South Dakota’s Public Universities
Preparing students. Advancing knowledge. Serving South Dakota.
South Dakota’s public universities exist to create opportunity through education, research, and service. Across six universities with distinct missions, the Board of Regents is committed to providing students with accessible, affordable pathways to a high-quality education while maintaining the academic standards that give a South Dakota degree its value. From preparing students for in-demand careers to advancing research and serving communities across the state, our universities connect individual opportunity with South Dakota’s needs.
The work of strengthening higher education is reflected daily in decisions across South Dakota’s public universities.
Opportunity Through Access and Achievement
South Dakota’s public universities are committed to providing clear, accessible pathways for students to pursue higher education and achieve their goals. Admission should open the door to opportunity while academic standards ensure students are prepared to succeed once they walk through it.
The Board of Regents and its universities work to make those pathways easier to understand and navigate, from dual credit and college preparation to streamlined admissions and financial aid resources. At the same time, our universities maintain rigorous academic expectations and provide the support students need to meet them.
Opportunity and achievement go hand in hand. South Dakota benefits when more students have the opportunity to pursue a postsecondary credential, and students benefit when that education provides the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to succeed.
Free Expression and Civic Engagement
Higher education is a place for students to ask difficult questions, encounter new ideas, and learn from people whose experiences and perspectives may differ from their own. South Dakota’s public universities have a responsibility to foster environments where students can pursue knowledge, engage in meaningful discussion, and develop the ability to think critically and independently.
South Dakota’s Civics Proficiency requirement reinforces that commitment by ensuring students develop a foundational understanding of American government, history, and civic responsibilities as part of their education.
That work extends beyond the classroom. Through the Center for Civic Engagement and other campus opportunities, universities help students connect academic learning with community participation, understand their responsibilities as citizens, and contribute thoughtfully to South Dakota’s civic life.
Featured News
The South Dakota Board of Regents announced a new civics proficiency graduation requirement. Developed through a systemwide faculty workgroup, this initiative is the product of an ongoing partnership between the Board of Regents and the South Dakota Legislature to ensure our students are prepared to participate actively in civic life when they leave our universities.
Board of Regents Opportunity Statement
South Dakota’s state universities offer opportunity for all students, to benefit from education and to prepare to live and work in South Dakota, or anywhere in the world. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, ethnicity, religion, disability, veteran status, economic status, or sexual preference. We treat each person as an individual, not as a member of a group, and offer services and supports for each person’s individual situation. We reject, and will not promote, the idea that any individual person is responsible for actions taken by other people. We also reject, and will not promote, any suggestion that one group of people is inherently superior or inferior to another group, or is inherently oppressive or immoral.
Academic Excellence
Academic excellence starts with providing students a rigorous, relevant education worth their investment.
Creating career-ready graduates is central, ensuring students leave with technical skills, practical experience, communication, critical thinking, and adaptability to contribute immediately and continue learning. Through internships, research, employer partnerships, and applied coursework, universities connect classroom learning to community and economic needs. This is reflected in expanded programs in fields like artificial intelligence, engineering, healthcare, and education, along with research that produces new knowledge and solutions for South Dakota and the world.
The Board of Regents’ focus on artificial intelligence strengthens this work by promoting AI education and responsible use, preparing students for emerging technologies while maintaining human skills, ethics, and academic rigor.
Academic excellence means preparing students not only to earn a degree, but to succeed in the careers and communities they will help shape. Our public universities are committed to providing rigorous, relevant learning experiences that connect classroom knowledge with real-world application.
— Nathan Lukkes, Executive Director and CEO, South Dakota Board of Regents
Affordability and Student Success
A college education should be an investment in a student’s future, not a barrier to pursuing it. South Dakota’s public universities are committed to providing high-quality education at a cost that students and families can understand, plan for, and manage.
Affordability is about more than tuition. It includes the time required to complete a degree, the availability of financial aid, opportunities to earn college credit before graduation, and the value of a credential after a student leaves campus.
ANNUAL REGIONAL COMPARISON
The System Average Cost and Rank of Public Institutions provides an overview of annual expenses. The Total Annual Cost includes tuition, required fees, and room and board, giving a complete picture of what to expect financially. South Dakota is consistently the most affordable public university system in the region for both undergraduate and graduate costs.
The chart to the left represents Resident Undergraduates, including students from South Dakota and any of our South Dakota Advantage states (Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming).
Undergraduate Resident, Total Cost
In ranking order
Source: FY26 undergraduate total cost comparison.
Research Integrity, Security and Responsible Innovation
Research is a core responsibility of public universities, supporting knowledge, students, communities, and the economy in South Dakota. Protecting this work requires secure technology, responsible partnerships, safeguards for data and intellectual property, and an integrity-driven culture. As technology and research lines blur, universities are investing in cybersecurity, data protection, and modern infrastructure to maintain public trust and enable responsible innovation. Responsible innovation balances possibility with doing what is right, secure, and beneficial for communities.
Recent News
Looking Ahead
South Dakota’s public university system will continue to evolve alongside the students, communities and state it serves. The Board of Regents’ work is grounded in a commitment to academic excellence, access and affordability, student success, workforce and economic development, and the long-term strength of the university system.
The goal is not simply to respond to changes in higher education. It is to anticipate what students and South Dakota will need next and build the capacity to meet those needs.
South Dakota’s public universities are preparing students for what comes next, strengthening the state today and building opportunities for the future.