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Best colleges in South Dakota

Sorted by Compass Score, highest first
RankSchoolCompass ScoreCompass Score: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges from federal data on outcomes, entering students, cost and teaching. The ring shows where the college stands.AcademicsAcademic Excellence: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges, from federal data on graduation, retention, test scores, faculty ratio, and spending. It never uses rankings or surveys.ValueValue: what families pay after aid, graduation rate, earnings and debt, from federal data.
1Augustana UniversityRecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.Sioux Falls, SDA-Academics: Excellent (grade A-): the top 20% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Top 15%B-Value: Good (grade B-): the top 75% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
2South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyRapid City, SDB+Academics: Very good (grade B+): the top 35% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Top 29%B+Value: Very good (grade B+): the top 35% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Top 30%
3South Dakota State UniversityBrookings, SDBAcademics: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Top 38%BValue: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Top 46%
4University of South DakotaVermillion, SDBAcademics: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Top 39%BValue: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
5Mount Marty UniversityYankton, SDBAcademics: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.C+Value: Solid (grade C+): the rest of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
6University of Sioux FallsSioux Falls, SDBAcademics: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Top 47%BValue: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
7Dakota State UniversityMadison, SDBAcademics: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.B-Value: Good (grade B-): the top 75% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
8Northern State UniversityAberdeen, SDB-Academics: Good (grade B-): the top 75% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.BValue: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Top 44%
9Dakota Wesleyan UniversityMitchell, SDBAcademics: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Top 50%B-Value: Good (grade B-): the top 75% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
10Black Hills State UniversitySpearfish, SDB-Academics: Good (grade B-): the top 75% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.B-Value: Good (grade B-): the top 75% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
11National American University-Rapid CityRapid City, SDC+Academics: Solid (grade C+): the rest of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.C+Value: Solid (grade C+): the rest of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.

Sorted by Compass Score, highest first

  1. 1
    Augustana UniversityRecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.Sioux Falls, SD
    • AcademicsA-Academics: Excellent (grade A-): the top 20% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Top 15%
    • ValueB-Value: Good (grade B-): the top 75% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
  2. 2
    South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyRapid City, SD
    • AcademicsB+Academics: Very good (grade B+): the top 35% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Top 29%
    • ValueB+Value: Very good (grade B+): the top 35% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Top 30%
  3. 3
    South Dakota State UniversityBrookings, SD
    • AcademicsBAcademics: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Top 38%
    • ValueBValue: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Top 46%
  4. 4
    University of South DakotaVermillion, SD
    • AcademicsBAcademics: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Top 39%
    • ValueBValue: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
  5. 5
    Mount Marty UniversityYankton, SD
    • AcademicsBAcademics: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
    • ValueC+Value: Solid (grade C+): the rest of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
  6. 6
    University of Sioux FallsSioux Falls, SD
    • AcademicsBAcademics: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Top 47%
    • ValueBValue: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
  7. 7
    Dakota State UniversityMadison, SD
    • AcademicsBAcademics: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
    • ValueB-Value: Good (grade B-): the top 75% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
  8. 8
    Northern State UniversityAberdeen, SD
    • AcademicsB-Academics: Good (grade B-): the top 75% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
    • ValueBValue: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Top 44%
  9. 9
    Dakota Wesleyan UniversityMitchell, SD
    • AcademicsBAcademics: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Top 50%
    • ValueB-Value: Good (grade B-): the top 75% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
  10. 10
    Black Hills State UniversitySpearfish, SD
    • AcademicsB-Academics: Good (grade B-): the top 75% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
    • ValueB-Value: Good (grade B-): the top 75% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
  11. 11
    National American University-Rapid CityRapid City, SD
    • AcademicsC+Academics: Solid (grade C+): the rest of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.
    • ValueC+Value: Solid (grade C+): the rest of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.

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