South Dakota Private Colleges and Universities

Independent Colleges and Universities in South Dakota

South Dakota colleges are nestled in one of the most beautiful regions of the United States. Surrounded by the Badlands, the Black Hills, rolling plains, and endless stream of museums, reservations, and memorials, universities in the "Coyote State" offers students unfettered access to what the country must have looked like 200 or more years ago. Such an environment seems ideally suited for rigorous study and athletics. Even during the coldest months, students at South Dakota colleges would probably opt to stay put rather than swap out with rivals at universities in warmer parts of the country.

South Dakota private colleges and universities offer a wide range of education programs with degrees and certificates up to the doctoral level, as well as professional degrees such as law and medicine. These South Dakota private schools are diverse in character, academic emphasis, and origins. Some private colleges or schools have a religious affiliation; others are secular. Private colleges and universities may be profit or non-profit institutions. Typically, South Dakota independent colleges or private schools give weight to personal characteristics and activities in addition to considering GPA and test scores. While many South Dakota private schools are considerably more expensive than comparable state institutions, they also tend to offer more generous financial aid packages. Many students have found the actual out-of-pocket cost to earn a degree from a private college in South Dakota to be less than the cost of the state schools to which they were accepted. On the one hand, public colleges are usually less expensive, particularly for in-state residents. They get most of their money from the state or local government. Check out your state's Guide to Residency. South Dakota private colleges rely on tuition, fees, endowments, and other private sources of funding. On the other hand, South Dakota private colleges are usually smaller and can offer more personalized attention (and some believe, more prestige).

South Dakota College Graduate and Undergraduate Degrees

South Dakota Cities Colleges:

South Dakota Private Colleges and Universities

The South Dakota Association of Private Colleges serves as a state organization for private colleges, universities and tribal institutions. The organization provides advocacy and fundraising functions for its member organizations.

• Augustana College, Sioux Falls
• Dakota Wesleyan University, Mitchell
• Mount Marty College, Yankton
• Sioux Falls Seminary, Sioux Falls
• Presentation College, Aberdeen
• Sinte Gleska University, Rosebud
• University of Sioux Falls