Statewide, enrollment in public universities was 36,531, up 92 students from last fall.

“We are pleased that enrollment has again increased, although slightly. We are particularly proud of our strong freshman class, including robust enrollment in our honors program,” said USD President James W. Abbott. “I am also pleased to note that our student body, just like the state of South Dakota, is increasingly more diverse."

Some key points about USD from the data:

  • The university especially saw an increase in minorities over the past year: a 11.7 percent rise in American Indians, to 353 students, and a 9.5 percent increase of other races, to 1,295.
  • Since 2010, Native American enrollment is up 39.5 percent.
  • Enrollment of South Dakota residents increased slightly, while non-resident numbers were down slightly, though out-of-state enrollment has risen steadily overall since 2010.
  • While total student numbers have been flat since 2010, enrollment of first-time freshmen has risen nearly 10 percent.
  • The number of students taking online and other distance courses has increased 50 percent since 2010, while face-to-face enrollment has dropped 28 percent.

Download a photo: Strong freshmen numbers helped push USD's fall 2016 enrollment to 10,038.

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Hanna DeLange
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