South Dakota Public Colleges Ranked by Largest Enrollment

Below is a ranking of the 12 public colleges in South Dakota with the largest enrollment of full and part time students. South Dakota State University leads the list with a population of 12,056 students.

Enrollment is a measure of the size of the student body. Larger schools are more likely to offer a wider range of programs and services while smaller schools may have a more intimate and personalized experience.

List of South Dakota Public Colleges Ranked by Largest Enrollment
College Enrollment

Brookings, South Dakota

 12,056

Vermillion, South Dakota

 10,619

Madison, South Dakota

 3,774

Aberdeen, South Dakota

 3,708

Spearfish, South Dakota

 3,346

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

 2,659

Rapid City, South Dakota

 2,576

Watertown, South Dakota

 2,312

Kyle, South Dakota

 1,188

Mitchell, South Dakota

 1,186

Rapid City, South Dakota

 1,164

Sisseton, South Dakota

 206
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This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: August 2026

Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.