Black Hills State University: Statistics
Updated:
| Position | Category |
|---|---|
| #3812 of 14,131 | In the World |
| #1063 of 2,597 | In North America |
| #992 of 2,496 | In the United States |
| #6 of 15 | In South Dakota |
| #2882 of 4,239 | For Education Majors |
Quick Review
- Acceptance rate
- 97%
- Undergraduates
- 3,261
- Graduates
- 164
- Male:Female Ratio
- 36:64
- 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 97% and is among the 26% 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 | 97% | 97% | 97% |
| Applicants | 1,579 | 500 | 1,079 |
| Admissions | 1,526 | 484 | 1,042 |
| Freshmen enrolled full time | 444 | 147 | 297 |
| Freshmen enrolled part time | 37 | 10 | 27 |
896 students enrolled in some distance education courses.
1,332 enrolled exclusively in distance education.
SAT scores
Among admitted applicants
31 or 6%
submitted SAT
25% of them
had 970
or below
75% of them
had 1085
or below
Typical SAT scores of first-years in Black Hills State University are 970-1085 (middle 50% range).
ACT scores
Among admitted applicants
331 or 69%
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 | 2905 (86%) |
|---|---|
| Race or Ethnicity unknown | 146 (4%) |
| Hispanic | 110 (3%) |
| Two or more races | 70 (2%) |
| Nonresident Alien | 55 (2%) |
| Black or African American | 35 (1%) |
| Asian | 28 (0.8%) |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 23 (0.7%) |
| 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
- $4,986
- Students receiving aid
- 100%
Tuition and fees
| Undergraduates | Graduates | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition in-district | $7,700 | $7,998 |
| Tuition in-state | $7,700 | $7,998 |
| Tuition out-of-state | $10,800 | $14,931 |
| Fee in-district | $1,300 | $918 |
| Fee in-state | $1,300 | $918 |
| Fee out-of-state | $1,300 | $918 |
Room and board costs
| Dormitory capacity | 826 |
|---|---|
| Combined charge for room and board | $7,528 |
| Room charge | $3,680 |
| Meal charge | $3,848 |
Black Hills State University majors
Black Hills State University has granted 395 bachelor's degrees across 32 programs and 68 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 | 3 | 71 | 13 |
| Elementary Education and Teaching | 54 | ||
| Biology & Biological Sciences, General | 18 | 27 | |
| General Studies | 23 | 16 | |
| Psychology, General | 26 | ||
| Secondary Education and Teaching | 21 | ||
| Sport and Fitness Administration & Management | 20 | ||
| History, General | 19 | ||
| English Language and Literature, General | 18 | ||
| Mass Communication & Media Studies | 17 | ||
| Community Organization and Advocacy | 15 | ||
| Graphic Design | 12 | ||
| Chemistry, General | 10 | ||
| Curriculum and Instruction | 10 | ||
| Outdoor Education | 10 | ||
| Physical Education Teaching and Coaching | 10 | ||
| Sociology, General | 9 | ||
| Special Education and Teaching, General | 7 | 2 | |
| Reading Teacher Education | 8 | ||
| Physical Sciences, Other | 7 | ||
| Mathematics, General | 6 | ||
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other | 6 | ||
| Organizational Behavior Studies | 5 | ||
| Political Science and Government, General | 5 | ||
| Sustainability Studies | 5 | ||
| Mathematics Teacher Education | 4 | ||
| Molecular Genetics | 4 | ||
| Photography | 4 | ||
| Art & Art Studies, General | 3 | ||
| Fine & Studio Arts, General | 3 | ||
| Music Teacher Education | 3 | ||
| Rhetoric and Composition | 3 | ||
| Accounting | 2 | ||
| Kindergarten & Preschool Education and Teaching | 2 | ||
| Science Teacher Education & General Science Teacher Education | 2 | ||
| Social Sciences, General | 2 | ||
| Commercial and Advertising Art | 1 | ||
| Spanish Language and Literature | 1 | ||
| Grand Total | 44 | 395 | 68 |
Black Hills State University has a graduation rate of 44%, which is among the 32% lowest for universities in the US.
| Total | Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduation rate | 44% | 38% | 48% |
| |||
Publications & Citations
Black Hills State University has published 568 scientific papers with 8,712 citations received. The research profile covers a range of fields, including Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, Environmental Science, Biology, Political Science, Computer Science, Law, Engineering, Chemistry, Sociology, and Physics.
Publication / Citation count by topic
Annual publication & citation counts
| Year | Publications | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1 | 8 |
| 1992 | 3 | 8 |
| 1993 | 4 | 5 |
| 1994 | 3 | 3 |
| 1995 | 10 | 6 |
| 1996 | 2 | 10 |
| 1997 | 4 | 10 |
| 1998 | 7 | 22 |
| 1999 | 10 | 11 |
| 2000 | 8 | 29 |
| 2001 | 15 | 32 |
| 2002 | 9 | 58 |
| 2003 | 8 | 39 |
| 2004 | 13 | 81 |
| 2005 | 24 | 78 |
| 2006 | 11 | 114 |
| 2007 | 14 | 123 |
| 2008 | 18 | 161 |
| 2009 | 21 | 188 |
| 2010 | 29 | 225 |
| 2011 | 31 | 278 |
| 2012 | 29 | 354 |
| 2013 | 20 | 441 |
| 2014 | 30 | 412 |
| 2015 | 24 | 446 |
| 2016 | 22 | 493 |
| 2017 | 27 | 433 |
| 2018 | 30 | 553 |
| 2019 | 26 | 640 |
| 2020 | 26 | 734 |
| 2021 | 14 | 864 |
| 2022 | 24 | 830 |
| 2023 | 16 | 808 |
Notable alumni
-
Brian Shaw
- Occupations
- strongman
- Biography
-
Brian Shaw is an American retired professional strongman who is widely regarded as one of the greatest strength athletes of all-time. He won the 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2016 World's Strongest Man, making him one of only five men to win the World’s Strongest Man four times or more. In 2011, became the first man to win the Arnold Strongman Classic and the World's Strongest Man competitions in the same calendar year, a feat he replicated in 2015. With 27 international competition wins, he is the fourth most decorated strongman in history behind Lithuania's Žydrūnas Savickas, Poland's Mariusz Pudzianowski and Iceland's Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson.
-
Faith Spotted Eagle
- Occupations
- political activistpoliticianteacher
- Biography
-
Faith Spotted Eagle is an American activist and politician. She is a member of the Yankton Sioux Nation who attempted to block development of the Keystone XL pipeline and the Dakota Access Pipeline.
-
Sean Sherman
- Years
- 1974-.. (age 50)
- Occupations
- chef
- Biography
-
Sean Sherman is an Oglala Lakota Sioux chef, cookbook author, forager, and promoter of indigenous cuisine. Sherman founded the indigenous food education business and caterer The Sioux Chef and cofounded with then-partner Dana Thompson 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 the restaurant he co-owned with Thompson, 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.
-
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 | 331 |
| 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 |