SDSU enrollment

BROOKINGS — Enrollment at South Dakota State University — and at schools across the state — fell slightly but mostly remained flat as colleges and universities throughout the nation hit the first year of the long anticipated, so-called “demographic cliff.”

2026 marks 18 years since the 2008 recession and commensurate smaller birth rates seen across the nation, but particularly in the Northeast and Midwest.

Thus this year marks the first year of expected smaller college classes, as the number of new high-school graduates is expected to fall by about 13 percent through 2040, according to data compiled by The Chronicle of Higher Education.
All told, SDSU enrollment for this academic year decreased by about 2 percent to 11,901 students.

Overall enrollment at State in Brookings declined from 12,139 students in 2025 to 11,901 this fall. International student enrollment contributed a significant portion of that decline, with nearly 90 fewer students from other countries attending SDSU this year. Despite the decline, SDSU has maintained enrollment at approximately 12,000 students for three consecutive years in the face of national headwinds.

For context and comparison, the University of South Dakota in Vermillion decreased total enrollment by 3.5 percent, down to 10,040 students.

Elsewhere in South Dakota:
— Black Hills State University in Spearfish increased by about 2 percent, to 3,502 students.

— Dakota State University in Madison grew by about 3.5 percent, to 3,975 students.

— Northern State University in Aberdeen grew by 4 percent, to 3,890 students.

— South Dakota Mines in Rapid City decreased by 2 percent, to 2,489 students.

Not Out of Woods
The university also welcomed 2,276 first-time undergraduate students, one of the five largest incoming classes in SDSU history.

Among those first-time students, 1,272 are South Dakota residents, an increase of nearly 8 percent from last fall. South Dakota students represent approximately 56 percent of SDSU’s incoming class.

SDSU President Barry Dunn touted the local numbers in a statement.

“Those numbers are important because they speak directly to our mission as South Dakota’s 1862 land-grant university,” Dunn said. “We have a responsibility to provide access to the benefits of higher education for those who seek it and prepare graduates who will strengthen our state’s workforce, communities and economy.

Attracting South Dakota students, helping them succeed and providing opportunities for them to build their futures here remain central to that mission.”

College and university officials now have their eyes on what the Chronicle calls the flight to quality — particularly in the Midwest, where birth rates dropped hardest beginning in 2008.

The resulting demographic cliff is creating a large disparity. While some schools are struggling to survive, some elite institutions are completely insulated by what is being dubbed a “flight-to-quality” where students are consolidating their applications toward prestigious or flagship schools. Highly selective universities and large Midwestern flagships — like the University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Minnesota-Twin Cities are seeing record application numbers in 2026.

And every student they admit likely costs another Midwestern school.

That will make retention rates key for smaller Midwestern schools.

The release notes a strong retention rate for SDSU. The university’s first-year retention rate is nearly 83 percent, marking the fourth straight year it has exceeded 82 percent.

That also means more SDSU graduates. During the 2025-26 academic year, 2,648 SDSU students earned a degree or certificate, an increase of more than 12 percent from the previous year.

“Our responsibility extends well beyond enrolling students,” Dunn said in the release. “We want them to succeed, earn their degree and have the opportunity to use their education to make a positive impact. Our graduates are entering the workforce, continuing their education and contributing to communities throughout South Dakota and beyond.”

Other Issues
Across South Dakota, the number of international students dropped by 237. International enrollment also fell by 76 students last fall. Those decreases come amid federal immigration policy changes during the Trump administration that have made it more difficult for some foreign students to enter and stay in the country.

South Dakota made international news in April of 2025 when the Department of Homeland Security tried to deport international student Priya Saxena. Originally from India, Saxena was completing a doctorate degree at the School of Mines when DHS pulled her student visa and terminated her legal status because of a misdemeanor traffic ticket.
Saxena and her attorney beat the government in court with a judge ruling that revoking her visa was “arbitrary and capricious.”

While declining international enrollment is a nationwide problem, SDSU’s President Dunn credited SDSU faculty and staff and the university’s welcoming culture for helping attract and retain students.

“Enrollment and student success are university-wide efforts,” Dunn said in a statement. “Every interaction a student has with SDSU helps shape their experience and their decision to come here, remain here and ultimately graduate. Our faculty and staff are committed to providing an exceptional experience that helps our students succeed while fulfilling our responsibility to the people and communities of South Dakota.”

Linehan is the Beacon’s managing editor and welcomes comments at BrookingsBeacon@gmail.com