Best Online Colleges in South Dakota

Finding a school to fit your budget, schedule, and career goals can prove challenging. Finding one within driving distance within the spacious borders of South Dakota can prove doubly so. Fortunately, the Mount Rushmore state offers several online learning options, and rankings like the one below can help make your school search easier.

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

Detailed below are some of the best online colleges in South Dakota, including their relative strengths and features, distance programs, and admissions processes. Additionally, all of the schools in this list hold regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission.

Online and on-campus programs deliver the same content and teach the same skills. However, online programs typically offer greater flexibility and affordability for self-motivated and organized students. Online courses enable you to complete assignments on your schedule and eliminate the need to travel to or live on campus. In many cases, students can continue working while completing an online degree. Colleges often design their online programs for working adults seeking to advance their careers or enter a new profession.

Job-seekers in South Dakota can expect to join a growing labor force and take advantage of a below-average unemployment rate of 2.1% (as of March 2024). Degree-holders with a bachelor’s or above, meanwhile, see an astonishingly low rate of only 0.9%. Dominant and still-expanding nonfarm industries in South Dakota are related to trade, government, and education and health services. The latter two fields have demonstrated an upward trend for the past two decades.

South Dakota ranks in the top 5 for growth in both gross domestic product (GDP) and personal income. The professional and business services industry experienced a GDP growth and employment growth, largely fueled by a 7.4% growth in Business and Financial Operations jobs offering average annual salaries of $76,980. Additionally, eastern South Dakota ranks as one of the highest-paying nonmetropolitan areas for general and operations managers, who earn average wages of $144,880. This area also offers a below-average cost of living.