Black Hills State University
Spearfish, SD · Public
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
Black Hills State University admitted 96.3% of applicants university-wide (1,628 of 1,690).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 96.3% | 1,628 | 1,690 |
| Men | 96.9% | 523 | 540 |
| Women | 96.1% | 1,105 | 1,150 |
Of 1,628 admitted students, 490 enrolled (30.1% yield).
Black Hills State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 965–1135
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 18–24
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.00–3.74
Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)
Black Hills State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $30,118/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $11,866 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $18,252 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $30,118/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $11,863 |
| $30k–48k | $13,379 |
| $48k–75k | $15,588 |
| $75k–110k | $18,072 |
| Over $110k | $18,604 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
International applicants
No need-based aid reported for internationals.
Black Hills State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024
Application requirements
US applicants
- High School Transcript
- Application fee
International applicants
- High School Transcript
- Application fee
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
Black Hills State University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
Black Hills State University requires no supplemental essays.
Prompts from the Own portal member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $46,674
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 42.6%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 72%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $26,000
- At graduation
Black Hills State University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (22%), Biological & life sciences (15%), Visual & performing arts (9%).
Student–faculty ratio: 18:1 · 56% of class sections have under 20 students.
Black Hills State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.