Black Hills State University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
With an acceptance rate near 96%, Black Hills State University is an accessible public university in South Dakota. Because it admits most qualified applicants, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what Black Hills State University weighs, where it ranks among South Dakota schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1100, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Black Hills State University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Black Hills State University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Black Hills State University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Black Hills State University?
Black Hills State University admits most qualified applicants (around 96%), but that overall rate is not your personal chance. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Black Hills State University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Black Hills State University hard to get into?
Black Hills State University is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 96% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Black Hills State University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Black Hills State University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. Black Hills State University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Black Hills State University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Black Hills State University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Black Hills State University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1050 SAT?
About 98% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1050 SAT, the middle of Black Hills State University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1140 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/black-hills-state-university.
How to get into Black Hills State University
Built from Black Hills State University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Here is how to get into Black Hills State University, built from what its admitted class actually looks like and what the school says it weighs.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Black Hills State University carries about a 2.94 core GPA and a 1085 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 965 to 1135 SAT (18 to 24 ACT). Submit a score at 1050 or higher; below 965, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Black Hills State University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by Black Hills State University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.bhsu.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to Black Hills State University, and how many get in?
For the fall 2023 entering class, Black Hills State University received 1,617 applications and admitted 1,527, an acceptance rate of 94.4%. 489 enrolled. Only about 32% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Black Hills State University enrolls about 1,928 undergraduates in total, 66% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 17 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Black Hills State University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Black Hills State University scored between 965 and 1135 on the SAT (average 1087). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 18 to 24. A score above 1135 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 965 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Black Hills State University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Black Hills State University looks for
What Black Hills State University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, Black Hills State University leans most on rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Black Hills State University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Black Hills State University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Black Hills State University cost after financial aid?
Black Hills State University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $21,277 per year. Tuition and fees are $8,764 for SD residents and $11,866 for out-of-state students, a $3,102 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $15,911 a year, and it ranges from $11,863 for families earning under $30,000 to $18,604 for families earning over $110,000. 20% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Black Hills State University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Black Hills State University student who received federal aid earns $46,674 a year, up from $38,927 at six years. 43% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 72% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $26,000; 28% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Black Hills State University compares in South Dakota
Black Hills State University ranks #8 most selective of 10 schools in South Dakota in our database.
Among the 10 South Dakota schools we track, Black Hills State University ranks #8 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Mount Marty University (43%) and Augustana University (68%) sit nearby, which makes South Dakota a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to Black Hills State University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around Black Hills State University with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as Austin Peay State University, Marshall University, and Troy University. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Black Hills State University's acceptance rate?
Black Hills State University admitted 1,527 of 1,617 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 94.4% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 32% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Black Hills State University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 965 to 1135 on the SAT and 18 to 24 on the ACT. A score above 1135 is in the top quarter of admits. Black Hills State University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Black Hills State University test-optional?
Yes. Black Hills State University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Black Hills State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Black Hills State University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $15,911 a year against a sticker price of about $21,277. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $11,863 on average.
What do Black Hills State University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Black Hills State University are $46,674 a year among students who received federal aid, and 43% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Black Hills State University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Black Hills State University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Black Hills State University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Black Hills State University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at Black Hills State University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Black Hills State University specifically.
How does residency affect admission to Black Hills State University?
As a public university, Black Hills State University typically admits in-state students at a higher rate, and tuition differs sharply by residency. Select your home state in the calculator to fold the in-state effect into your estimate.
What are the admission requirements for Black Hills State University?
Black Hills State University reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.