Black Hills State University
Academics

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How strong are the academics at Black Hills State University?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

Honors Programs

Black Hills State University has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on Black Hills State's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Black Hills State University:

71%
First-year retention rate
42%
6-year grad rate

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Black Hills State University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Business Administration and Management, General
Elementary Education and Teaching
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Sport and Fitness Administration/Management
Community Organization and Advocacy
8.8
23.44
38.08
52.72
67.36
82

The Full List

Major Graduates
Area
  • American Indian/Native American Studies 3
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 27
Business
  • Business Administration and Management, General 82
  • Accounting 4
  • Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 0
  • Tourism and Travel Services Management 0
  • Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General 0
  • Sales, Distribution, and Marketing Operations, General 0
Communication
  • Mass Communication/Media Studies 9
  • Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other 3
Education
  • Elementary Education and Teaching 38
  • Physical Education Teaching and Coaching 10
  • Special Education and Teaching, General 6
  • Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching 3
  • Music Teacher Education 2
  • Speech Teacher Education 1
  • Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education 1
  • Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching 0
  • Business and Innovation/Entrepreneurship Teacher Education 0
  • Art Teacher Education 0
  • Spanish Language Teacher Education 0
  • History Teacher Education 0
  • Chemistry Teacher Education 0
  • Biology Teacher Education 0
  • Social Science Teacher Education 0
  • Mathematics Teacher Education 0
  • Technology Teacher Education/Industrial Arts Teacher Education 0
  • English/Language Arts Teacher Education 0
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
  • Industrial Technology/Technician 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 16
  • Rhetoric and Composition 5
Foreign Languages
  • Spanish Language and Literature 0
History
  • History, General 14
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • General Studies 10
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 0
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 8
Parks
  • Sport and Fitness Administration/Management 26
  • Outdoor Education 10
  • Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General 0
  • Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies 0
Physical Sciences
  • Chemistry, General 6
  • Physical Sciences, Other 5
  • Physical Sciences, General 0
Psychology
  • Psychology, General 20
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Community Organization and Advocacy 21
Social Sciences
  • Sociology, General 9
  • Political Science and Government, General 8
  • Social Sciences, General 1
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Photography 10
  • Graphic Design 6
  • Music, General 4
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 2
  • Art/Art Studies, General 0
  • Commercial and Advertising Art 0

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