SAT Scores for South Dakota Colleges, School by School (2026-27)

All six South Dakota Board of Regents public universities (USD, SDSU, SD Mines, Black Hills State, Northern State, Dakota State) have been test optional for admission since fall 2021 and that policy was still in effect as of Oct 2026 ; SD Mines keeps a score as one of two automatic-admission pathways. Among the private colleges, Mount Marty and Augustana are test optional with holistic review; University of Sioux Falls' current policy is unclear from official sources . Published score ranges describe a cohort; they are not admission cutoffs.

The table covers 9 colleges South Dakota families apply to most, from the most selective to the large public universities. Read each cohort note before comparing numbers. The bottom rows show the score-based money South Dakota families can earn: SD Opportunity Scholarship, Option 1 (score + curriculum/GPA) and SD Opportunity Scholarship, Option 2 (score only, no curriculum/GPA).

South Dakota college score profiles and cohort notes

Cohort notes: DSU: A small, computing- and cyber-security-focused public university in Madison; its enrolled SAT range is the highest of South Dakota's public universities. Augustana: South Dakota's most selective private university, in Sioux Falls; the only school on this list under a 70% acceptance rate besides Mount Marty. SD Mines: The state's engineering and science specialty school in Rapid City; its enrolled ACT range (24-30) is the highest of any South Dakota public university. USD: The state's flagship, in Vermillion, and home to South Dakota's only public law and medical schools; admits nearly every applicant. SDSU: The state's largest university, a land-grant school in Brookings; admits nearly every applicant who applies. Northern State: A regional public university in Aberdeen with a business-school focus. BHSU: A regional public university in Spearfish, at the edge of the Black Hills. Mount Marty: A small Catholic university with campuses in Yankton and Watertown; the lowest acceptance rate of any South Dakota school researched here. Sioux Falls: A private university in Sioux Falls; its reported SAT figure reflects very few SAT submitters since most applicants here use the ACT. These are not interchangeable measures.

School by school

Dakota State University: Not published

DSU does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 92.4% of 2,016 applicants (fall 2025, CDS 2025-26). The matching ACT range is 20-27. Testing for fall 2027: Not required for admission (SD Board of Regents system-wide policy). A small, computing- and cyber-security-focused public university in Madison; its enrolled SAT range is the highest of South Dakota's public universities.

Augustana University: Not published

Augustana does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 72.9% of 3,294 applicants (fall 2025, CDS 2025-26). The matching ACT range is 21-27. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional; holistic review, no set minimum score, recommended 2.7 unweighted GPA for test-optional applicants. South Dakota's most selective private university, in Sioux Falls; the only school on this list under a 70% acceptance rate besides Mount Marty.

South Dakota School of Mines & Technology: Not published

SD Mines does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 79.9% of 1,565 applicants (most recent reporting cohort, 1, 250 admits of 1, 565 applicants). The matching ACT range is 24-30. Testing for fall 2027: Not required for admission, but a score is one of two automatic-admission pathways: ACT composite 25+ with ACT math 25+ (or SAT equivalent) and a 2.0 GPA, or a 3.50 GPA with four years of upper-level math and ACT math 20+ (or SAT math 480+). The state's engineering and science specialty school in Rapid City; its enrolled ACT range (24-30) is the highest of any South Dakota public university.

University of South Dakota: 1145 to 1260

USD reports a 1145 to 1260 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2024, CDS 2024-25 (4.2% of class submitted SAT)). It admitted 98.8% of 5,965 applicants (fall 2024, CDS 2024-25). The matching ACT range is 19-25. Testing for fall 2027: Not required for admission (SD Board of Regents system-wide policy). The state's flagship, in Vermillion, and home to South Dakota's only public law and medical schools; admits nearly every applicant.

South Dakota State University: Not published

SDSU does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 98.3% of 7,287 applicants (most recent reporting cohort, 7, 166 admits of 7, 287 applicants). The matching ACT range is 19-25. Testing for fall 2027: Not required for admission (SD Board of Regents system-wide policy). The state's largest university, a land-grant school in Brookings; admits nearly every applicant who applies.

Northern State University: Not published

Northern State does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 93.2% of 1,084 applicants (most recent reporting cohort, 1, 010 admits of 1, 084 applicants). The matching ACT range is 18-24. Testing for fall 2027: Not required for admission (SD Board of Regents system-wide policy). A regional public university in Aberdeen with a business-school focus.

Black Hills State University: Not published

BHSU does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 95.3% of 1,130 applicants (most recent reporting cohort, 1, 077 admits of 1, 130 applicants). The matching ACT range is 18-24. Testing for fall 2027: Not required for admission (SD Board of Regents system-wide policy). A regional public university in Spearfish, at the edge of the Black Hills.

Mount Marty University: Not published

Mount Marty does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 42.6% of 1,750 applicants (fall 2024, CDS 2024-25). The matching ACT range is 18-25. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional; an academic resume may be submitted instead of a score, GPA below 2.0 is not considered. A small Catholic university with campuses in Yankton and Watertown; the lowest acceptance rate of any South Dakota school researched here.

University of Sioux Falls: Not published

Sioux Falls does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 83.0% of 2,291 applicants (most recent reporting cohort, 1, 901 admits of 2, 291 applicants). The matching ACT range is 18-23. A private university in Sioux Falls; its reported SAT figure reflects very few SAT submitters since most applicants here use the ACT.

Where South Dakota's scholarship scores sit

South Dakota's main merit scholarship, the South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship, runs on two ACT/SAT-based eligibility tracks and pays up to $7,500 over four years; there is no separate SAT-specific university grid on top of it.

SD Opportunity Scholarship, Option 1 (score + curriculum/GPA): 1180 (verbal + math sum) or ACT composite/superscore 24. $1,500/year for years 1-3 and $3,000 in year 4; requires completing the state's required high school curriculum with no grade below a C and a 3.0 cumulative GPA.

SD Opportunity Scholarship, Option 2 (score only, no curriculum/GPA): 1310 (verbal + math sum) or ACT composite/superscore 28. Same $1,500/year for years 1-3 and $3,000 in year 4, with no curriculum or GPA condition attached to initial eligibility.

Applicant must be a South Dakota resident at high school graduation and enroll at a North Central Association-accredited institution with a South Dakota campus within 5 years of graduating (or within 1 year of military discharge if discharged within that window). ACT allows composite or superscore; SAT uses the verbal+math sum. Renewal requires a 3.0 cumulative college GPA and hitting credit-hour thresholds (30 credits by year 2, 60 by year 3, 90 by year 4). The award pays in two installments, half each semester.

The misconception: test optional means the SAT does not matter in South Dakota

Augustana and Mount Marty are test optional for fall 2027, so many families assume the score is irrelevant. The ranges above come from the students who chose to send one, and they sit well above the overall class. And SD Opportunity Scholarship, Option 1 (score + curriculum/GPA) and SD Opportunity Scholarship, Option 2 (score only, no curriculum/GPA) are awarded on the SAT or ACT whatever the admissions policy.

Quick answers

What ACT or SAT score do you need for the South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship?

You need either a 24 ACT composite (or SAT 1180 verbal+math) with a 3.0 GPA and the required curriculum, or a 28 ACT composite (or SAT 1310 verbal+math) with no curriculum or GPA condition. Either path pays the same $1,500 a year for three years and $3,000 in year four.

Does the University of South Dakota require the SAT?

No. USD, like every South Dakota Board of Regents public university, has been test optional for admission since fall 2021, and USD admits nearly every applicant who applies (98.8% in the most recent reporting cohort). A score can still help with the Opportunity Scholarship and course placement.

Is the SAT or ACT given free at school in South Dakota?

The ACT is, not the SAT. South Dakota administers the SD-ACT to every public high school junior free during the school day as the state's official assessment. Families who want an SAT score instead generally register and pay for it on their own.

What SAT range does South Dakota School of Mines admit?

Among SD Mines' enrolled students who submitted a score, the range was 1140 to 1340 on the SAT and 24 to 30 on the ACT, the highest ACT range of any South Dakota public university. SD Mines also uses an ACT composite of 25+ (with a 25+ math subscore) as one automatic-admission pathway, which is part of why its scores run higher than other South Dakota publics.

Is South Dakota an ACT state or an SAT state?

ACT, by a wide margin. The state's official junior-year assessment is the free, in-school SD-ACT, not the SAT, and most South Dakota students report an ACT score rather than an SAT score on their college applications. The SAT still counts everywhere ACT does, including for the Opportunity Scholarship, but far fewer South Dakota students take it.

Are these ranges cutoffs?

No. A middle 50% describes the central half of the reported group, not an admission cutoff. Some rows describe enrolled students or score submitters only, as labeled. A position within a range does not guarantee admission or merit aid.

More for South Dakota families

• SAT prep in South Dakota
• South Dakota SAT test dates for 2026-27
• South Dakota scholarship score requirements
• Find your teen's target score

Sources

University and state sources: DSU, Augustana, SD Mines, USD, SDSU, Northern State, Mount Marty, Sioux Falls, SD Opportunity Scholarship, Option 1 (score + curriculum/GPA). Reviewed October 9, 2026. Cohorts and entry terms differ; confirm current requirements with each admissions office.