RANKING · 2024 ACS · 66 SHOWN OF 66

Most educated, South Dakota counties

South Dakota counties ranked by the share of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher (2024 ACS). This list covers the 66 counties in South Dakota that qualify, ranked against each other statewide. The median across all 66 is 25.3%. Biggest climber in the top 100 since 2020: Fall River County, SD, up 34 places to #18.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros ZIP codes

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2024

RANKPLACESTATEPOPBACHELOR'S DEGREE OR HIGHERVS 2000

01Clay County, SDSD15,03145.4%+6.7 pts

02▲1Lincoln County, SDSD77,14544.4%+19.0 pts

03▼1Brookings County, SDSD37,63542.5%+10.3 pts

04Hughes County, SDSD17,57039.0%+7.1 pts

05▲5Union County, SDSD17,40237.0%+10.7 pts

06▲8Campbell County, SDSD1,37736.0%+21.2 pts

07▼1Minnehaha County, SDSD212,69135.2%+9.2 pts

08▲1Pennington County, SDSD116,79234.6%+9.7 pts

09▼2Lake County, SDSD10,99334.6%+13.6 pts

10▼2Brown County, SDSD37,56133.8%+10.2 pts

11▼6Lawrence County, SDSD29,45932.9%+8.9 pts

12▲18Custer County, SDSD9,43131.6%+7.2 pts

13▲2Yankton County, SDSD23,63531.4%+8.4 pts

14▲9Moody County, SDSD6,63230.4%+13.0 pts

15▲9Harding County, SDSD1,33130.4%+12.6 pts

16▲9McCook County, SDSD5,96429.9%+13.6 pts

17▲24Walworth County, SDSD5,21729.6%+13.8 pts

18▲34Fall River County, SDSD7,46729.4%+10.2 pts

19▲13Hutchinson County, SDSD7,41328.8%+14.6 pts

20▼4Brule County, SDSD5,27828.7%+8.1 pts

21▲16Hand County, SDSD3,12128.4%+12.8 pts

22▼1Edmunds County, SDSD4,02228.2%+12.7 pts

23▼10Stanley County, SDSD3,01828.2%+6.1 pts

24▼6Spink County, SDSD6,15528.2%+13.8 pts

25▼6Meade County, SDSD30,71127.8%+10.9 pts

26▼15Jones County, SDSD91327.4%+9.6 pts

27▼10Turner County, SDSD9,31427.3%+10.3 pts

28▼1Potter County, SDSD2,37727.2%+11.0 pts

29▼1Beadle County, SDSD19,62427.2%+8.9 pts

30▼4McPherson County, SDSD2,34726.5%+15.8 pts

31▲18Charles Mix County, SDSD9,30325.7%+11.6 pts

32▼10Marshall County, SDSD4,42625.4%+9.2 pts

33▲2Grant County, SDSD7,53425.3%+10.5 pts

34▼1Deuel County, SDSD4,40825.1%+11.8 pts

35▲20Douglas County, SDSD2,88824.9%+10.5 pts

36▲9Perkins County, SDSD2,85324.9%+10.2 pts

37▼6Lyman County, SDSD3,69424.5%+8.7 pts

38▲1Hamlin County, SDSD6,90024.5%+11.7 pts

39▲1Sully County, SDSD1,47924.1%+7.6 pts

40▼11Kingsbury County, SDSD5,28423.1%+6.9 pts

41▼29Faulk County, SDSD2,17822.6%+9.5 pts

42▼22Davison County, SDSD20,06922.6%+2.5 pts

43▲16Hanson County, SDSD3,45622.5%+8.6 pts

44▼1Gregory County, SDSD4,03722.2%+10.2 pts

45▼7Day County, SDSD5,48422.0%+6.6 pts

46▲12Haakon County, SDSD1,80221.5%+6.2 pts

47▲1Aurora County, SDSD2,80121.4%+8.7 pts

48▲3Codington County, SDSD29,56221.4%+2.6 pts

49▼5Jerauld County, SDSD1,65421.3%+9.1 pts

50▲3Sanborn County, SDSD2,38821.3%+6.5 pts

51▼17Hyde County, SDSD1,19120.3%+4.3 pts

52▼10Butte County, SDSD10,85619.9%+7.6 pts

53▲1Clark County, SDSD4,03119.7%+8.4 pts

54▼7Bon Homme County, SDSD7,24419.6%+4.3 pts

55▲9Mellette County, SDSD2,13719.1%+2.5 pts

56▲4Corson County, SDSD3,78119.0%+7.7 pts

57▼1Dewey County, SDSD5,41918.8%+6.6 pts

58▼1Roberts County, SDSD10,25518.6%+5.2 pts

59▼23Bennett County, SDSD3,30718.3%+5.6 pts

60▼14Tripp County, SDSD5,70817.7%+4.2 pts

61▼11Miner County, SDSD2,28116.7%+3.2 pts

62▲1Todd County, SDSD8,86316.6%+4.5 pts

63▼2Ziebach County, SDSD2,38915.2%+3.2 pts

64▼2Jackson County, SDSD2,66612.4%−3.8 pts

65Oglala Lakota County, SDSD13,33811.8%–

66Buffalo County, SDSD1,8029.9%+4.5 pts

SHOWING 1–66 OF 66

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UPDATED 2026-09-11 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR ESTIMATES