2024 Best High Schools in South Dakota

What High School Paths Does South Dakota Provide?

South Dakota has 212 high schools total, nearly double the amount of the average state (which sits at 486). This makes the state rank 3rd in the nation for most schools per capita, so you can be sure there's a wide variety of education paths to pick from. The state average of B– is in line with the national average, so you can expect a good foundation of quality education across the board.

When it comes to public schooling, there are 179 options, 84% of all schools in the state. South Dakota actually has 163% more public schools than the average state and they have an average rating of B–. Of those 179 schools, 178 are traditional public schools. Of those traditional public schools, 44% exceed the national average, so there are 79 such schools that are considered to be of higher quality.

Unfortunately, there are no charter schools in South Dakota, so all of the public school options are traditional, but there is one magnet school, which is actually above the national average.

In terms of private schools, there are 22, 10% of all schools in the state. South Dakota has 8% fewer private schools than the average state, but the median rating of B+ is still very good. Of the 22 private schools, 68% exceed the national average, so 15 of them can be considered of higher quality. Additionally, about 77% of private school options are religiously affiliated, with the majority being Christian (12). South Dakota is a bit below the national average with 27 religious schools per capita, so there isn't a tremendous amount of religious influence in its school options. There are also 2 all-boys schools in the state and 2 all-girls schools, which is 34% and 145% higher than the average state per capita, respectively.

In terms of online schooling, South Dakota actually has 4 times (399%) more than the average state per capita, so there are 7 such options in the state. That's only 3% of all schools, but it's still a strong showing compared to the rest of the nation.