As of 2000, 84.6% of South Dakotans 25 years of age or older were high school graduates, and 21.5% had four or more years of college.
The total enrollment for fall 1999 in South Dakota's public schools stood at 131,037. Of these, 89,590 attended schools from kindergarten through grade eight, and 41,447 attended high school. Minority students made up approximately 14% of the total enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools. Total enrollment was estimated at 128,133 in fall 2000 but expected to drop to 141,000 by fall 2005. Expenditures for public education in 2000/01 were estimated at $783,489. Enrollment in nonpublic schools in fall 1997 was 9,794.
As of fall 2000, there were 42,894 students enrolled in college or graduate school. In the same year South Dakota had 25 degree-granting institutions. There are eight state-supported colleges and universities, of which the largest are the University of South Dakota and South Dakota State University. In addition, the state has 11 private institutions of higher education. In 1997, minority students comprised 9.2% of total postsecondary enrollment.