Top 10 Best School Systems In South Dakota For 2026

When families look for a new place to call home in South Dakota, the area schools are usually one of the very first things they check out. Finding a balance between student-teacher ratios, test scores, and graduation rates is key in finding which areas are truly the "cream of the crop".

Based on the latest analysis from Neighborhood Scout, 10 districts across the Mount Rushmore State have set themselves apart from the rest. While the usual suspects from the Sioux Empire make strong appearances, you might be surprised to see which community claimed the #1 spot.

Here is a look at the Top 10 School Systems in South Dakota for 2026.

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Note on the Data: These rankings are based on Neighborhood Scout's analysis of specific municipalities in South Dakota. Because this data accounts for local neighborhood demographics alongside school test scores, some communities that share a school district (like Brandon and Valley Springs) are ranked individually based on their respective towns' performance and resident profiles.

10) Dell Rapids

Dell Rapids has a reputation for high academic standards and a strong backing from the local community. It's the perfect example of a "family-friendly" district where a high percentage of the local population is college-educated, which oftentimes leads to higher support for school funding and extracurricular activities.

9) Platte-Geddes

Moving west to Platte, this district is often praised for its stability and student-teacher ratios. With high scores in math and reading, the Platte-Geddes District is a powerhouse for student achievement in the central part of the Mount Rushmore State.

8) Faulkton

Faulkton has been making waves for the quality of its teaching staff for years. It recently ranked in the Top-10 for "Best Places to Teach" in South Dakota, which is a big indicator of a healthy school culture.

7) Gettysburg-Hoven

These two separate districts in Potter County are the gold standard for personalized education. Because the student bodies are relatively small in size, the student-teacher ratios are some of the lowest you'll find in all of South Dakota. This allows for a level of attention for each student that bigger school districts simply can't match.

6) Groton-Warner

Located around 30 miles east of Aberdeen, these districts are some of the biggest overachievers in all of South Dakota. Warner alone consistently ranks near the top of the state when it comes to schools, and Groten is known to have some of the very best teachers around.

5) Valley Springs

While Valley Springs (located just along the SD/MN border) technically shares a district with another entry on our list, Valley Springs earns its own spot at #5 due to the unsurpassed demographics and "Neighborhood Feel" that Neighborhood Scout holds in high regard.

Things have certainly changed in this small town, as after over a century of service, its elementary school closed its doors in 2024, with its students merging with Brandon Valley. Despite the school building closure, the area remains one of the most desirable spots in SD for education, as the community itself is highly educated, and only a short drive from Brandon.

4) Murdo

The central South Dakota town of Murdo stands out because of how well its community invests in the student body. The Jones County School District is famous for its "Make Up Mondays", a unique four-day school week that allows students to get extra help on Mondays. This has become a huge hit for area families and has only helped improve Murdo's education rankings. Murdo also has some of the highest math scores in the state, along with a very comfortable 12-1 student-teacher ratio.

3) Brandon

This is the "Heavy Hitter" of the Sioux Empire, and on some lists it claims the top overall spot, including Niche, which ranks it at #1.

Brandon really has it all:

• A 95% graduation rate and a massive investment in college and career readiness
• Offers a big-school experience with the high-performance results usually only seen in private academies
• 94-97% graduation rate
• Strong community feel, alongside several extracurricular activities

2) Kadoka

For some, it may be a bit of a surprise to see this West/Central town as the "Silver Medalist" on our list, but it makes a lot of sense.

Kadoka does a great job of personalizing education for its students with an 8-1 student-teacher ratio. There has also been sizeable growth in test scores over the years, with students improving year after year.

1) Wanblee

While districts like Brandon Valley outshine the rest in facilities and test scores, Neighborhood Scout ranked the Southwestern South Dakota town of Wanblee at #1 on its rankings for one big reason - Educational Climate.

The student-to-teacher ratio is 21-1, and the Crazy Horse School (which holds around 290 students) has incredibly small class sizes.

Why Does Wanblee Rank So High? Just like Kadoka, Wanblee offers its students an extremely personalized type of education that embraces and teaches the Lakota language and culture.

Whether you are looking for the "all-around" excellence of the Sioux Empire or the personalized experience found on the West River plains, these 10 communities are setting the gold standard for the Mount Rushmore State. They couldn't be more different from each other, but that's what makes this list so unique. Sometimes education looks different depending on where you live.

To see the full list yourself, check out the article from Neighborhood Scout here.