Sept. 20, 2022

Four out of six South Dakota public universities reported an increase in enrollment this school year, led by a 6.3 percent increase for the freshman class systemwide.

The South Dakota Board of Regents reports 5,208 first-year freshman students across the six universities.

Overall enrollment was up 0.7 percent, totaling 33,690.

Compared with the fall of 2021, USD had the largest percentage increase in enrollment at 4.1 percent, while Black Hills State University showed the biggest drop with a decline of 3.2 percent. SDSU’s enrollment dropped 1.2 percent.

Here’s a look at the numbers by university:

The Board of Regents also measures enrollment based on full-time equivalent students. The FTE count takes the number of credit hours and applies that figure to the overall student headcount. A full-time workload is considered 15 credit hours for undergraduates, 12 credit hours for master’s and doctoral degrees, 15 credits for law students and 19 credits for medical students.

This year’s FTE enrollment remained largely unchanged for the public university system. The difference is primarily related to increased dual credit courses offered at the high school level, the Regents said in a statement.

“Our dual credit students are public university students,” said Brian Maher, executive director. “We are pleased with how that program has grown over the years as it gives our students the chance to get ahead in their education and easily transition to the campus best suited for their needs.”