is 36.88% where the current academic year yield is 28.12%. 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 2013 to 2024.

Year	Total	Men	Women
2013-14	44.70%	44.11%	46.89%
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%
2023-24	28.12% -1.23%	30.05% -4.88%	28.70% -4.88%
Average	36.88%	37.03%	37.60%

South Dakota Colleges Yield (Enrollment Rate) Changes Chart

Applicants, Admitted, and Enrolled Headcount Changes

The average number of applicants is 20,405, the average number of admitted is 17,268, and the average number of enrolled students is 6,332 over the last 10 years. The number of applicants to South Dakota Colleges decreased by 1.56% (381 applicants) compared to last year. The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at South Dakota Colleges from 2013 to 2024.

Year	Applicants	Admitted	Enrolled
2013-14	16,695	14,511	6,568
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
2023-24	24,745 381	21,407 -18	6,458 -18
Average	20,405	17,268	6,332

South Dakota Colleges Applicants Trends Chart

Most Searched South Dakota Colleges (last 30 days)

4-Year Colleges

South Dakota State University Public, four-years | Brookings
University of South Dakota Public, four-years | Vermillion
Kairos University Private, four-years | Sioux Falls
Dakota State University Public, four-years | Madison
National American University-Ellsworth Private, four-years | Box Elder
Augustana University Private, four-years | Sioux Falls
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Public, four-years | Rapid City
Northern State University Public, four-years | Aberdeen
Institute of Lutheran Theology Private, four-years | Brookings
University of Sioux Falls Private, four-years | Sioux Falls

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Graduate

University of South Dakota Public, four-years | Vermillion
Dakota State University Public, four-years | Madison
Kairos University Private, four-years | Sioux Falls
Augustana University Private, four-years | Sioux Falls
South Dakota State University Public, four-years | Brookings
Institute of Lutheran Theology Private, four-years | Brookings
Mount Marty University Private, four-years | Yankton
University of Sioux Falls Private, four-years | Sioux Falls
National American University-Harold D. Buckingham Graduate School Private, four-years | Rapid City
Dakota Wesleyan University Private, four-years | Mitchell

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Online Schools

Western Dakota Technical College Public, 2-4 years | Rapid City
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Public, four-years | Rapid City
University of South Dakota Public, four-years | Vermillion
Dakota State University Public, four-years | Madison
Mount Marty University Private, four-years | Yankton
Northern State University Public, four-years | Aberdeen
Augustana University Private, four-years | Sioux Falls
Institute of Lutheran Theology Private, four-years | Brookings
Black Hills State University Public, four-years | Spearfish
Mitchell Technical College Public, 2-4 years | Mitchell

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Trade Schools

Stewart School Private, Less than 2-years | Sioux Falls
Black Hills State University Public, four-years | Spearfish
Dakota State University Public, four-years | Madison
Sisseton Wahpeton College Public, four-years | Sisseton
Western Dakota Technical College Public, 2-4 years | Rapid City
Augustana University Private, four-years | Sioux Falls
Institute of Lutheran Theology Private, four-years | Brookings
Dakota Wesleyan University Private, four-years | Mitchell
Mitchell Technical College Public, 2-4 years | Mitchell
National American University-Rapid City Private, four-years | Rapid City

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