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Black Hills State University

Black Hills State University

Black Hills State University, also known as BHSU, was established in 1883. It is a four-year, public university located in Spearfish, South Dakota. The main campus is spread across an area of more than 120 acres. BHSU was founded by the Dakota Territorial Legislature as Dakota Territory Spearfish Normal School. After several name and status changes the university was given its present name on July 1, 1989. Each year the university has an enrollment of more than 4,000 students. BHSU offers more than 80 majors, and several bachelor’s, master’s, and associate’s degrees. The university is a network of following colleges:

  • College of Arts and Sciences
  • College of Business
  • College of Education

BHSU’s student body is diverse and impressive and the university possesses a prominent athletics department. The sports teams participate in various games including baseball, basketball, softball, volleyball, golf and others. Their sports teams are known as the Yellow Jackets.

Overview of Black Hills State University

The campus of Black Hills State is in Spearfish, SD, which is a self-contained town. The school is a public institution. Degrees at Black Hills State include, at the school's highest level, the Master's degree.

Areas of Study

The school is known for its programs in media, art studies, and education and teaching.

Black Hills State Selectivity

Admission at Black Hills State is selective, not open to all who apply. Many applicants are from out of state, an indication of the quality or special character of the school.

Faculty

Black Hills State has a tenure system for senior faculty.

Student Body

In 2007, the school had 4,052 students enrolled (3,099 full-time equivalent).

Student Life

A lot of students at Black Hills State attend part-time. The school values student athletics, and belongs to the Dakota Athletic Conference.

More complete details are provided below.

Contacting Black Hills State

Black Hills State University
1200 University St
Spearfish, SD 57799-9500
General Phone: (605) 642-6011
http://www.bhsu.edu

Black Hills State Programs and Degrees (2007)

General CategoryDegreesMost Common Majors [see all]
Education And Teaching135elementary school teaching, curriculum and instruction, secondary teaching, teacher aide, kindergarten/preschool teaching, teacher ed, business teaching, special ed, ...
Business And Management113business management, accounting, entrepreneurship, human resources, sales and marketing
Liberal Arts87history, general studies, sociology, social services, English, Spanish language, political science, speech and rhetoric, ...
Media37mass communication
Nutrition And Exercise Therapy33sports and fitness management, health and physical education, parks and recreation studies
Family And Social Work33community organization
Science22biology, chemistry, physical science courses
Engineering Technician20industrial tech, drafting
Therapy And Counseling18psychology
Art Studies18art studies
Photography And Commercial Art7commercial art
Hospitality3tourism and travel
Computer Science And Engineering3computer and info science
Music2music
Office And Administration1administrative assistant
Mathematics1mathematics

Number of programs and degrees for Black Hills State in 2007:

Degree LevelTotal
Awarded
Number of
Programs
Bachelor's degree43233
Master's degree432
Associate's degree336
Postbaccalaureate certificate252

Black Hills State Student Body

In 2007, Black Hills State had a total enrollment of 4,052 students (3,099 full-time equivalent).

Students in the Freshman Class:

GroupPercent
Men41%
Women59%
Full-Time93%
Part-Time7%

Students By Class:

GroupPercent
Undergraduate80%
Graduate20%

Racial Diversity:
RacePercent
White87%
Black1%
Hispanic1%
Asian1%
American Indian4%
Unknown6%
(Foreign Students)1%

Students by Age:

AgePercent
Under 181%
18-1920%
20-2122%
22-2422%
25-2913%
30-347%
35-394%
40-497%
50-645%
65+0%

Black Hills State Graduation, Retention, and Transfers

Retention Rates (2007):

GroupReturning From
Previous Year
Full-Time59 %
Part-Time47 %

Black Hills State Room and Board (2007)

Black Hills State offers campus housing for 786 of its 3,099 (full-time) students. Freshmen are required to live on campus.

(Please refer to our profile of Spearfish, South Dakota for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other South Dakota Colleges).

The school does not offer students a meal plan.

Black Hills State Admissions and Selectivity (2007)

Acceptances:

GroupApplicantsAcceptedPercent
Accepted
EnrolledPercent of
Accepted Enrolled
Total1,2281,11891%61155%
Men52245788%25055%
Women70666194%36155%

Standardized Test Scores:

Test25th Percentile75th Percetile
ACT Verbal1724
ACT Math1723
ACT Composite1924

Application Requirements:

ItemRequirement
GPArequired
Class Rankrequired
High School Recordrequired
College Prep Programrecommended
Recommendationsnot required
Formal Demonstration of Competencenot required
Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT)required
Percent of Applicants Submitting ACT92%
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)not required

Black Hills State Expenses and Financial Aid (2007)

Expenses and Financial Aid:

ExpenseAmount
In-state tuition and fees$ 5,803
Out-of-state tuition and fees$ 7,123
Room and board$ 4,381
Room charge$ 2,308
Board (meal plan) charge$ 2,073
Books and supplies$ 800
Other expenses$ 2,800

Financial Aid:
Black Hills State participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 345900)

Black Hills State Faculty

Black Hills State has a tenure system for faculty.

Tenure Status of Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelMenWomen
Tenured3714
Non-tenured, but on tenure track2016
Non-tenured and not on tenure track1921

Salaries for full-time faculty:

Full-Time Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
Assistant professorcalendar year0*1*
Instructorcalendar year2*1*
All faculty totalcalendar year2*2*

*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.

Full-Time Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
Professoracademic year18$66,5527$58,232
Associate professoracademic year30$56,02311$55,991
Assistant professoracademic year20$51,08220$47,608
Instructoracademic year6$38,79211$41,955
All faculty totalacademic year74$55,85249$49,738

*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.

Black Hills State Athletics

Athletic Conferences:

SportConference
FootballDakota Athletic Conference
BasketballDakota Athletic Conference
TrackDakota Athletic Conference

Students on Athletic Scholarships (2007):

SportMenWomenTotal
Total5743100
Football41041
Track131225
Basketball31013
All Other Sports02121

Black Hills State Degree Programs (2007)

ART STUDIES
Art/Art Studies, General

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Accounting
Business Administration and Management, General
Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
Sales, Distribution, and Marketing Operations, General

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer and Information Sciences, General

EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Business Teacher Education
Curriculum and Instruction
Elementary Education and Teaching
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching
Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching
Secondary Education and Teaching
Special Education and Teaching, General
Teacher Assistant/Aide
Teacher Education, Multiple Levels

ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN
Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General
Industrial Technology/Technician

FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK
Community Organization and Advocacy

HOSPITALITY
Tourism and Travel Services Management

LIBERAL ARTS
American Indian/Native American Studies
English Language and Literature, General
General Studies
History, General
Political Science and Government, General
Social Sciences, General
Sociology
Spanish Language and Literature
Speech and Rhetorical Studies

MATHEMATICS
Mathematics, General

MEDIA
Mass Communication/Media Studies

MUSIC
Music, General

NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY
Health and Physical Education, General
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies
Sport and Fitness Administration/Management

OFFICE AND ADMINISTRATION
Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science, General

PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMERCIAL ART
Commercial and Advertising Art

SCIENCE
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Chemistry, General
Physical Sciences, Other

THERAPY AND COUNSELING
Psychology, General

Black Hills State Highlights

(Details are provided further down on this page.)

What Sets Black Hills State Apart:

CategoryTrophy 
% of degrees in nutrition and exercise therapy
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 13%Black Hills State % of degrees in nutrition and exercise therapy
Number of degree programs
(vs. all colleges)
Top 13%Black Hills State Number of degree programs
% of degrees in art studies
(vs. all colleges)
Top 15%Black Hills State % of degrees in art studies
Female % of student body
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 16%Black Hills State Female % of student body
% of degrees in education and teaching
(vs. all colleges)
Top 16%Black Hills State % of degrees in education and teaching
% of freshmen enrolled part-time
(vs. colleges with similar degree levels)
Top 17%Black Hills State % of freshmen enrolled part-time
% of accepted students who choose to enroll
(for colleges of its size and type)
Top 18%Black Hills State % of accepted students who choose to enroll
Number of students
(vs. all colleges)
Top 18%Black Hills State Number of students
Lowest tuition & fees (in-state)
(colleges not offering open-admission)
Top 18%Black Hills State Lowest tuition & fees (in-state)
% of degrees in media
(vs. all colleges)
Top 19%Black Hills State % of degrees in media
% of degrees in family and social work
(for colleges of its size and type)
Top 20%Black Hills State % of degrees in family and social work
Explanation of the Highlights categories

Notable:
Accepts some high school credits
Grants credits for AP courses
Offers distance learning
Offers weekend classes
Career counseling
Career services
Student employment services
On-campus day care
Remedial classes for students
Offers remedial adult education
Option to study abroad
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Offers campus housing
Tenure system for quality teaching
Has ROTC (army)
Offers athletic scholarships

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