South Dakota doesn't get a lot of attention for its colleges, but there are 9 towns in the state with at least one four-year school -- and some of them make great places to spend four years.
We wanted to know which ones are the best college towns. You know the type of place: plenty of students, plenty to do, affordable rent, and safe enough to walk around at night.
So we used Saturday Night Science to rank all 9 of them on the colleges themselves, the town around them, and things to do. Vermillion came out on top.
The 9 Best College Towns In South Dakota For 2026
Want the bigger picture? See where South Dakota's towns land among the best college towns in America.
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| Colleges | University of South Dakota |
|---|---|
| Undergrads | 5,439 (46 per 100 residents) |
| Population | 11,878 |
| Median rent | $764 |
| Graduation rate | 59% |
| Cost to attend (per year) | $24,422 |
Vermillion is the biggest college town in South Dakota by one important measure: there are 46 University of South Dakota undergrads for every 100 residents, more than anywhere else in the state. Rent is cheap at $764 a month, crime is low, and the National Music Museum sits right on campus. It's everything a small college town should be.
| Colleges | Northern State University |
|---|---|
| Undergrads | 1,273 (5 per 100 residents) |
| Population | 28,189 |
| Median rent | $762 |
| Graduation rate | 54% |
| Cost to attend (per year) | $22,077 |
Aberdeen is home to Northern State University, and it has the cheapest rent of any college town in South Dakota at $762 a month. It's also one of the safest, ranking 4th for crime. The one thing it's missing is a bigger student body -- Northern State has about 1,273 undergrads.
| Colleges | Black Hills State University |
|---|---|
| Undergrads | 1,928 (15 per 100 residents) |
| Population | 12,930 |
| Median rent | $963 |
| Graduation rate | 48% |
| Cost to attend (per year) | $21,277 |
Spearfish sits at the mouth of Spearfish Canyon in the northern Black Hills, which makes Black Hills State University one of the prettiest places in the state to go to school. Unemployment is just 2.2%, and there are 15 students for every 100 residents.
| Colleges | Dakota Wesleyan University |
|---|---|
| Undergrads | 670 (4 per 100 residents) |
| Population | 15,649 |
| Median rent | $851 |
| Graduation rate | 60% |
| Cost to attend (per year) | $43,864 |
Mitchell is home to Dakota Wesleyan University and, of course, the Corn Palace. It has the lowest unemployment rate of any college town in South Dakota at 1.0%, but Dakota Wesleyan is a small, pricier private school, which holds Mitchell back.
| Colleges | South Dakota State University |
|---|---|
| Undergrads | 9,198 (38 per 100 residents) |
| Population | 23,948 |
| Median rent | $889 |
| Graduation rate | 62% |
| Cost to attend (per year) | $24,636 |
Brookings is home to South Dakota State, the biggest university in the state with 9,198 undergrads, and the Jackrabbits give the town a real college feel. SDSU also has one of the best graduation rates on this list at 62%, and crime is among the lowest in the state. It's the most "college town" college town in South Dakota, but it finishes fifth because of a higher unemployment rate and fewer things to do per person.
| Colleges | Mount Marty University |
|---|---|
| Undergrads | 697 (4 per 100 residents) |
| Population | 15,540 |
| Median rent | $790 |
| Graduation rate | 58% |
| Cost to attend (per year) | $48,247 |
Yankton, on the Missouri River near Lewis and Clark Lake, is home to Mount Marty University. It's an affordable, low-unemployment town, but Mount Marty is small, with about 697 undergrads.
| Colleges | Augustana University, University of Sioux Falls, Kairos University |
|---|---|
| Undergrads | 3,265 (2 per 100 residents) |
| Population | 201,469 |
| Median rent | $1,035 |
| Graduation rate | 72% |
| Cost to attend (per year) | $44,716 |
Sioux Falls is the biggest city in the state, so there's plenty to do, but its colleges -- Augustana University, University of Sioux Falls, Kairos University -- barely register in a city of 201,469. Students are only 2 out of every 100 residents. That's the tradeoff with going to school in a real city.
| Colleges | Dakota State University |
|---|---|
| Undergrads | 2,071 (34 per 100 residents) |
| Population | 6,094 |
| Median rent | $981 |
| Graduation rate | 48% |
| Cost to attend (per year) | $25,753 |
Madison is home to Dakota State University, known for its cybersecurity programs. It has the lowest crime rate of any college town in South Dakota, and students make up a big share of the town, with 34 undergrads per 100 residents.
| Colleges | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology |
|---|---|
| Undergrads | 2,071 (3 per 100 residents) |
| Population | 77,946 |
| Median rent | $1,109 |
| Graduation rate | 59% |
| Cost to attend (per year) | $25,385 |
Rapid City, home to the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, has the most expensive rent of any college town in the state at $1,109 a month and the highest crime rate. But Mount Rushmore is a short drive away, which is hard to beat on a weekend.
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the best college towns in South Dakota
First, we decided that every town on the list had to have at least one four-year college -- a school that grants bachelor's degrees -- and at least 5,000 residents. There are 9 towns in South Dakota that fit the bill.
Then we ranked every town on these categories:
- The town: unemployment rate, median rent, and crime per capita
- The colleges: graduation rate, the average cost to attend, and student body diversity
- Things to do: bars, museums and libraries per capita, and population density
- Students: undergrads as a share of the population
- Size: population, since bigger towns have more going on
We ranked each town on every measure, averaged those ranks into a score for each category, and then averaged the categories. The town with the best overall score is the best college town in South Dakota.
Our data comes from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (enrollment, graduation rates, cost, and diversity), the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 American Community Survey, the FBI's 2024 crime report. We left out colleges that are online-only or mostly online, since their students don't actually live in town. A handful of towns don't report crime to the FBI, so we gave them the average.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the best college towns in South Dakota.
Summary
There You Have It -- The Best College Towns In South Dakota
If you're looking for the best college towns in South Dakota, Vermillion is where to start.
The best college towns in South Dakota are Vermillion, Aberdeen, Spearfish, Mitchell, Brookings, Yankton, Sioux Falls, Madison, and Rapid City.
For more college towns, check out the best college towns in America.
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best college town in South Dakota for 2026?
Vermillion is the best college town in South Dakota for 2026, followed by Aberdeen and Spearfish.
How did you rank the best college towns in South Dakota?
We looked at every town in South Dakota with at least 5,000 residents and a four-year college, then ranked them on city characteristics, college characteristics, things to do, the share of residents who are students, and size. The town with the best average rank is number one.
What is the worst college town in South Dakota?
Rapid City ranks last of the 9 college towns we ranked in South Dakota for 2026.
Best College Towns In South Dakota For 2026
| Rank | City | Population | Undergrads | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermillion, SD | 11,878 | 5,439 | $764 |
| 2 | Aberdeen, SD | 28,189 | 1,273 | $762 |
| 3 | Spearfish, SD | 12,930 | 1,928 | $963 |
| 4 | Mitchell, SD | 15,649 | 670 | $851 |
| 5 | Brookings, SD | 23,948 | 9,198 | $889 |
| 6 | Yankton, SD | 15,540 | 697 | $790 |
| 7 | Sioux Falls, SD | 201,469 | 3,265 | $1,035 |
| 8 | Madison, SD | 6,094 | 2,071 | $981 |
| 9 | Rapid City, SD | 77,946 | 2,071 | $1,109 |
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