Online colleges in South Dakota have experienced a recent increase in enrollment, leading to a greater focus on distance education. This opens up opportunities for students around the country to earn a college degree on their own schedule from several schools in the state. Every state presents unique education offerings, including South Dakota, which boasts reasonable tuition prices and varied programs focused on the state's key industries. Studying at one of the best online colleges in South Dakota can lead to a variety of interesting and fulfilling career paths.
Use this guide to explore the state of higher education and distance education in South Dakota. You can also learn about the state's job market and research scholarships for students at colleges in South Dakota. If you want to learn more about South Dakota colleges online, use this list of the best online colleges in South Dakota to help you find the right school.
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Overview of Online Colleges in South Dakota
A Brief Overview of Higher Education in South Dakota
In 2013, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that South Dakota had 25 degree-granting institutions, broken down as follows: 12 public schools, 8 nonprofits and 5 for-profits. The total number of bachelor's degrees awarded in the '12-'13 school year at these schools was: 4,313 at public schools, 1,055 at private nonprofits and 273 at private for-profits.[dataviz-stats public="12" non-profit="8" for-profit="5"]This reveals that South Dakota offers fewer colleges and boasts fewer students than the national average, and those students pay a bit less than average for in-state tuition. The financial aid breakdown implies that students attending these universities could mostly cover the cost of college themselves. The amount of non-need-based aid implies that students sought out additional funds to cover costs instead of saving money and putting off attendance.
Higher Education in South Dakota
Featured Online Programs
The State of Online Higher Education in South Dakota
In 2015, 53,664 students took online college courses in South Dakota colleges or universities, with 21,088 of them taking at least one class online. Most of these students were undergraduates, with only 6,673 graduate students. All told, 39.3% of students in South Dakota took at least one class online. Just shy of 20% of all students took their classes exclusively online. Most of these students were undergraduates, but a higher percentage of graduate students were exclusively online: 32% for graduate students and only 18% for undergraduates. Of students taking their online college classes in South Dakota schools, 66% lived in state at the time.[dataviz-nces online="20.9" undergrad="18" in-state="66"]From 2012-2015, South Dakota experienced a 5% growth in distance education. Four of the 10 universities with the state's highest distance enrollments and five of the online colleges in South Dakota with the greatest growth in online enrollment hold membership in the Electronic University Consortium (EUC) of South Dakota. The South Dakota Board of Regents governs six universities, which are all represented by the EUC. The EUC helps expand online education and provide centralized information for students interested in distance education in the state. The online schools in South Dakota represented by the EUC help drive the state's development. The group remains a helpful information source for prospective students.
Tuition Breaks for Out-of-State Students
When studying on campus, almost all universities charge nonresident students higher tuition rates. Many schools charge lower tuition for online classes, and students often see the same online rates applied no matter where they live. This varies by school, so it helps to understand how to reduce your tuition costs, even if you study online.South Dakota remains part of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), which consists of 16 states and territories of the United States. WICHE maintains the Western Undergraduate Exchange program (WUE), which allows residents of those states and territories to attend schools throughout the region at reduced out-of-state tuition rates. Students attending one of the 160 included schools pay about 150% of in-state tuition. This may not sound like a substantial saving, but out-of-state tuition regularly costs 300% of in-state tuition. The average student using WUE saves about $9,000 a year. Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, the U.S. Pacific Territories and associated states, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming also exist as members of WICHE and the WUE program.
Best Online Colleges in South Dakota
how schools approach online education and then list their services for distance students and their popular, fully online degrees. After reviewing the best online schools in South Dakota, explore our state resources, such as a database of every college and university in South Dakota or our index of popular in-state scholarships.
Ranking Methodology
To determine the best online colleges in each state, we examined the factors most important to prospective students: Academic quality and reputation, online program strength, and cost and student aid. At the most basic level, we use the following formula to determine the best online colleges: Academic Quality + Online Offerings + Cost and Student Aid = Final Score. Of course, there's more to these calculations than meets the eye. Visit our methodology page to discover the data points that shape our formula and to learn more about the process we use to rank schools.
Most Affordable Online Colleges in South Dakota
See below for the top online colleges in South Dakota ranked by tuition rate.
Affordability Methodology
Our list of the most affordable online schools in South Dakota is based on in-state yearly tuition, or annual tuition rates if a school does not differentiate between in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition rates are based on a full course load each semester or term. All colleges on the list offer at least one bachelor's degree completion program available entirely online.The schools in SD with the lowest tuition are ranked highest, providing prospective students with a true list of the most affordable online colleges in their state.
College Graduate Outlook in South Dakota
Job Outlook for College Graduates in South Dakota
South Dakota's unemployment rate hovers around 3%, which is right around the national average. The state boasts five key industries: advanced manufacturing; bioscience; financial services; value-added agriculture; and the shooting, hunting, and outdoors industries. Choosing a degree or career in these industries can help you get a job in South Dakota.