Academic Index Last updated: June 12, 2026

9 Best Universities in South Dakota

Exploring the academic landscape of South Dakota, our index provides a definitive ranking of the top 9 higher education institutions. We analyzed 45.7K scientific publications and 1.11M citations to accurately measure the research output of these institutions. The ranking also highlights the real-world influence of these universities, represented by 28.7K notable alumni globally.

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1

Brookings

South Dakota State University

#223 in United States #251 in North America

98% Acceptance

2,054 Enrollment

1150 Avg SAT

1881 Founded

2

Vermillion

University of South Dakota

#271 in United States #302 in North America

99% Acceptance

7,619 Enrollment

1220 Avg SAT

1862 Founded

3

Rapid

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

#516 in United States #567 in North America

80% Acceptance

26,133 Enrollment

1240 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

4

Madison, SD

Dakota State University

#570 in United States #625 in North America

88% Acceptance

6,332 Enrollment

1315 Avg SAT

1881 Founded

5

Sioux Falls

Augustana University

#811 in United States #879 in North America

68% Acceptance

15,414 Enrollment

1260 Avg SAT

1860 Founded

6

Sioux Falls

University of Sioux Falls

#1120 in United States #1195 in North America

83% Acceptance

1,534 Enrollment

1220 Avg SAT

1883 Founded

7

Yankton

Mount Marty College

#1728 in United States #1817 in North America

43% Acceptance

1,022 Enrollment

22 Avg ACT

1936 Founded

8

Rapid

National American University – Rapid City

#2009 in United States #2102 in North America

100% Acceptance

767 Enrollment

1941 Founded

$31,062 Net Price

9

Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls Seminary

#2056 in United States #2150 in North America

85% Acceptance

82 Enrollment