Education
South Dakota Technical College Enrollment Hits Record Despite Dual-Credit Drops
South Dakota's four technical colleges reached a record 7,813 total enrollment in fall 2026, a 39-student increase over the prior year, according to a report reviewed Thursday by the state Board of Technical Education at its Rapid City meeting. Dual-credit enrollment fell systemwide, with Western Dakota Technical College in Rapid City losing 132 dual-credit students (411 to 279) while all other technical colleges saw gains. Health sciences grew by 147 students systemwide, but information technology dropped by 90, with 79 of those losses at Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls, which its president attributed to student hesitation amid rapid AI advances. Western Dakota's president cited multiple factors for the dual-credit decline, including the college no longer teaching in-person courses at Meade School District and a 2025 legislative shift placing more dual-enrollment costs on families.