# Black Hills State University (BHSU)

Public college in Spearfish, SD. IPEDS ID 219046.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/black-hills-state-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/black-hills-state-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 96% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $15,911 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 43%; beats 25% of SD colleges and 29% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $46,674; beats 25% of SD colleges and 31% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $15,000

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $11,863 |
| 30-48k | $13,379 |
| 48-75k | $15,588 |
| 75-110k | $18,072 |
| 110k+ | $18,604 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.48 years on average (25% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $46,674 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SD (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $11,863 | $53,146 | 4.9 years |
| 30-48k | $13,379 | $59,938 | 5.5 years |
| 48-75k | $15,588 | $69,834 | 6.4 years |
| 75-110k | $18,072 | $80,963 | 7.4 years |
| 110k+ | $18,604 | $83,346 | 7.7 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $21,277 in-state; about $24,379 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $8,764 in-state, $11,866 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $7,400; books: $1,200

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 465–565; SAT math: 500–570; ACT: 18–24 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 1,617 applicants, 1,527 admitted, 489 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 96%, ACT 18–24 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 94%, ACT 18–23 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (35 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | not reported | $69,079 | not reported |
| Business Administration | $45,682 | $59,626 | $27,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $34,142 | $55,622 | $24,000 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $47,494 | $52,883 | not reported |
| Sociology | not reported | $49,833 | $37,329 |
| Special Education | $49,134 | $48,332 | $26,812 |
| Communications | not reported | $45,537 | not reported |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $47,978 | $44,958 | $26,312 |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | $39,092 | $42,781 | $31,500 |
| Psychology | $35,996 | $42,417 | $27,187 |
| Biology | $33,518 | $40,967 | $26,613 |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $31,022 | $29,733 | not reported |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Relations and Advertising | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Writing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Outdoor Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physical Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physical Sciences, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Social Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Political Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Film and Photography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Entrepreneurship | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Hospitality Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Human Resources | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage not reported (metro), $83,620 (SD), $101,860 (U.S.)
- Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher: median wage not reported (metro), $50,130 (SD), $63,970 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).