South Dakota Schools & Education
School quality and education data for all 66 counties.
Avg Graduation Rate
82.4%
Avg Per-Pupil Spending
$7,409
Avg School Score
38/100
Total Schools
720
152 districts
State Overview
About Schools in South Dakota
South Dakota Trails National Benchmarks in Spending and Success
South Dakota reports an 82.4% average graduation rate, falling nearly five percentage points below the national average of 87.0%. The state's per-pupil investment of $7,409 is also significantly lower than the national average of $13,000, ranking it among the more frugal states for education funding.
A Wide Performance Gap Across 65 Counties
School performance varies drastically across the state, with school scores spanning from a high of 61.4 to a low of 14.6. While Deuel County achieves a stellar 95.0% graduation rate, Oglala Lakota County struggles with a rate of only 5.0%, highlighting extreme regional disparities in student outcomes.
Evaluating the Return on Education Dollars
Higher spending doesn't always guarantee better results in South Dakota, as Ziebach County spends a state-high $13,420 for a 78.6% graduation rate. In contrast, Sully County achieves a much higher 90.0% graduation rate while spending $3,000 less per student, suggesting more efficient resource allocation.
Top-Performing Districts Lead with 90% Graduation Rates
Ziebach, Sully, and Jackson counties represent the state's top three performers, with each earning a school score of 60.0 or higher. Both Sully and Jackson counties stand out for maintaining impressive 90.0% graduation rates while keeping per-pupil costs around $10,000.
Targeted Success Amid Tight Budgets
With an average school score of 50.4, South Dakota sits right at the national median despite its relatively low per-pupil spending. Families looking for the strongest educational environments should prioritize counties like Sully and Jackson, which consistently outperform the state graduation average.
Top Performing School Counties
All South Dakota Counties
— = data pending from NCES pipeline.
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Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.