South Dakota Private School Trends (10-Year)

Private Schools

+5.8% (+5 schools) 10-yr

14,906

Students

+16.8% (+2,148 students) 10-yr

$5,377

Avg. Tuition

+13.8% (+$654) 10-yr

Avg. Class Size

-16.7% (-3 students) 9-yr

22%

Students of Color

-31.3% (-10.0 pp) 10-yr

12:1

Student-Teacher Ratio

Enrollment & Diversity

Trends in Total Number of Private Schools

Year	South Dakota (SD) Total	US Avg per State
2025	92	671
2024	92	703
2023	88	665
2022	85	612
2021	89	637
2020	95	684
2019	89	665
2018	90	677
2017	84	631
2016	85	644
2015	86	683

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# Students

14,906 Students

111,542 Students
avg. per state

View Largest South Dakota Private Schools

View Data

Showing 2016–2025. Full 11-year historical data available below ↓

Trends in Total Number of Private School Students

Year	South Dakota (SD) Total	US Avg per State
2025	15,075	111,945
2024	14,684	113,628
2023	13,656	108,484
2022	14,168	104,892
2021	14,429	106,817
2020	14,573	109,411
2019	14,260	108,956
2018	14,090	109,868
2017	12,973	106,255
2016	13,016	107,443
2015	12,758	108,505

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View Data

Distribution of Students By Grade Trends

Grade	South Dakota
Nursery	108
Pre-K	2,577
Kind	1,250
1	1,057
2	1,045
3	1,005
4	979
5	1,097
6	857
7	897
8	841
9	907
10	733
11	776
12	755
Not Listed	22

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Average School Size

167 Students

179 Students

View Data

Showing 2016–2025. Full 11-year historical data available below ↓

Trends in Average School Size

Year	South Dakota (SD) Avg	National
2025	166	179
2024	163	172
2023	157	174
2022	167	185
2021	162	180
2020	153	171
2019	160	175
2018	157	172
2017	154	180
2016	153	178
2015	148	167

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% Average Students of Color

22%

34%

View Data

Showing 2016–2025. Full 11-year historical data available below ↓

Percentage of Students of Color Trends (2015-2025)

Year	South Dakota (SD) Avg	National
2025	21%	34%
2024	21%	34%
2023	19%	33%
2022	22%	33%
2021	23%	32%
2020	23%	32%
2019	21%	31%
2018	21%	31%
2017	21%	32%
2016	21%	32%
2015	32%	32%

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Academics

# Teachers

1,226 Teachers

509,285 Teachers

Average Student-Teacher Ratio

12:1

11:1

View Data

Showing 2016–2025. Full 11-year historical data available below ↓

Student-Teacher Ratio Trends (2015-2025)

Year	South Dakota (SD) Avg	National
2025	12:1	11:1
2024	12:1	11:1
2023	13:1	11:1
2022	12:1	11:1
2021	12:1	11:1
2020	12:1	12:1
2019	12:1	12:1
2018	12:1	12:1
2017	12:1	12:1
2016	12:1	12:1
2015	12:1	12:1

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% Average Faculty w/Advanced Degree

35%

55%

View South Dakota Private Schools with the Most Educated Faculty

View Data

Percentage of Faculty With Advanced Degrees Trends (2017-2025)

Year	South Dakota (SD) Avg	National
2025	34%	55%
2024	34%	54%
2023	29%	54%
2022	28%	54%
2021	28%	54%
2020	28%	54%
2019	28%	53%
2018	27%	53%
2017	28%	53%

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Average Class Size

15 students

16 students

View Data

Class Size Trends (2016-2025)

Year	South Dakota (SD) Avg	National
2025	15	15
2024	16	15
2023	16	15
2022	17	15
2021	17	15
2020	17	15
2019	17	15
2018	17	15
2017	18	15
2016	18	15

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Tuition & Aid

Average Yearly Tuition Cost

$5,377

$13,770

View South Dakota Private Schools By Tuition Cost

View Data

Showing 2016–2025. Full 11-year historical data available below ↓

Tuition Cost Trends (2015-2025)

Year	South Dakota (SD) Avg	National
2025	$6,448	$15,012
2024	$6,238	$14,622
2023	$6,104	$14,057
2022	$5,904	$13,504
2021	$5,763	$13,232
2020	$5,727	$12,915
2019	$5,727	$12,656
2018	$5,664	$12,363
2017	$5,580	$12,049
2016	$5,354	$11,633
2015	$4,723	$11,174

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Average Acceptance Rate

91%

85%

Students by Ethnicity

0.59

0.65

View South Dakota Private Schools Minority Statistics

View Data

Showing 2016–2025. Full 11-year historical data available below ↓

Diversity Score Trends

Year	South Dakota (SD) Avg	National
2025	0.59	0.65
2024	0.58	0.65
2023	0.55	0.65
2022	0.61	0.64
2021	0.61	0.64
2020	0.61	0.64
2019	0.58	0.63
2018	0.58	0.63
2017	0.56	0.61
2016	0.57	0.61
2015	0.56	0.61

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# American Indian Students

1,727 Students

29,812 Students

% American Indian Students

11%

View Data

Showing 2016–2025. Full 11-year historical data available below ↓

Percentage of Private School Students of American Indian Trends

Year	South Dakota (SD) Avg	National
2025	11%	1%
2024	12%	1%
2023	10%	1%
2022	13%	2%
2021	14%	1%
2020	13%	1%
2019	12%	1%
2018	12%	2%
2017	13%	1%
2016	14%	1%
2015	14%	1%

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# Asian Students

161 Students

264,402 Students

% Asian Students

View Data

Showing 2016–2025. Full 11-year historical data available below ↓

Asian Student Percentage Trends

Year	South Dakota (SD) Avg	National
2025	1%	5%
2024	1%	5%
2023	1%	5%
2022	2%	4%
2021	2%	4%
2020	2%	4%
2019	2%	4%
2018	2%	4%
2017	1%	4%
2016	1%	4%
2015	1%	4%

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# Hispanic Students

468 Students

506,581 Students

% Hispanic Students

View Data

Showing 2016–2025. Full 11-year historical data available below ↓

Hispanic Student Percentage Trends

Year	South Dakota (SD) Avg	National
2025	3%	9%
2024	3%	9%
2023	2%	9%
2022	2%	8%
2021	2%	9%
2020	2%	9%
2019	2%	8%
2018	2%	8%
2017	2%	8%
2016	2%	8%
2015	2%	8%

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# Black Students

244 Students

415,550 Students

% Black Students

View Data

Showing 2016–2025. Full 11-year historical data available below ↓

Black Student Percentage Trends

Year	South Dakota (SD) Avg	National
2025	2%	7%
2024	2%	7%
2023	2%	8%
2022	2%	7%
2021	2%	7%
2020	2%	8%
2019	2%	7%
2018	2%	7%
2017	1%	7%
2016	1%	7%
2015	1%	8%

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# White Students

8,987 Students

2,927,298 Students

% White Students

59%

52%

View Data

Showing 2016–2025. Full 11-year historical data available below ↓

White Student Percentage Trends

Year	South Dakota (SD) Avg	National
2025	59%	52%
2024	60%	52%
2023	63%	52%
2022	55%	54%
2021	56%	54%
2020	56%	54%
2019	59%	56%
2018	60%	56%
2017	61%	58%
2016	61%	58%
2015	62%	58%

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# Hawaiian Students

99 Students

20,065 Students

% Hawaiian Students

<1%

# Others Students

3,498 Students

1,473,807 Students

% of Others Students

23%

26%

View Data

Showing 2016–2025. Full 11-year historical data available below ↓

Other Races Student Percentage Trends

Year	South Dakota (SD) Avg	National
2025	23%	26%
2024	21%	26%
2023	21%	25%
2022	26%	25%
2021	24%	25%
2020	25%	24%
2019	23%	24%
2018	22%	23%
2017	22%	22%
2016	21%	22%
2015	20%	21%

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All Ethnic Groups

Extracurriculars & Sports

Average Number of Extracurriculars

8 extracurriculars

9 extracurriculars

Average Number of Sports

7 sports

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the top ranked private schools in South Dakota?

The top-ranked private schools in South Dakota include Freeman Academy, Abbott House, and Red Cloud Indian School.

How many private schools are located in South Dakota?

There are 91 private schools are located in South Dakota.

How much do private schools cost in South Dakota?

The average private school tuition in South Dakota is $5,352 for elementary schools and $8,044 for high schools

How diverse are private schools in South Dakota?

Approximately 22% of students in South Dakota private schools are minority students (compared to the national percentage).

What percentage of students in South Dakota go to private school?

9% of all K-12 students in South Dakota attend private schools (compared to the national average of 10%).

What percentage of private schools are religiously affiliated in South Dakota?

81% of private schools in South Dakota are religiously affiliated, with most being Catholic or Christian.

Which private schools in South Dakota are often viewed compared to one another?

Popular comparisons of private schools in South Dakota include: Windswept Academy vs. Sunshine Bible Academy, Imaculate Conception vs. Watertown Christian School, O'gorman High School vs. Sioux Falls Christian Schools

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