South Dakota State University’s enrollment has surged to its highest point in six years, fueled by a near-record student retention rate and the fourth-largest freshman class in its history.
The university’s total headcount reached 12,139 students, an increase from last year’s 12,065 and the highest total enrollment since 2017. The numbers show an incoming class of 2,276 new first-time students, which is the fourth-largest in the university’s history.
An 83% retention rate of first-to-second-year students helped keep the total number stable. The mark is the second-highest rate ever recorded at SDSU and is the fifth time in the last six years that retention has been above 80%.
The university also reported that more than 56% of the student body are residents of South Dakota, a 2.3% increase from last year, with 17% of all first-time students coming from the Sioux Falls metro area.
“South Dakota State University is the destination of choice for students in our state, across the region and around the world,” SDSU President Barry Dunn said in a news release. “The growth we are experiencing, particularly among South Dakotans, is a strong vote of confidence.”
STATEWIDE NUMBERS
SDSU’s figures are consistent with the rest of the South Dakota public university system.
The South Dakota Board of Regents reported a system wide enrollment of 36,091, which is exactly the same as a year ago.
SDSU saw the smallest percent increase (0.61%) out of all the Regental institutions, while the University of South Dakota in Vermillion saw its enrollment decrease by 2.02%.
South Dakota Mines (-1.47%) also reported a decline. Black Hills State University in Spearfish (+2.36%), Dakota State University in Madison (+1.8%) and Northern State University in Aberdeen (+0.84%) joined SDSU with increases.
According to data from the Board of Regents, South Dakota State holds nearly 34% of the system’s enrollment. A total of 36,662 students were enrolled in South Dakota public universities in 2017, a mark that has not been reached since.
FUTURE CHALLENGES
While SDSU officials celebrate the numbers, higher education experts are bracing for an “enrollment cliff” expected to begin this year.
According to a presentation to state lawmakers by Board of Regents Executive Director Nathan Lukkes last year, there will be a 10% decline in high school graduates across the country from 2025 to 2037.
This projection stems from a decline in birth rate after the 2008 recession, meaning universities will soon be competing for a smaller pool of students. Officials say that SDSU’s 83% retention rate is key to stability in this competitive environment.
Simultaneously, the university is pursuing R1 status. This designation, held by the nation’s top research institutions, helps attract high-level graduate and doctoral students — a demographic that is not tied to the high school graduate cliff. The increase to 280 doctoral students this year is a step in that direction, according to officials.
“South Dakota State University is committed to continue its path to reach R1 status…” Dunn said. “Continuing to show progress in our Ph.D. programs is a strong indicator we are on the right path to achieve that goal.”
For now, the university is celebrating what the numbers represent today.
“These numbers show that students and families continue to see SDSU as the best investment in higher education, one that leads to meaningful careers, service to communities and a lifetime of impact,” Dunn said.
