Undergraduate Admission Application Instructions

Application Requirements

Please complete the online application form. Be sure the information is complete.

Application Fee

All new applicants are required to submit a nonrefundable application fee with your application. The application fee is $20 per university. Exceptions are made for students who are non-degree seeking, or have previously applied, paid the fee, and attended a university in the South Dakota Board of Regents system.

Note: If you plan to take classes in Sioux Falls at the University Center and have never attended a South Dakota public university, you are required to pay just one $20 application fee.

High School Transcript

If you are applying to a degree program, you must arrange for an official high school transcript to be sent to the Enrollment Service Center. If you are still attending high school, the transcript must include courses completed and courses in progress, or the high school counselor may use the Counselor's Report Form to certify courses in progress. You must also arrange for a final official transcript to be sent after you graduate from high school.

Official College Transcript

If you are applying to a degree program, you must request official transcripts from all institutions you previously attended, excluding BHSU, DSU, NSU, SDSM&T, SDSU or USD. Transcripts are considered official only if they are sent directly to the Enrollment Service Center by the institution. If you are currently enrolled at another institution, you may have the school send a partial official transcript(s) and be considered for provisional admission until the final official transcript(s) arrives.

Official Report of ACT or SAT Scores

If you are applying to a degree program and are age 21 or under at the start of the term to which you are applying, you must complete a college entrance examination (ACT or SAT) and have the results sent to the universities to which you are applying or to the Enrollment Service Center. If ACT or SAT scores are listed on your high school transcript, it is not necessary to request scores from the testing agency.

Readmitted Students

Former students who want to reapply for admission must submit another admission application and official transcripts directly to the Enrollment Service Center for all colleges attended since leaving the university to which they are reapplying. If you interrupt your attendance by a semester or more, you must reapply for admission to that university. If a name change has occurred since prior attendance, additional documentation will be required.

Admission Requirements for Baccalaureate Degree Program

Admission criteria are subject to change by the Board of Regents of South Dakota and by the six universities in the Board of Regents system.

Freshman Admission (Applicants under 24 years old)

To be a candidate for admission to a baccalaureate degree program, the applicant must meet the general requirements in "A" AND the subject matter requirements in "B." Requirements in section "C" apply only to the School of Mines and Technology. Requirements in section "D" apply only to The University of South Dakota.

Applicants 21 years old or younger who did not graduate from high school must obtain an ACT composite score of 18 or above, ACT English sub-test score of 18 or above, Mathematics sub-test score of 20 or above, Social Studies/Reading, and Science Reasoning sub-test scores of 17 or above, meet state requirements for the high school equivalency certificate, and meet any university-determined requirements for admission to baccalaureate programs. Students must be at least 18 years of age, or the class of which the student was a member must have graduated from high school.

Applications from students with deficiencies are reviewed on an individual basis by each university to which they apply.

    • Rank in the top 60% of their high school graduating class;
    • OR Achieve an ACT composite score of 18 or above or SAT score of 870 or above or the SAT Reasoning Test Math and Critical Reading subscores total 870 or above.
    • OR Earn a GPA of at least 2.6 on a 4.0 scale in all high school courses.

  2. Complete the following required courses with a cumulative grade point average of a "C" or higher (2.0 on a 4.0 scale):

      • 4 years of English
      • OR ACT English sub-test score of 18 or above
      • OR AP English score of 3 or above
      • 3 years of Advanced Mathematics*
      • OR ACT Math sub-test score of 20 or above
      • OR AP Calculus score of 3 or above
      • 3 years of Laboratory Science**
      • OR ACT Science Reasoning sub-test score of 17 or above
      • OR AP Science score of 3 or above
      • 3 years of Social Science
      • OR ACT Social Studies/Reading sub-test score of 17 or above
      • OR AP Social Studies score of 3 or above
      • 1 year of Fine Arts
      • OR AP Fine Arts score of 3 or above

    • Computer Science: At the time of admission, it is expected that students will have basic keyboarding skills and have had experience in using computer word processing, database, and spreadsheet packages and in using the Internet or other wide area networks. These expectations may be met by high school course work. Effective Fall 2006, entering students who have not taken such high school coursework must complete a specified computer course addressing these skills and competencies within the first 42 credit hours attempted.

    * Advanced mathematics includes algebra or any higher level of math.

    ** Laboratory science includes biology, chemistry, physics, or other approved science courses in which there is a weekly lab period scheduled.

  3. The School of Mines will automatically accept for admission students who...

    • obtain an ACT composite score of 25 AND obtain an ACT math subscore of 25 (or SAT equivalent score)
    • OR obtain a high school GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and have taken four years of mathematics
    • OR are South Dakota Regents' Scholars

    The School of Mines will review and consider for acceptance students who meet BOR requirements . . .

    • AND obtain an ACT composite score of at least 21 (or equivalent SAT score)
    • OR obtain an ACT math subscore of at least 21 (or equivalent SAT score)
    • OR achieve a high school GPA of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.

  4. The University of South Dakota will automatically accept for admission students who...

    • obtain an ACT composite score of 20, a 2.6 GPA or rank in the top 50% of their class. Qualifying subtest ACT scores are 20 in English, 22 in Mathematics and 19 in Laboratory Science and Social Science.

Transfer Admission

The requirements listed below are the minimum requirements to all six universities in the Board of Regents system. Individual universities and individual programs within the universities may have higher requirements.

  1. Transfer students with 24 or more semester credits are eligible to be candidates for admission if they meet both standards below.
    • Have a cumulative college grade point average of 2.0 or higher.
    • Are in good standing with their most recently attended school.
  2. Students with less than 2.0 GPA may be admitted on probation, but each applicant is considered on an individual basis.
  3. Transfer students under the age of 24 who have earned fewer than 24 semester credits must also meet the freshman admission requirements above.

Non-Traditional Admission

The requirements listed below are the minimum requirements to all six universities in the Board of Regents system. Each university has established its own admission requirements for students age 24 or over and for those who did not graduate from high school.

Applicants who are at least 24 years of age must have graduated from high school, completed the General Equivalency Diploma (GED) with a combined score of at least 2250 and a minimum of 410 on each test, or met state requirements for the high school equivalency certificate, and must meet any university-determined requirements for admission to baccalaureate programs.

Admission Requirements for Associate Degree Program

To be a candidate for admission to an associate degree program the applicant must meet the following requirements (individual degree programs may have additional admission requirements):

Questions?

The Enrollment Service Center processes all undergraduate admission applications for the six universities in the South Dakota Board of Regents system. If you have any questions about our universities or academic programs, please call us or check out our home pages. An online application is available on our home page.

Local Toll Free Home Page
BHSU (605) 642-6343 1-800-255-BHSU www.bhsu.edu
DSU (605) 256-5139 1-888-DSU-9988 www.dsu.edu
NSU (605) 626-2544 1-800-NSU-5330 www.northern.edu
SDSM&T (605) 394-2414 1-800-544-8162 ext. 2414 www.sdsmt.edu
SDSU (605) 688-4121 1-800-952-3541 www.sdstate.edu
USD (605) 677-5434 1-877-COYOTES www.usd.edu

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