Higher Education in the State of South Dakota

South Dakota can be considered to have a moderately-educated 2005 population, with 24.6 percent of the over 25 years old population having a Bachelors Degree or Higher, according to the 2005 American Community Survey. The State of South Dakota is reported having a lower percent of population with a BA or Higher percent than the national average of 27.2 percent.

Reported by the 2005 American Community Survey in the State of South Dakota, many men in the area have reached the High School Diploma category, with 34.6 percent receiving this level of education. The women in the South Dakota have on average achieved a greater level of higher education (Bachelors Degree or Higher) than the male population-- 24.4 percent (Men) versus 25 percent (Women). Many of the women in the area achieving a Some College or Associates Degree category, with 34 percent of the areas female population attaining this level of education.

In the State of South Dakota according to the American Community Survey of 2005, 25.8 percent of the White Alone, . percent of Black or African American, . percent of the Asian alone and 8.6 percent of the Hispanic or Latino population, over the age 25, has achieved a Bachelors Degree or Higher.

From the years 2000 to 2005, the proportion of the male population that could be considered highly educated has increased by 2.4 percent. By the year 2005, 24.4 percent of area's male population (+25) achieved a BA or Higher. During the same period, the percent of women (+25) that have earned a BA or higher has increased by a total of 4.2 percent. By 2005, a total of 25 percent of the total female population achieved this high level of education.

From 2000, the State of South Dakota has increased in the percent of the total population (+25) with a BA or Higher. The portion of this population has grown by 3.0 percent to a total of 24.6 percent in 2005. The American Community Survey reports that the proportion of the 2005 population that is highly educated is less than the US percent of 27.2.

According to the 2000 Census Decennial, the counties in the State of South Dakota range, in terms of percent of population (over 25) with a Bachelors Degree or Higher, from a high of 38.6 percent in Clay County to a low of 5.4 percent in Buffalo County.

The ten most highly-educated counties in South Dakota
Percent of the population (over 25) holding a bachelors degree or higher

1. Clay County (38.6 percent)
2. Brookings County (32.2 percent)
3. Hughes County (32 percent)
4. Union County (26.2 percent)
5. Minnehaha County (26 percent)
6. Lincoln County (25.4 percent)
7. Pennington County (25 percent)
8. Custer County (24.4 percent)
9. Lawrence County (24 percent)
10. Brown County (23.6 percent)


Datasource: U.S. Bureau of the Census. 2000 Decennial Census. 2005 American Community Survey.