Data / Rankings / Graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over / Counties in South Dakota

Counties in South Dakota by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over

Clay County had the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over of 66 counties in 2021, at 22.4%. Buffalo County had the lowest, at 0.9%. The median was 5.6% and the figure for South Dakota was 9.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest22.4Clay County
Lowest0.9Buffalo County
Median5.666 counties
South Dakota9.4History

Map of counties, 2021

Aurora County: 4.8 %Beadle County: 7.9 %Bennett County: 2.5 %Bon Homme County: 7.4 %Brookings County: 15.8 %Brown County: 9.1 %Brule County: 5.6 %Buffalo County: 0.9 %Butte County: 5.7 %Campbell County: 3.9 %Charles Mix County: 5.1 %Clark County: 3.1 %Clay County: 22.4 %Codington County: 6.1 %Corson County: 3.4 %Custer County: 9.2 %Davison County: 5.2 %Day County: 5.2 %Deuel County: 3.9 %Dewey County: 5.3 %Douglas County: 4.5 %Edmunds County: 5.2 %Fall River County: 8 %Faulk County: 11.4 %Grant County: 8.5 %Gregory County: 6.7 %Haakon County: 0.9 %Hamlin County: 5.1 %Hand County: 5.9 %Hanson County: 4.8 %Harding County: 3.7 %Hughes County: 9.8 %Hutchinson County: 6.5 %Hyde County: 5.2 %Jackson County: 3.5 %Jerauld County: 5.3 %Jones County: 11.5 %Kingsbury County: 7.4 %Lake County: 9.4 %Lawrence County: 11.1 %Lincoln County: 13.3 %Lyman County: 5.9 %McCook County: 8 %McPherson County: 4.1 %Marshall County: 4.8 %Meade County: 7 %Mellette County: 3.6 %Miner County: 3.1 %Minnehaha County: 10.3 %Moody County: 8.2 %Oglala Lakota County: 4.5 %Pennington County: 11.9 %Perkins County: 6.3 %Potter County: 5.4 %Roberts County: 4.4 %Sanborn County: 5.3 %Spink County: 5.1 %Stanley County: 10.4 %Sully County: 3.1 %Todd County: 6.6 %Tripp County: 3.9 %Turner County: 5.9 %Union County: 13.1 %Walworth County: 6.9 %Yankton County: 10.1 %Ziebach County: 2 %
  • Under 3.8
  • 3.8 to 5.1
  • 5.1 to 5.6
  • 5.6 to 7.1
  • 7.1 to 9.8
  • 9.8 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2021

Clay County: 22.4 %Clay County22.4Brookings County: 15.8 %Brookings County15.8Lincoln County: 13.3 %Lincoln County13.3Union County: 13.1 %Union County13.1Pennington County: 11.9 %Pennington County11.9Jones County: 11.5 %Jones County11.5Faulk County: 11.4 %Faulk County11.4Lawrence County: 11.1 %Lawrence County11.1Stanley County: 10.4 %Stanley County10.4Minnehaha County: 10.3 %Minnehaha County10.3Yankton County: 10.1 %Yankton County10.1Hughes County: 9.8 %Hughes County9.8Lake County: 9.4 %Lake County9.4Custer County: 9.2 %Custer County9.2Brown County: 9.1 %Brown County9.1Grant County: 8.5 %Grant County8.5Moody County: 8.2 %Moody County8.2McCook County: 8 %McCook County8Fall River County: 8 %Fall River County8Beadle County: 7.9 %Beadle County7.9Bon Homme County: 7.4 %Bon Homme County7.4Kingsbury County: 7.4 %Kingsbury County7.4Meade County: 7 %Meade County7Walworth County: 6.9 %Walworth County6.9Gregory County: 6.7 %Gregory County6.7Todd County: 6.6 %Todd County6.6Hutchinson County: 6.5 %Hutchinson County6.5Perkins County: 6.3 %Perkins County6.3Codington County: 6.1 %Codington County6.1Hand County: 5.9 %Hand County5.9Lyman County: 5.9 %Lyman County5.9Turner County: 5.9 %Turner County5.9Butte County: 5.7 %Butte County5.7Brule County: 5.6 %Brule County5.6Potter County: 5.4 %Potter County5.4Dewey County: 5.3 %Dewey County5.3Jerauld County: 5.3 %Jerauld County5.3Sanborn County: 5.3 %Sanborn County5.3Davison County: 5.2 %Davison County5.2Edmunds County: 5.2 %Edmunds County5.2Clay County: 22.4 %Clay County22.4Brookings County: 15.8 %Brookings County15.8Lincoln County: 13.3 %Lincoln County13.3Union County: 13.1 %Union County13.1Pennington County: 11.9 %Pennington County11.9Jones County: 11.5 %Jones County11.5Faulk County: 11.4 %Faulk County11.4Lawrence County: 11.1 %Lawrence County11.1Stanley County: 10.4 %Stanley County10.4Minnehaha County: 10.3 %Minnehaha County10.3Yankton County: 10.1 %Yankton County10.1Hughes County: 9.8 %Hughes County9.8Lake County: 9.4 %Lake County9.4Custer County: 9.2 %Custer County9.2Brown County: 9.1 %Brown County9.1Grant County: 8.5 %Grant County8.5Moody County: 8.2 %Moody County8.2McCook County: 8 %McCook County8Fall River County: 8 %Fall River County8Beadle County: 7.9 %Beadle County7.9Bon Homme County: 7.4 %Bon Homme County7.4Kingsbury County: 7.4 %Kingsbury County7.4Meade County: 7 %Meade County7Walworth County: 6.9 %Walworth County6.9Gregory County: 6.7 %Gregory County6.7Todd County: 6.6 %Todd County6.6Hutchinson County: 6.5 %Hutchinson County6.5Perkins County: 6.3 %Perkins County6.3Codington County: 6.1 %Codington County6.1Hand County: 5.9 %Hand County5.9Lyman County: 5.9 %Lyman County5.9Turner County: 5.9 %Turner County5.9Butte County: 5.7 %Butte County5.7Brule County: 5.6 %Brule County5.6Potter County: 5.4 %Potter County5.4Dewey County: 5.3 %Dewey County5.3Jerauld County: 5.3 %Jerauld County5.3Sanborn County: 5.3 %Sanborn County5.3Davison County: 5.2 %Davison County5.2Edmunds County: 5.2 %Edmunds County5.2
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Clay County22.4
2Brookings County15.8
3Lincoln County13.3
4Union County13.1
5Pennington County11.9
6Jones County11.5
7Faulk County11.4
8Lawrence County11.1
9Stanley County10.4
10Minnehaha County10.3
11Yankton County10.1
12Hughes County9.8
13Lake County9.4
14Custer County9.2
15Brown County9.1
16Grant County8.5
17Moody County8.2
18McCook County8
19Fall River County8
20Beadle County7.9
21Bon Homme County7.4
22Kingsbury County7.4
23Meade County7
24Walworth County6.9
25Gregory County6.7
26Todd County6.6
27Hutchinson County6.5
28Perkins County6.3
29Codington County6.1
30Hand County5.9
31Lyman County5.9
32Turner County5.9
33Butte County5.7
34Brule County5.6
35Potter County5.4
36Dewey County5.3
37Jerauld County5.3
37Sanborn County5.3
39Davison County5.2
40Edmunds County5.2
41Day County5.2
42Hyde County5.2
43Hamlin County5.1
44Charles Mix County5.1
45Spink County5.1
46Aurora County4.8
46Marshall County4.8
48Hanson County4.8
49Douglas County4.5
50Oglala Lakota County4.5
51Roberts County4.4
52McPherson County4.1
53Tripp County3.9
54Deuel County3.9
55Campbell County3.9
56Harding County3.7
57Mellette County3.6
58Jackson County3.5
59Corson County3.4
60Sully County3.1
61Clark County3.1
62Miner County3.1
63Bennett County2.5
64Ziebach County2
65Haakon County0.9
66Buffalo County0.9

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 25 and over whose highest degree is a master's, professional school or doctorate degree, as a percentage of all people aged 25 and over. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

A subset of bachelors_degree_share, which also counts people whose highest degree is a bachelor's.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b15003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in South Dakota by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b15003.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in South Dakota by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b15003.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/south-dakota-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in South Dakota by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b15003.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/south-dakota-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in South Dakota by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b15003.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/south-dakota-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_south_dakota_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in South Dakota by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b15003.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/south-dakota-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b15003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in South Dakota by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over, 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b15003.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/south-dakota-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/graduate-or-professional-degree/south-dakota-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b15003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Counties in South Dakota by graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over?

Clay County, with 22.4% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over?

Buffalo County, with 0.9% in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a master's, professional school or doctorate degree as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Graduate or professional degree, population 25 and over: other rankings

Counties in South Dakota: more rankings