The University of South Dakota

Students love the "many options as far as majors go" at The University of South Dakota, spotlighting the nursing school as well as labeling business, biology, premed, law, and psychology courses as "very solid." There's a lot of praise for the school's Honors Program, which offers smaller class sizes and discussion-based courses to qualifying students, and students call it the "best-kept secret in the country." Factor in the numerous winners of "big scholarships like the Goldwater and T ruman" and it's clear why some students feel the school offers "a reasonable price"-especially for out-of-state students. So far as faculty go, there seem to be winners in every department, with "some of the best" music professors, according to one respondent, and more generally, staff who are "nearly always willing to go the extra mile for students."

Students at USD tend to be active and involved: it seems like "every person on campus is part of at least one" student organization, which is "a great way to meet new people and [to participate in] activities." Many enrollees appear to fit the bill of a "conservative Midwesterner," and the school is 80% Caucasian, but their interests vary. Some describe the campus as a place where "partying is a definite part of the culture," whereas others note that "many people join a Greek system or are athletes or musicians" and that those outside those roles "seem to focus on their academics." The big takeaway is that regardless of background or interests, you're likely to fit right in, thanks to "the open mindedness of most students."

The University of South Dakota has over 200 student organizations and offers everything from Greek life and club sports to drag shows, Zumba classes, and Bible study. Students feel that "since it is a smaller campus, [there are] more opportunities to be involved in internships and various other activities," though others suggest that they "have to make their own fun, which often involves partying or taking small road trips to other cities in the area." For that group, which describes a "lot of partying," Yankton, Sioux City, and Sioux Falls are "all within an hour" and "offer everything a person would want to do." Students also suggest that while only 34% of undergraduates remain on campus (84% of first-years do so), the nearby town of Vermillion is close enough that "no one is more than a 10-minute walk/bike ride away!" Regardless of where they live, the sense is that they "keep themselves occupied with schoolwork, intramural sports, and hanging out with their friends."