Mahadev Maitri Foundation
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Program Rankings · South Dakota

Best Culinary Arts & Services Colleges in South Dakota

Ranked by a weighted composite of outcomes, affordability, selectivity, academic profile, and program depth. Based on NCES IPEDS 2023–24 completions data.

2
Colleges Ranked
1
4-Year Programs
1
Public Colleges
National American
Top Ranked
Ranking Methodology: Each college earns a major score = 70% global composite score (outcomes 30%, affordability 25%, selectivity 20%, academic 15%, breadth 10%) + 30% program depth score (graduates in this major ÷ total enrollment, normalized across all US colleges).
1
50
National American University-Rapid City
Rapid City · Private For-Profit · 4-year
33% grad rate3 graduates/yr
#2343 nationally
2
36
Mitchell Technical College
Mitchell · Public · 2-year
$4,092 in-state12 graduates/yr
#1916 nationally
About Culinary Arts & Services Programs in South Dakota

South Dakota offers 2 accredited culinary arts & services programs across public and private institutions. Our rankings use NCES IPEDS 2023–24 completions data to measure how many graduates each college produces in this field relative to its total enrollment, combined with overall college quality metrics.

The ranking formula weights overall college quality at 70% — covering graduation outcomes, net price affordability, admissions selectivity, and academic profile of enrolled students — and program-specific depth at 30%, rewarding schools that genuinely specialize in culinary arts & services.

For in-state students, public colleges often offer significantly lower costs. Complete the FAFSA to determine need-based aid eligibility regardless of your income level. Aid availability can dramatically change the actual cost of attendance.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Based on our composite ranking — which weighs outcomes (graduation rates), affordability (net price), selectivity, academic profile, and program depth — the top-ranked college for Culinary Arts & Services in South Dakota is National American University-Rapid City. We rank all accredited institutions offering this program using NCES IPEDS 2023–24 data.