Black Hills State University
Spearfish, South Dakota · Also known as BHSU · Website
$46,674
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$46,674
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Black Hills State University is a public 4-year college in Spearfish, South Dakota with 1,928 undergraduates and 148 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $15,911 a year (tuition and fees $8,764 in-state, $11,866 out-of-state). It admits 96% of applicants and 43% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $46,674 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $26,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$15,911
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$8,764
Out-of-state $11,866
Admission rate
96%
US median 78%
Completion rate
43%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$26,000
About $276 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$46,674
Rank 1,789 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $15,911
- Tuition in-state
- $8,764
- Tuition out-of-state
- $11,866
- Cost of attendance
- $21,277
- Students with a need-based grant
- 20%
- Students with federal loans
- 28%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $11,863
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $13,379
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $15,588
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $18,072
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $18,604
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $8,004 in 2015-16 to $8,764 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 96%
- Average SAT
- 1,087
- SAT reading, middle
- 550
- SAT math, middle
- 510
- ACT, middle
- 21
- Undergraduates
- 1,928
- Graduate students
- 148
- Part-time students
- 19%
- Women
- 66%
- Students per teacher
- 17
- Completion rate
- 43%
- Retention rate
- 72%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 73
- Endowment
- $23.9M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,789 of 5,094 US colleges and 12 of 21 in South Dakota (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | SD median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $15,911 | $18,146 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $8,764 | $8,845 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 96% | 85% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 43% | 54% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 72% | 78% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $26,000 | $23,250 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $38,927 | $43,427 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $46,674 | $46,709 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 62% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 65% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
73 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 82 | $27,000 | $45,682 | $59,626 | $68,257 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 41 | $23,594 | $47,978 | $44,958 | $47,382 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 27 | $24,764 | $33,518 | $40,967 | $57,214 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 26 | $23,000 | $34,142 | $55,622 | $54,562 |
| Biology, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 21 | $12,000 | Withheld | $60,349 | $44,758 |
| Community Organization and AdvocacyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 21 | $27,375 | $39,092 | $42,781 | $51,936 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 20 | $27,000 | $35,996 | $42,417 | $50,706 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 17 | $27,500 | $54,120 | $57,025 | $59,916 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,590 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | $40,193 | $44,125 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | Withheld | $47,494 | $52,883 | $51,389 |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,680 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasOnlineMaster's | Master's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | $53,793 | $63,707 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $53,072 |
| Outdoor EducationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $39,157 |
| Film/Video and Photographic ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $43,765 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | $45,537 | $56,359 |
| SociologyCertificate | Certificate | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | $51,562 | $50,205 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | $49,833 | $52,657 |
| MathematicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $69,562 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $63,293 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $60,097 |
| Human Resources Management and ServicesOnlineMaster's | Master's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | $73,150 | $83,558 |
| Communication and Media StudiesCertificate | Certificate | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | $45,937 | $43,761 |
| Special Education and TeachingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 6 | $23,351 | $49,134 | $48,332 | $50,499 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: South Dakota on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in South Dakota
- Homes: Homes for sale in South Dakota
Questions and answers
How much does Black Hills State University cost?
$15,911 a year is the average net price at Black Hills State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $8,764 for in-state students and $11,866 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $21,277. Families earning under $30,000 pay $11,863 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Black Hills State University?
96% of applicants are admitted to Black Hills State University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,087 and the middle ACT score is 21. The median admission rate of colleges in South Dakota is 85%.
How much do Black Hills State University graduates earn?
$46,674 a year is the median pay of former Black Hills State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($38,927 after 6 years). That ranks 1,789 of 5,094 US colleges and 12 of 21 in South Dakota. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's) at $54,120.
How much student debt do Black Hills State University graduates have?
$26,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Black Hills State University graduates, about $276 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 28% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Black Hills State University?
43% of first-time, full-time students at Black Hills State University finish within 6 years. 72% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Black Hills State University?
Business Administration, Management and Operations (82 bachelor's graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (41 bachelor's graduates), Biology, General (27 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 73 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.