2026 Best Colleges for Student Athletes in South Dakota

For student athletes, the right college balances academics with athletics. We have ranked 5 programs for Student Athletes by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.

So you can compare your options, College Factual scores each program on a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and aid per athlete from the EADA survey), and overall school quality, drawing on NCAA, U.S. Department of Education EADA, and IPEDS data. Learn more about our ranking methodology.

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Top 5 Colleges for Student Athletes

Explore the leading programs below:

1

University of South Dakota
Vermillion, SD

82% Academic Quality Percentile

No school ranked higher than University of South Dakota this year for Student Athletes. Based in Vermillion, SD, University of South Dakota is a public institution.

2

South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD

84% Academic Quality Percentile

South Dakota State University came in at #2 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes. Based in Brookings, SD, South Dakota State University is a public institution.

3

University of Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls, SD

78% Academic Quality Percentile

University of Sioux Falls is one of the top schools for Student Athletes, at #3. Based in Sioux Falls, SD, University of Sioux Falls is a private not-for-profit institution.

4

Northern State University
Aberdeen, SD

75% Academic Quality Percentile

Northern State University is one of the top schools for Student Athletes, at #4. This public school is set in Aberdeen, SD.

5

Black Hills State University
Spearfish, SD

70% Academic Quality Percentile

Black Hills State University earned the #5 place for student athletes. Located in Spearfish, SD, Black Hills State University is a public institution.

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Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.

This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology weighs a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and athletic aid from the federal EADA survey), and overall school quality. The current methodology measures academic-athletic quality and does not include team win/loss performance.

References

• NCAA Academic Progress Rate & Graduation Success Rate — National Collegiate Athletic Association (athlete academic outcomes).
• Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (EADA) — U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education (team participation, revenue, expenses, and aid).
• Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) — National Center for Education Statistics (institutional data).

More about our data sources and methodologies.