Search top business school MBA programs in the state of South Dakota. Find latest rankings of MBA schools national wide and state wide. For detailed admissions statistics and graduate employment rate, check the following table for each top-ranked business college within South Dakota, with acceptance rate, average GPA and GMAT scores, as well as well tuition and starting salary information of all best MBA universities in South Dakota.
The business schools in South Dakota offer a variety of options for students looking to pursue higher education in the field of business. The state is home to several highly-regarded institutions, including the University of South Dakota, South Dakota State University, and Northern State University.
At the University of South Dakota (USD), students can pursue a variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business through the Beacom School of Business. Undergraduate students can choose from majors such as Accounting, Finance, Management or Marketing & Supply Chain Management while graduate students may select from MBA degrees with concentrations like Business Analytics & Data Science or Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management as well as specialized master’s degrees such as MS in Human Resource Management or MS in Digital Innovation & Technology Management. USD also offers online degree programs and Executive Education courses designed to meet the needs of busy professionals.
At South Dakota State University (SDSU), students can pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in business through the College of Business and Economics. Undergraduate programs include majors such as Accounting, International Business or Marketing while MBA degrees are available with concentrations like Human Resource Development or Strategic Leadership & Change Management. SDSU also offers specialized master’s degrees such as MS in Business Analytics & Decision Making Science or MS in Cybersecurity & Information Assurance Management as well as professional certificate programs for those interested in enhancing their skillset further.
Northern State University (NSU) is another great option for those seeking a business education in South Dakota. NSU offers an AACSB-accredited MBA program with concentrations such as Digital Marketing or Financial Planning & Analysis as well as specialized Master’s degrees like MS in Entrepreneurship or MS in Global Supply Chain Management. In addition to its traditional courses, NSU also provides unique learning experiences through its Executive Education Programs which allow professionals from all industries to develop their skillset further through customized courses designed specifically for their needs and goals.
Overall, there are many excellent options for those looking for a business education in South Dakota regardless of whether they are pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree program or simply interested in enhancing their professional development through executive education courses offered by these schools throughout the state. 
| National Ranking | Best Business MBA Programs |
| 130 | University of South Dakota (Vermillion, SD) Acceptance rate: 90.0% Average GMAT score: 537 Average undergraduate GPA: 3.55 Tuition: In-state, full-time: $173 per credit; Out-of-state, full-time: $366 per credit Enrollment (full-time): 59 Average starting salary and bonus: $48,292 Full-time graduates employed at graduation: 53.6%  |
South Dakota is a midwestern U.S. state located in the Great Plains region of the United States. It is bordered by North Dakota to the north, Wyoming to the west, Nebraska to the south and Iowa and Minnesota to the east. South Dakota has a semi-arid continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. The capital city of South Dakota is Pierre which is located in Hughes County. South Dakota has a population of over 870,000 people and is known for its vast open spaces and rolling hills of prairie land.
The state of South Dakota offers plenty of attractions such as Mount Rushmore National Monument, Badlands National Park, and many other parks throughout the state. In addition to its natural beauty, there are also plenty of cultural activities available throughout South Dakota such as museums, galleries and performing arts venues located throughout major cities like Sioux Falls, Rapid City and Aberdeen. There are also plenty of recreational opportunities available throughout South Dakota including fishing, hunting, hiking, camping and more at Custer State Park or Bear Butte State Park as well as numerous other parks throughout the state.
The population of South Dakota
About 840,000 people live in the state of South Dakota (the forty-sixth most populous state in the United States). The average population density in the state is about 4.2 people per km 2 (46th place in the USA).
The largest cities in South Dakota are Sioux Falls (about 160,000 residents, one hundred and fifty-second place in the list of the largest cities in the USA), Rapid City (about 70,000 residents), Aberdeen (about 30,000 residents), Brookings (about 23,000 residents).) and Watertown (about 22,000 residents). About 14,000 people live in the state capital, the city of Pierre, among all the US state capitals there is only one with a smaller population (Montpelier in Vermont).
The largest urban agglomeration in South Dakota was formed around Sioux Falls. More than 235,000 people live here (one hundred and ninety-first on the list of US metropolitan areas), or nearly 30% of the state’s population. Other comparatively large urban formations have grown up in the Rapid City area (about 130,000 people) and Aberdeen (over 40,000 people).
For several decades now, in South Dakota, as in some other “agricultural” states of the Midwestern United States, a serious demographic problem has been a sharp decline in the rural population. Many people, mostly college-educated youth , move to cities (including other states) in search of well-paid jobs.
The racial composition of the population of the state of South Dakota:
- White – 85.9%
- Blacks (African Americans) – 1.3%
- Asians – 0.9%
- Native Americans (Indians or Eskimos of Alaska) – about 8.8%
- Native Hawaiian or Oceanian – less than 0.1%
- Other races – 0.9%
- Two or more races – 2.1%
- Hispanic or Latino (of any race) – about 2.7%
South Dakota ranks third (after Alaska and New Mexico) among the US states in terms of the number of indigenous peoples (American Indians) living here relative to the population. There are seven large reservations in South Dakota, and in the West River region, Indians (predominantly belonging to the Sioux peoples) make up about 20% of the population.
The largest ethnic (national) groups among the population of the state of South Dakota:
- Germans – 40.7%
- Norwegians – 15.3%
- Irish – 10.4%
- Sioux Indians – 8.8%
- English – 7.1%
While the majority of Indians in South Dakota live in the west, the descendants of immigrants from Germany and the Scandinavian countries predominantly inhabit the eastern districts of the state (East River).
The largest population groups in the state of South Dakota by religion:
- Christians – about 86%, including:
- Protestants – about 61%, including:
- Lutherans – about 27%
- Methodists – about 13%
- Baptists – about 4%
- Presbyterians – about 4%
- Catholics – about 25%
- Protestants – about 61%, including:
- Atheists – about 8%
South Dakota is home to the largest Hutterite communities in the United States, one of the Anabaptist schools.