2025’s Best Colleges in South Dakota

UNDATED – With the first “early decision” college-application deadline looming on November 1, and tuition plus room and board at a four-year college costing $28,000 – $60,000 per year, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its reports on 2025’s Best College & University Rankings, to help college-bound seniors make the most informed school choices.

WalletHub compared over 800 higher-education institutions in the U.S. based on 30 key measures grouped into seven categories, such as Student Selectivity, Cost & Financing and Career Outcomes. The data set ranges from student-faculty ratios to graduation rates to salaries after graduation.

Top 8 Colleges & Universities in South Dakota

With that in mind, here’s a closer look at some of the top schools and how each performed in certain metrics:

School Snapshot: Augustana University (1 = Best):

• 1^st – Admission Rate
• 8^th – Net Cost
• 1^st – Student-Faculty Ratio
• 8^th – On-Campus Crime
• 1^st – Gender & Racial Diversity
• 1^st – Graduation Rate
• 2^nd – Post-Attendance Median Salary

School Snapshot: South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (1 = Best):

• 3^rd – Admission Rate
• 6^th – Net Cost
• 1^st – Student-Faculty Ratio
• 6^th – On-Campus Crime
• 8^th – Gender & Racial Diversity
• 4^th – Graduation Rate
• 1^st – Post-Attendance Median Salary

School Snapshot: Dakota Wesleyan University (1 = Best):

• 2^nd – Admission Rate
• 7^th – Net Cost
• 1^st – Student-Faculty Ratio
• 3^rd – On-Campus Crime
• 2^nd – Gender & Racial Diversity
• 7^th – Graduation Rate
• 4^th – Post-Attendance Median Salary

To view the full reports, please visit: 

Best Colleges & Universities Overall: https://wallethub.com/edu/e/college-rankings/40750

Best Colleges: https://wallethub.com/edu/e/best-colleges-in-the-us-ranking/40748

Best Universities: https://wallethub.com/edu/e/best-universities-in-usa-ranking/39704