Black Hills State University (BHSU)

Type	4 year, Public
Campus locale	Town: Distant
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate
Calendar system	Semester

Student body size	Small
Dormitory capacity	811
Student to faculty ratio	17 to 1
Acceptance rate	97%
Students retention rate	61%
On-time graduation rate	42%

Located in Spearfish, South Dakota, BHSU is a public, institution that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees. The college operates on a semester-based calendar system, providing students with structured academic terms.

The acceptance rate of 97% indicates that BHSU is open to a wide range of applicants, providing opportunities for a diverse student body.

Black Hills State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ensuring that the institution meets certain standards of quality and effectiveness. This accreditation also allows students to transfer credits to other accredited institutions if they choose to continue their education elsewhere.

While the on-time graduation rate at BHSU is reported to be 42%, it is essential to consider the context of this statistic. For comparison, South Dakota state's graduation rate for the 2021-2022 was 45% whereas the national average was 49%.

The retention rate of students at BHSU is 61% , which is lower than both the state and national averages. The state average retention rate in South Dakota is 65%, while the national average is 72%. This indicates that a significant proportion of students who enroll at BHSU do not continue their studies after the first year.

Accredited by: Higher Learning Commission
The institution provides on-campus housing
Website

Acceptance Rate

Fall 2021 admitted students

97.3%

In-State Tuition & Fees

$9,000

Cost of attendance at Black Hills State University in 2022 for students from South Dakota.

See how the college's in-state sticker price compares to 4 year , public colleges in the state as well as nationally.

South Dakota's average	$8,020
National average	$8,573

Out-of-State Tuition & Fees

$12,100

Cost of attendance at Black Hills State University in 2022 for the out-of-state and international students

See how the college's out-of-state sticker price compares to 4 year , public colleges in the state as well as nationally.

South Dakota's average	$10,613
National average	$18,862

Average Grant & Scholarships

In 2022, 89 of freshman students at Black Hills State University received on average $4,736 in grant and scholarships from the college, the state and/or the federal government. Below is detail stats of the aid provided to full-time, freshman students.

$4,736

	Students Receiving Aid		Average Amount	Total Amount
Pell Grant	141	34%	$4,331	$610,733
Other Federal Grant	332	80%	$3,009	$998,957
State Grant/Scholarships	55	13%	$1,386	$76,210
Institutional Grant/Scholarships	225	54%	$2,989	$672,544
Total Grant & Scholarships	369	89%	$4,736	$1,747,711

Graduation Rate

The following chart shows the graduation rate of Black Hills State University students who enrolled in 2015 and after. The stat covers all undergraduates registered as full-time students to study a 4-year bachelor's degree program for the first time.

The breakdown shows the graduation rate by race/ethnicity of US students. All international students are represented under one group.

As of August 31, 2021, the average graduation rate of Black Hills State University students is 42.5%. Female students graduated at a rate of 51.4%, whereas male students graduated at a rate of 30.5%.

42.5%

African American 18.2% 2 students
white 44.4% 177 students
hispanic 33.3% 9 students
International Students 50.0% 3 students
Mixed Race 48.4% 15 students

Sport Conferences

Football Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
Basketball Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
Track and Cross Country Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference

Athletic Associations

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

Service Offerings

Black Hills State University provides the following additional services to its students

Remedial services
Placement services for graduates
Academic/career counseling services
Employment services for students

Educational Offerings

Black Hills State University offers educational programs in the following categories. Check the programs section to learn more about specific programs that you are interested in.

Academic
Adult basic remedial or high school equivalent

Special Learning Opportunities

Weekend/evening classes
Study abroad
Teacher certification
ROTC - Army

Veteran Services

Member of Service-members Opportunity Colleges
Dedicated point of contact for support services for veterans, military service-members, and their families
Recognized student veteran organization
Credit for military training

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.

Black Hills State University