2024 Best Test Optional Colleges in South Dakota

• Rapid City, SD•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.67 out of 5  495 reviews

Senior: South Dakota School of Mines is a great school if you expect to be challenged and to come out of your schooling with the capability to learn and handle an industry or a research job. The school is not for those with mediocre ambition but for those who want to succeed and are willing to do their best and utilize the sources of tutoring, career help, and professor help supplied by the school. I enjoy being challenged in a smaller department and working with others in my department to solve problems. I also enjoy meeting other people from different departments and making connections for the future. SD Mines could improve some of the older buildings on campus with renovations (which they have started to do). SD Mines could also improve with teachers being more trained in available technology. Teachers here are incredibly smart in their fields and they just need some extra training to work with students with the most recently available technology.... Read 495 reviews

• grade A minus

• Acceptance rate 81%

• Net price $19,257

• SAT range 1150-1350

• Sioux Falls, SD•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.86 out of 5  479 reviews

Sophomore: Augustana has been a great match for me, and I love the communication and accessibility to different resources around campus. Professors are very reachable and office hours can be altered to fit your personal schedule. Campus has varying events nearly every night, which provides great resources for connecting with classmates and forming lasting friendships. In addition, the International program for exchange/international students is impeccable, and does incredible outreach to ensure every international student can find belonging. Augustana has great advocacy for mental health, and acknowledges and accepts the stress and anxiety that can come with adjusting to college life. On top of mental health resources, free tutoring and the writing center gives every student the opportunity to succeed, regardless of financial situation. Overall, Augustana is an amazing environment that accepts and encourages inclusivity and diversity to create a community for college students and professors!... Read 479 reviews

• grade A minus

• Acceptance rate 72%

• Net price $26,795

• SAT range 1020-1300

• Vermillion, SD•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.67 out of 5  925 reviews

Alum: USD has an amazing science and political science program. The professors truly love what they are doing. There are such opportunities that create a safe space for anyone to be apart of. This university truly cares about their students. The advisors just want you to have fun and get a degree, but they don't focus solely on what you need. Learning from my sisters, I was able to graduate in four years, but if I would have taken my advisors advice, I would have struggled to graduate in four years. My plan was five years with them, even when I came in with 30 dual credits from high school. USD motivates students by offering genuine, meaningful amenities. Students need to take full advantage otherwise they might lose sight of the best outcome.... Read 925 reviews

• grade B+

• Acceptance rate 87%

• Net price $18,974

• SAT range 1050-1290

• Brookings, SD•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.6 out of 5  1,431 reviews

Freshman: So far my experience at South Dakota State University has been great! As a student majoring in Animal Science I have been offered so many hands-on opportunities to learn. South Dakota State University has a pig, horse, sheep, and cow barn for students to learn more about livestock. The campus is super safe, in fact I believe Brookings is amongst the top 50 safest college towns in America! If you have a strong interest for pursuing a career in agriculture South Dakota State University is the place for you!... Read 1,431 reviews

• grade B+

• Acceptance rate 88%

• Net price $17,859

• SAT range 980-1220

• Sioux Falls, SD•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.74 out of 5  223 reviews

Freshman: I just finished my Fall Semester as a Freshman. This was hard at first but it wasn't so bad once you adjust to everything. The food in the cafeteria can be good but at the same time I would rather make my own food sometimes. The dorms can be nice but at the same time some are out dated but they are still nice to live in. If you want a roommate, make sure you know the person or just get your own room.. Classes can get hard but once you adjust what kind of studying you do you will do great.The people here are nice and are here to help you when you have questions. They to have a J-term where you get a free credit the whole month of January. You don't have to worry about this credit in the spring or your future classes.. That is all I have for you with my information with just my fall semester.... Read 223 reviews

• grade B

• Acceptance rate 77%

• Net price $21,333

• SAT range 1070-1230

• Madison, SD•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.64 out of 5  296 reviews

Freshman: Dakota State University is very good college to attend. The campus is fairly small and simple, so it is very easy to navigate from place to place. Everyone on campus is very friendly and they will all make you feel at home! All the professors want you to succeed, and it shows. The food on campus is great, and the dorm rooms are perfect. Getting to know everyone is just apart of the college experience. I would recommend Dakota State University to anyone who is interested in college!... Read 296 reviews

• grade B

• Acceptance rate 86%

• Net price $17,572

• SAT range 1010-1220

• Aberdeen, SD•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.74 out of 5  307 reviews

Freshman: All I have experienced so far at Northern is a scheduled visit with a campus tour and I've attended multiple math competitions as a high schooler there. The tour was great as the campus is just beautiful and their art and music building is amazing. They have great professors there that were happy to meet me on my college visit. The school is filled with people who wanted to help me figure out my college decision and saw my potential even having only known me for the day. The only thing that could make the college better would be a decrease in the cost. But, with such an amazing facility, it is well worth the price. Overall, my experience at Northern has been totally positive and I am thrilled to go there this fall.... Read 307 reviews

• grade B

• Acceptance rate 80%

• Net price $16,821

• SAT range 1020-1190

• Yankton, SD•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.53 out of 5  146 reviews

Junior: I enjoy Mount Marty University. The buildings on campus are close together so you do not have too far to walk if the weather is bad. My academic advisor offers a lot of advice and helps me to find opportunities to increase my chances of getting into graduate school. The other faculty care about your attendance and success in their classes. Since the college is so small however, everyone knows if you do not show up to class or got into trouble last weekend.... Read 146 reviews

• grade B

• Acceptance rate 67%

• Net price $21,359

• SAT range 810-1050

• Mitchell, SD•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  135 reviews

Senior: I love the class size, and the ability to connect with teachers in small classroom settings. The feel at DWU is very homey, and the people are so friendly! Community members are also very supportive of the college and all students!... Read 135 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 76%

• Net price $21,830

• SAT range 860-1100

• Spearfish, SD•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.52 out of 5  631 reviews

Junior: I never thought I would end up at a smaller University, however I am very glad I did! First off, the campus is absolutely beautiful and has many amazing nature activities right off campus. The education program is what drew me to the school and it is amazing. There are many professors that are so extremely dedicated to that program and the expeirences within the program are what make it unique.... Read 631 reviews

• grade C+

• Acceptance rate 97%

• Net price $15,895

• SAT range 970-1150

• Kyle, SD•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.96 out of 5  149 reviews

Senior: I started over here from a state school. The dynamics I saw between the instructors and the students were far more valuable than being at a state school, where I often felt more just like another statistic. Here they genuinely want you to succeed and will go out of their way to help you stay on track to graduate. It;'s more like your own close-knit family when it comes to the interaction on checking in and on you. If you really want to attend a small, community-based school, I would highly recommend Oglala Lakota College. Where we are keeping the mentality of "it takes a village to raise a child".... Read 149 reviews

• grade C+

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $3,774

• SAT range —

• 4 Year (Online)

• •
  Rating 4.04 out of 5  436 reviews

Sophomore: My experience with NAU Online has been quite positive! Despite the fact that the courses are entirely online, having a dedicated success coach and professors who genuinely care about your success has made a significant difference. The quality of education isn't compromised in the online format; NAU puts in considerable effort to ensure their online courses are engaging. Many of my classes incorporated discussions, fostering connections among students. Another great aspect of NAU Online is the accessibility of success coaches whenever needed. Admittedly, the courses heavily rely on students' self-motivation for completing coursework, watching lectures, and building connections, which could be challenging if it's unfamiliar territory. However, for me, the benefits of NAU Online far outweigh any downsides!... Read 436 reviews

• grade unavailable

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $15,438

• SAT range —

• Spearfish, SD•

• 4 Year (Online)

• grade unavailable

• Acceptance rate —

• Net price —

• SAT range —

• Madison, SD•

• 4 Year (Online)

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  2 reviews

Sophomore: The school is pretty good overall. I attended online, and the tools available were par for the course - some are very good, some are not-so-good. The school has knowledgeable teachers, though some of them are not as responsive to requests for assistance as you might hope.... Read 2 reviews

• grade unavailable

• Acceptance rate —

• Net price —

• SAT range —

• Aberdeen, SD•

• 4 Year (Online)

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Freshman: I got to do things on MY time, which was what I ultimately wanted. I was able to stay home, go to work, save A LOT of money, and it was all really easy. I wasn't as happy with some of my teachers, and some classes were challenging to figure out at first, but I recommend the school.... Read 2 reviews

• grade unavailable

• Acceptance rate —

• Net price —

• SAT range —

• Brookings, SD•

• 4 Year (Online)

• grade unavailable

• Acceptance rate —

• Net price —

• SAT range —

• Vermillion, SD•

• 4 Year (Online)

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Freshman: Great online experience. I am a first year and I thought the experience would be daunting with no communication, however to my surprise I found that the classes were supported very well by the educators.... Read 2 reviews

• grade unavailable

• Acceptance rate —

• Net price —

• SAT range —