Private Schools
Private Schools in South Dakota
53 private schools in South Dakota with at least 30 students answered the 2023-24 federal survey. Together they enroll 11,721 students: 24 Catholic, 23 other religious and 6 nonsectarian. 23 schools go through high school grades.
Schools listed
53
Go through high school
23
Median enrollment
127
Median students per teacher
9.8
Private schools by city in South Dakota
Private schools in South Dakota
Largest first. Students per teacher is the school’s own report.
| School | City | Grades | Students | Per teacher | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls Catholic School | Sioux Falls | PK–12 | 2,231 | 21.8 | Catholic |
| Sioux Falls Christian Schools | Sioux Falls | PK–12 | 1,382 | 16.8 | Christian |
| Rapid City Catholic School System | Rapid City | PK–12 | 650 | 12.2 | Catholic |
| Aberdeen Catholic Schools | Aberdeen | PK–12 | 482 | 13 | Catholic |
| Roncalli Primary School | Aberdeen | PK–12 | 482 | 13.2 | Catholic |
| Red Cloud Indian School | Pine Ridge | K–12 | 435 | 6.7 | Catholic |
| O'Gorman Junior High School | Sioux Falls | 7–8 | 329 | 12.4 | Catholic |
| Sioux Falls Lutheran School | Sioux Falls | PK–12 | 301 | 12.6 | Lutheran |
| Sioux Falls Lutheran School | Sioux Falls | K–12 | 295 | 10.5 | Lutheran |
| St Elizabeth Seton School | Rapid City | K–5 | 285 | 12.6 | Catholic |
| Sacred Heart School | Yankton | PK–8 | 263 | 8.7 | Catholic |
| Roncalli Jr & Sr High School | Aberdeen | 6–12 | 232 | 11.1 | Catholic |
| Sacred Heart Middle School - | Yankton | PK–8 | 230 | 8.8 | Catholic |
| St Mary Catholic School | Dell Rapids | PK–12 | 222 | 14 | Catholic |
| James Valley Christian School | Huron | PK–12 | 208 | 10.3 | Christian |
| Aberdeen Christian School | Aberdeen | PK–12 | 206 | 8 | Christian |
| St Michael School | Sioux Falls | PK–6 | 187 | 9.8 | Catholic |
| Calvary Christian School | Rapid City | PK–5 | 186 | 10.9 | Baptist |
| Roncalli Elementary School | Aberdeen | 2–5 | 169 | 11.3 | Catholic |
| St Martins Lutheran School | Watertown | PK–8 | 164 | 15.5 | Lutheran |
| Mitchell Christian School | Mitchell | PK–12 | 147 | 9.7 | Christian |
| Great Plains Lutheran High School | Watertown | 9–12 | 137 | 10.9 | Lutheran |
| Zion Lutheran School | Rapid City | PK–5 | 135 | 14.8 | Lutheran |
| Black Hills Christian Academy | Spearfish | PK–12 | 134 | 9.7 | Christian |
| St Joseph Indian School | Chamberlain | 1–8 | 134 | 7.1 | Catholic |
| Creekside Christian School | Rapid City | K–8 | 128 | 11 | Other religious |
| St Pauls Lutheran School | Rapid City | K–8 | 127 | 12.8 | Lutheran |
| Our Lady of Lourdes Elementary | Porcupine | K–8 | 113 | 9.4 | Catholic |
| LifescapeSpecial education | Sioux Falls | 1–12 | 107 | 8.9 | Nonsectarian |
| Pierre Indian Learning CenterAlternative | Pierre | 1–8 | 107 | 6.3 | Nonsectarian |
| Christ the King Grade School | Sioux Falls | PK–6 | 102 | 5.3 | Catholic |
| Holy Trinity Catholic Elementary School | Huron | PK–5 | 97 | 12.3 | Catholic |
| Dakota Christian School | Corsica | PK–12 | 94 | 9 | Christian |
| St Lawrence School | Milbank | PK–6 | 91 | 10.1 | Catholic |
| St Agnes Elementary School | Vermillion | PK–5 | 88 | 9.8 | Catholic |
| Roncalli Primary School | Aberdeen | PK–1 | 86 | 17.2 | Catholic |
| Children's Home Society of Sd/Loving SchoolAlternative | Sioux Falls | PK–8 | 85 | 7.3 | Nonsectarian |
| St John Paul II Elementary School | Mitchell | PK–6 | 82 | 7.7 | Catholic |
| Sunshine Bible Academy | Miller | PK–12 | 82 | 7.1 | Christian |
| Watertown Christian School | Watertown | PK–8 | 79 | 79 | Christian |
| St Thomas More Catholic School | Brookings | PK–4 | 74 | 7.3 | Catholic |
| Trinity Lutheran School | Aberdeen | K–8 | 62 | 13.5 | Lutheran |
| Windswept Academy | Eagle Butte | K–11 | 61 | 7.5 | Christian |
| Freeman Academy | Freeman | PK–12 | 56 | 4.6 | Mennonite |
| Good Shepherd Lutheran | Sioux Falls | K–8 | 52 | 10.4 | Lutheran |
| Accurate and Conscious Education AcademyAlternative | Sioux Falls | PK–10 | 46 | 8.4 | Nonsectarian |
| Children's House MontessoriMontessori | Rapid City | PK–6 | 45 | 9 | Nonsectarian |
| St Thomas School | Madison | PK–5 | 44 | 9.2 | Catholic |
| Volga Christian School | Volga | PK–6 | 41 | 41 | Calvinist |
| McCrossan Boys RanchBoys | Sioux Falls | 6–12 | 40 | 4.4 | Nonsectarian |
| Sapa Un Catholic Academy Elementary | Saint Francis | K–8 | 39 | 7 | Catholic |
| Cornerstone SchoolAlternative | Sioux Falls | 1–12 | 37 | 9.7 | Christian |
| Sunny Plains Christian School | Iroquois | K–8 | 30 | 7.9 | Church of God in Christ |
Getting in, and keeping up
- Private school entrance exams: format, scoring, and dates for the ISEE, SSAT, and HSPT.
- Using a 529 plan for K-12 tuition and tutoring.
- Colleges in South Dakota, for families already looking ahead.
Frequently asked questions
How many private schools are in South Dakota?
53 private schools in South Dakota with at least 30 students answered the 2023-24 federal Private School Universe Survey. Schools that did not answer are not counted, so the real number is higher.
What is the largest private school in South Dakota?
Among schools that answered the survey, Sioux Falls Catholic School in Sioux Falls is the largest, with 2,231 students in grades PK–12.
How big are classes at private schools in South Dakota?
The survey reports students per teacher, not class size. The median private school in South Dakota has 9.8 students per teacher and 127 students in total.
Do private schools require an entrance exam?
Many independent schools ask for the ISEE or SSAT, and many Catholic high schools use the HSPT. Each school sets its own rule, so check the admissions page of every school on your list.
Source: NCES Private School Universe Survey (PSS), 2023-24 public-use data file, National Center for Education Statistics. Schools that answered the survey and enrolled at least 30 students. Amish schools are left out. Schools report their own figures, and a school that did not answer the survey does not appear.
