Data / Rankings / High school graduate or higher, population 25 and over / Counties in South Dakota

Counties in South Dakota by high school graduate or higher, population 25 and over

Sully County had the highest high school graduate or higher, population 25 and over of 66 counties in 2021, at 96.6%. Oglala Lakota County had the lowest, at 73.2%. The median was 91.6% and the figure for South Dakota was 92.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest96.6Sully County
Lowest73.2Oglala Lakota County
Median91.666 counties
South Dakota92.5History

Map of counties, 2021

Aurora County: 90 %Beadle County: 85.8 %Bennett County: 88.3 %Bon Homme County: 88.6 %Brookings County: 96.2 %Brown County: 93.2 %Brule County: 88 %Buffalo County: 81.2 %Butte County: 91.3 %Campbell County: 87.3 %Charles Mix County: 88.2 %Clark County: 93.9 %Clay County: 94.9 %Codington County: 91.6 %Corson County: 86 %Custer County: 92.9 %Davison County: 89.9 %Day County: 92 %Deuel County: 91.6 %Dewey County: 83.4 %Douglas County: 90.1 %Edmunds County: 92.6 %Fall River County: 93.4 %Faulk County: 91.6 %Grant County: 92 %Gregory County: 90.4 %Haakon County: 95.8 %Hamlin County: 92.2 %Hand County: 92.9 %Hanson County: 95.2 %Harding County: 94.8 %Hughes County: 96.3 %Hutchinson County: 90.4 %Hyde County: 91.4 %Jackson County: 86.3 %Jerauld County: 92 %Jones County: 94.3 %Kingsbury County: 92.1 %Lake County: 91.3 %Lawrence County: 94.4 %Lincoln County: 95.9 %Lyman County: 91.1 %McCook County: 91.3 %McPherson County: 86.1 %Marshall County: 91.3 %Meade County: 95.5 %Mellette County: 81.1 %Miner County: 89.1 %Minnehaha County: 93.2 %Moody County: 94 %Oglala Lakota County: 73.2 %Pennington County: 94.5 %Perkins County: 91.8 %Potter County: 94 %Roberts County: 89.9 %Sanborn County: 91.8 %Spink County: 90.2 %Stanley County: 93.7 %Sully County: 96.6 %Todd County: 78.7 %Tripp County: 88 %Turner County: 91.6 %Union County: 94.4 %Walworth County: 90 %Yankton County: 91.5 %Ziebach County: 89.2 %
  • Under 88
  • 88 to 90
  • 90 to 92
  • 92 to 93
  • 93 to 94
  • 94 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

Sully County: 96.6 %Sully County96.6Hughes County: 96.3 %Hughes County96.3Brookings County: 96.2 %Brookings County96.2Lincoln County: 95.9 %Lincoln County95.9Haakon County: 95.8 %Haakon County95.8Meade County: 95.5 %Meade County95.5Hanson County: 95.2 %Hanson County95.2Clay County: 94.9 %Clay County94.9Harding County: 94.8 %Harding County94.8Pennington County: 94.5 %Pennington County94.5Union County: 94.4 %Union County94.4Lawrence County: 94.4 %Lawrence County94.4Jones County: 94.3 %Jones County94.3Moody County: 94 %Moody County94Potter County: 94 %Potter County94Clark County: 93.9 %Clark County93.9Stanley County: 93.7 %Stanley County93.7Fall River County: 93.4 %Fall River County93.4Brown County: 93.2 %Brown County93.2Minnehaha County: 93.2 %Minnehaha County93.2Custer County: 92.9 %Custer County92.9Hand County: 92.9 %Hand County92.9Edmunds County: 92.6 %Edmunds County92.6Hamlin County: 92.2 %Hamlin County92.2Kingsbury County: 92.1 %Kingsbury County92.1Jerauld County: 92 %Jerauld County92Grant County: 92 %Grant County92Day County: 92 %Day County92Perkins County: 91.8 %Perkins County91.8Sanborn County: 91.8 %Sanborn County91.8Codington County: 91.6 %Codington County91.6Deuel County: 91.6 %Deuel County91.6Faulk County: 91.6 %Faulk County91.6Turner County: 91.6 %Turner County91.6Yankton County: 91.5 %Yankton County91.5Hyde County: 91.4 %Hyde County91.4Butte County: 91.3 %Butte County91.3Marshall County: 91.3 %Marshall County91.3Lake County: 91.3 %Lake County91.3McCook County: 91.3 %McCook County91.3Sully County: 96.6 %Sully County96.6Hughes County: 96.3 %Hughes County96.3Brookings County: 96.2 %Brookings County96.2Lincoln County: 95.9 %Lincoln County95.9Haakon County: 95.8 %Haakon County95.8Meade County: 95.5 %Meade County95.5Hanson County: 95.2 %Hanson County95.2Clay County: 94.9 %Clay County94.9Harding County: 94.8 %Harding County94.8Pennington County: 94.5 %Pennington County94.5Union County: 94.4 %Union County94.4Lawrence County: 94.4 %Lawrence County94.4Jones County: 94.3 %Jones County94.3Moody County: 94 %Moody County94Potter County: 94 %Potter County94Clark County: 93.9 %Clark County93.9Stanley County: 93.7 %Stanley County93.7Fall River County: 93.4 %Fall River County93.4Brown County: 93.2 %Brown County93.2Minnehaha County: 93.2 %Minnehaha County93.2Custer County: 92.9 %Custer County92.9Hand County: 92.9 %Hand County92.9Edmunds County: 92.6 %Edmunds County92.6Hamlin County: 92.2 %Hamlin County92.2Kingsbury County: 92.1 %Kingsbury County92.1Jerauld County: 92 %Jerauld County92Grant County: 92 %Grant County92Day County: 92 %Day County92Perkins County: 91.8 %Perkins County91.8Sanborn County: 91.8 %Sanborn County91.8Codington County: 91.6 %Codington County91.6Deuel County: 91.6 %Deuel County91.6Faulk County: 91.6 %Faulk County91.6Turner County: 91.6 %Turner County91.6Yankton County: 91.5 %Yankton County91.5Hyde County: 91.4 %Hyde County91.4Butte County: 91.3 %Butte County91.3Marshall County: 91.3 %Marshall County91.3Lake County: 91.3 %Lake County91.3McCook County: 91.3 %McCook County91.3
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Sully County96.6
2Hughes County96.3
3Brookings County96.2
4Lincoln County95.9
5Haakon County95.8
6Meade County95.5
7Hanson County95.2
8Clay County94.9
9Harding County94.8
10Pennington County94.5
11Union County94.4
12Lawrence County94.4
13Jones County94.3
14Moody County94
15Potter County94
16Clark County93.9
17Stanley County93.7
18Fall River County93.4
19Brown County93.2
20Minnehaha County93.2
21Custer County92.9
22Hand County92.9
23Edmunds County92.6
24Hamlin County92.2
25Kingsbury County92.1
26Jerauld County92
27Grant County92
28Day County92
29Perkins County91.8
30Sanborn County91.8
31Codington County91.6
31Deuel County91.6
31Faulk County91.6
34Turner County91.6
35Yankton County91.5
36Hyde County91.4
37Butte County91.3
37Marshall County91.3
39Lake County91.3
40McCook County91.3
41Lyman County91.1
42Hutchinson County90.4
43Gregory County90.4
44Spink County90.2
45Douglas County90.1
46Aurora County90
47Walworth County90
48Davison County89.9
49Roberts County89.9
50Ziebach County89.2
51Miner County89.1
52Bon Homme County88.6
53Bennett County88.3
54Charles Mix County88.2
55Brule County88
56Tripp County88
57Campbell County87.3
58Jackson County86.3
59McPherson County86.1
60Corson County86
61Beadle County85.8
62Dewey County83.4
63Buffalo County81.2
64Mellette County81.1
65Todd County78.7
66Oglala Lakota County73.2

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 25 and over who hold a regular high school diploma, a GED or alternative credential, or any higher level of education, 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.

Measures the adult population, not students: it is not the high school graduation rate of a class. Not comparable with the EU share below upper secondary education, which covers ages 25 to 64.

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 high school diploma, GED or higher 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 high school diploma, GED or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in South Dakota by high school graduate or higher, 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 high school diploma, GED or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in South Dakota by high school graduate or higher, 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/high-school-graduate-or-higher/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 high school diploma, GED or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in South Dakota by high school graduate or higher, 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/high-school-graduate-or-higher/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 high school diploma, GED or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in South Dakota by high school graduate or higher, 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/high-school-graduate-or-higher/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 high school diploma, GED or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in South Dakota by high school graduate or higher, 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/high-school-graduate-or-higher/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 high school diploma, GED or higher 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 high school diploma, GED or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in South Dakota by high school graduate or higher, 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/high-school-graduate-or-higher/south-dakota-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/high-school-graduate-or-higher/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 high school diploma, GED or higher 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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Questions

Which county has the highest high school graduate or higher, population 25 and over?

Sully County, with 96.6% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest high school graduate or higher, population 25 and over?

Oglala Lakota County, with 73.2% 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 high school diploma, GED or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

High school graduate or higher, population 25 and over: other rankings

Counties in South Dakota: more rankings