Black Hills State University: Statistics
Updated:
| Position | Category |
|---|---|
| #3699 of 14,131 | In the World |
| #1043 of 2,597 | In North America |
| #971 of 2,496 | In the United States |
| #6 of 15 | In South Dakota |
| #2556 of 2,558 | For Atomic and Molecular physics |
Quick Review
- Acceptance rate
- 96%
- Undergraduates
- 3,198
- Graduates
- 148
- Male:Female Ratio
- 37:63
- Control
- Public
- Highest Degree
- Master's degree
- Website
- bhsu.edu
Black Hills State University Acceptance rate and admissions statistics
Black Hills State University has an acceptance rate of 96% and is among the 28% of the easiest universities to gain admission to in the United States. The university reports the admission statistics without distinguishing between local and international students.
| Total | Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance Rate | 96% | 97% | 96% |
| Applicants | 1,690 | 540 | 1,150 |
| Admissions | 1,628 | 523 | 1,105 |
| Freshmen enrolled full time | 442 | 142 | 300 |
| Freshmen enrolled part time | 48 | 12 | 36 |
1,135 students enrolled in some distance education courses.
1,315 enrolled exclusively in distance education.
SAT scores
Among admitted applicants
30 or 6%
submitted SAT
25% of them
had 965
or below
75% of them
had 1135
or below
Typical SAT scores of first-years in Black Hills State University are 965-1135 (middle 50% range).
ACT scores
Among admitted applicants
317 or 66%
submitted ACT
25% of them
had 18
or below
75% of them
had 24
or below
Typical ACT scores of first-years in Black Hills State University are 18-24 (middle 50% range).
Admissions requirements
| College-preparatory program | Required |
|---|---|
| Secondary school GPA | Required |
| Secondary school rank | Required |
| Secondary school record | Required |
| SAT/ACT | Considered but not required |
| Formal demonstration of competencies | Neither required nor recommended |
| Other Tests | Neither required nor recommended |
| Recommendations | Neither required nor recommended |
| TOEFL | Neither required nor recommended |
Enrollment demographics by race or ethnicity
| White | 2335 (71%) |
|---|---|
| Race or Ethnicity unknown | 539 (16%) |
| Hispanic | 156 (5%) |
| Two or more races | 79 (2%) |
| Black or African American | 62 (2%) |
| Nonresident Alien | 53 (2%) |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 33 (1%) |
| Asian | 29 (0.9%) |
| Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander | 3 (0.1%) |
Costs per year: Tuition, Housing, Fees
The final cost of attendance varies for each student based on household income, residency, program, and other factors.
- Average aid awarded
- $6,070
- Students receiving aid
- 89%
Tuition and fees
| Undergraduates | Graduates | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition in-district | $7,616 | $7,998 |
| Tuition in-state | $7,616 | $7,998 |
| Tuition out-of-state | $10,718 | $14,931 |
| Fee in-district | $1,148 | $918 |
| Fee in-state | $1,148 | $918 |
| Fee out-of-state | $1,148 | $918 |
Room and board costs
| Dormitory capacity | 834 |
|---|---|
| Combined charge for room and board | $7,556 |
| Room charge | $3,926 |
| Meal charge | $3,630 |
Black Hills State University majors
Black Hills State University has granted 319 bachelor's degrees across 32 programs and 51 master's across 8 programs. Below is a table with majors that lead to degrees at Black Hills State University.
| Major | Associate | Bachelor | Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management, General | 7 | 55 | 7 |
| Biology & Biological Sciences, General | 19 | 18 | |
| Elementary Education and Teaching | 35 | ||
| General Studies | 19 | 14 | |
| Psychology, General | 30 | ||
| Sport and Fitness Administration & Management | 25 | ||
| Community Organization and Advocacy | 20 | ||
| Accounting | 10 | ||
| Secondary Education and Teaching | 10 | ||
| Curriculum and Instruction | 9 | ||
| English Language and Literature, General | 9 | ||
| Mathematics, General | 9 | ||
| Sociology, General | 9 | ||
| Fine & Studio Arts, General | 8 | ||
| Organizational Behavior Studies | 8 | ||
| Reading Teacher Education | 8 | ||
| Special Education and Teaching, General | 7 | 1 | |
| Graphic Design | 7 | ||
| History, General | 7 | ||
| Photography | 7 | ||
| Physical Education Teaching and Coaching | 7 | ||
| Mass Communication & Media Studies | 5 | ||
| Physical Sciences, Other | 5 | ||
| Political Science and Government, General | 5 | ||
| Sustainability Studies | 5 | ||
| Tourism and Travel Services Management | 4 | ||
| Art & Art Studies, General | 3 | ||
| Chemistry, General | 3 | ||
| Communication and Media Studies, Other | 3 | ||
| Molecular Genetics | 3 | ||
| Music, General | 3 | ||
| Outdoor Education | 3 | ||
| Social Sciences, General | 3 | ||
| Kindergarten & Preschool Education and Teaching | 2 | ||
| Music Teacher Education | 2 | ||
| Rhetoric and Composition | 2 | ||
| American Indian & Native American Studies | 1 | ||
| Physics, General | 1 | ||
| Spanish Language and Literature | 1 | ||
| Grand Total | 49 | 319 | 51 |
Black Hills State University has a graduation rate of 43%, which is among the 30% lowest for universities in the US.
| Total | Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduation rate | 43% | 32% | 48% |
| |||
Publications & Citations
Black Hills State University has published 718 scientific papers with 16,809 citations received. The research profile covers a range of fields, including Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, Environmental Science, Biology, Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Political Science, Law, and Sociology.
Publication / Citation count by topic
Annual publication & citation counts
| Year | Publications | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 5 | 5 |
| 1994 | 3 | 3 |
| 1995 | 11 | 11 |
| 1996 | 2 | 17 |
| 1997 | 6 | 13 |
| 1998 | 8 | 27 |
| 1999 | 11 | 17 |
| 2000 | 10 | 43 |
| 2001 | 15 | 51 |
| 2002 | 9 | 78 |
| 2003 | 11 | 59 |
| 2004 | 15 | 106 |
| 2005 | 24 | 98 |
| 2006 | 15 | 158 |
| 2007 | 17 | 161 |
| 2008 | 16 | 208 |
| 2009 | 25 | 308 |
| 2010 | 31 | 290 |
| 2011 | 40 | 398 |
| 2012 | 29 | 474 |
| 2013 | 28 | 551 |
| 2014 | 31 | 581 |
| 2015 | 41 | 659 |
| 2016 | 20 | 700 |
| 2017 | 37 | 785 |
| 2018 | 37 | 894 |
| 2019 | 33 | 1142 |
| 2020 | 31 | 1400 |
| 2021 | 22 | 1650 |
| 2022 | 25 | 1409 |
| 2023 | 29 | 1654 |
| 2024 | 26 | 1560 |
| 2025 | 19 | 1300 |
Notable alumni
-
Brian Shaw
- Occupations
- strongman
- Biography
-
Brian Shaw is an American retired professional strongman. He won the 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2016 World's Strongest Man competitions, making him one of only five men to win the World’s Strongest Man four times or more. In addition to winning the Arnold Strongman Classic three times and Shaw Classic two times (with one of them being a 'Strongest Man on Earth' title), he also secured six Strongman Super Series wins, three Giants Live wins and two America's Strongest Man titles. In 2011, Shaw also became the first man to win the World's Strongest Man and the Arnold Strongman Classic in the same calendar year, a feat he replicated in 2015.
-
Faith Spotted Eagle
- Occupations
- political activistteacherpolitician
- Biography
-
Faith Spotted Eagle is an American activist and politician. She is a citizen of the Yankton Sioux Tribe who attempted to block development of the Keystone XL pipeline and the Dakota Access Pipeline.
-
Sean Sherman
- Years
- 1974-.. (age 52)
- Occupations
- chef
- Biography
-
Sean Sherman is an American Oglala Lakota Sioux chef, cookbook author, forager, and promoter of Indigenous cuisine. Sherman founded the Indigenous Food Lab, catering service The Sioux Chef, and founded the nonprofit North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NĀTIFS). He received a James Beard Foundation Leadership Award and his 2017 cookbook, The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen, won the 2018 James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook. In 2022, Owamni won the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant.
-
Clint Roberts
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Clint Ronald Roberts was an American rancher, Marlboro man, and one term U.S. representative from South Dakota, serving from 1981 to 1983.
-
Jillian Balow
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Jillian Balow is an American politician who was appointed as the Virginia superintendent of public instruction in January 2022. She resigned from the position in March 2023. From 2014 to January 2022, she was the Wyoming superintendent of public instruction.
-
Steve Harshman
- Born in
-
United States - Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Steve Harshman is an American politician and a Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives representing District 37 since January 14, 2003. Harshman served as the Speaker of the Wyoming House from January 2017 to January 2021.
-
Raymond W. Carpenter
- Occupations
- military personnel
- Biography
-
Raymond W. Carpenter is a retired United States Army major general who served as acting Director of the Army National Guard.
-
James B. Dunn
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
James Bernard Dunn was an American politician in the state of South Dakota. He was a member of the South Dakota Senate from 1973 to 2000. Throughout his state senate term, he represented the 26th and 31st districts. He was an alumnus of Black Hills State University and a veteran in the United States Army. He also sat briefly in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 1971 to 1972. Dunn died on August 11, 2016, at the age of 89.
-
Francis M. McDaniel, Jr
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
Francis Marion McDaniel Jr. was an American politician in the state of South Dakota who served as a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives. He is an alumnus of Black Hills State University, Northrop University and was an aeronautic engineer and car dealer. He worked as an engineer for the Western Eletrochemical Company and the American Potash and Chemical Company. McDaniel died in Hot Springs, South Dakota on February 1, 2018, at the age of 94.
General info
| Alternative names | BHSU |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1883 |
| Motto | Transforming Lives |
| Colors | green, gold |
| Academic calendar | September to May (September - December; January-May) |
| Total FTE staff | 335 |
| Carnegie classification | Master's Colleges & Universities: Small Programs |
Location and contacts
| Address | 1200 University St Spearfish, South Dakota, 57799-9500 United States |
|---|---|
| City population | 12,000 |
| Phone | 8002552478 |