Welcome to South Dakota best medical schools. Our rankings are based on alumni reviews, research scores received, peer institution assessment and admissions statistics including averaged MCAT scores, undergraduate GPA as well as acceptance rates. Below we list top medical schools in South Dakota that are top ranked nationally. You can find tuition cost, total enrollment and composite MCAT score for each school.
- TIMEDICTIONARY: Overview of major cities and towns in South Dakota. Includes history, population and geographical map of South Dakota.
| National Ranking | Best Medical Programs |
| 89 | University of South Dakota (Sanford) (Sioux Falls, SD) Acceptance rate: 16.9% MCAT composite score: 10.1 Tuition: Full-time: $20,700 (in-state), Full-time: $48,445 (out-of-state) Average undergraduate GPA: 3.68 Total medical school enrollment: 213 Full-time faculty-student ratio: 1.7:1 NIH funds granted to medical school and affiliated hospitals (in millions): $12.6  |
Early History of South Dakota
In 1815, the first trading post (Fort Pierre) was established in South Dakota. Until the middle of the 19th century, buying furs from the Indians was practically the only occupation of the few Europeans who lived in the region. In the fifties of the century before last, the fertile lands in the valley of the Big Su River began to attract the attention of settlers, in 1856 Sioux Falls was founded, which later grew into the largest city in the state. The growth of the population in the region was facilitated by the development of steamboat traffic along the Missouri River (one of the important marinas was the city of Yankton, founded in 1859) and the railroads that came to the region in the seventies.
On March 2, 1861, the Dakota Territory was created by the United States government, which included the modern states of South Dakota and North Dakota, as well as parts of Montana and Wyoming. Prior to that, eastern South Dakota was part of Minnesota Territory and western part of Nebraska Territory.
In 1874, to explore the western regions of South Dakota, a military expedition was sent under the leadership of one of the most famous officers of the US Army during the Indian Wars, George Custer. During this trip, gold was discovered in the Black Hills and a gold rush began in South Dakota. Thousands of prospectors rushed in pursuit of the precious metal, which led to a number of conflicts and armed clashes with the Indians who lived here.
On November 2, 1889, a decision was signed recognizing South Dakota as the fortieth state of the United States. At the same time, North Dakota also became a state, and there was a kind of competition for superiority between the “neighbors”. In fact, the statehood documents for both Dakotas were signed at the same time, but since South Dakota alphabetically followed its northern neighbor, it gave way to him.
December 29, 1890 in South Dakota there was one of the last armed conflicts between the army units and the Indians, known as the Wounded Knee Massacre. During an attempt to disarm the Sioux, an accidental shot caused soldiers to open fire, killing or injuring over two hundred Indians (including women and children) and over fifty servicemen.