Skip to content
AlmaSpire

Kyle, SD · Public · 1,097 undergraduates · rural

Oglala Lakota College

Open admission

A decentralized tribal-college network designed to bring higher education directly to communities across the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Campus image / Publicly hosted campus image

Institutional profile

Regionally focused Strong in affordability, and solid in mobility.
Academic Steady Affordability Strong Career Emerging Mobility Solid Experience Emerging
Academic standing Steady
Affordability Strong
Career outcomes Emerging
Mobility Solid
Student experience Emerging
Admission
Open admission

Open admission

Price by income
Resident and nonresident prices differ

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
19.2%

$22,517 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Oglala Lakota College apart

Academic design

Programs include education, nursing and health, business, Lakota studies, social work, natural sciences, and other community-facing fields, with certificates through bachelor's and graduate study.

Campus pattern

Students often attend at local centers across the Pine Ridge Reservation, so family, community, tribal institutions, and local service are integral to the college experience.

Defining feature

A decentralized tribal-college network designed to bring higher education directly to communities across the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Can I get in?

Open admission

Start with academic preparation, then show why this particular academic and campus environment fits you.

Undergraduates enrolled

1,097
Admission Open
Entering class

Open admission

Every applicant who meets the published requirements is admitted, so the work is placement and course selection rather than selection itself.

Testingopen admission
Return for a second year57.9%
Finish the degree19.2%

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for Oglala Lakota College, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What Oglala Lakota College weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Programs include education, nursing and health, business, Lakota studies, social work, natural sciences, and other community-facing fields, with certificates through bachelor's and graduate study.

02

Make the fit specific

A decentralized tribal-college network designed to bring higher education directly to communities across the Pine Ridge Reservation.

03

Account for the tradeoff

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and make the school-specific case concrete.

opentrue
Application routeInstitution application

$0 application fee

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$16,970
Average annual cost after aid, in-state$2,000
Affordability profileStrong

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Oglala Lakota College

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

A decentralized tribal-college network designed to bring higher education directly to communities across the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Complete within 8 years19.2%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one57.9%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$22,517

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies

Recent graduates14
Median earnings

Business Administration, Management and Operations

Recent graduates13
Median earnings$56,375

Social Work

Recent graduates6
Median earnings

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods

Recent graduates6
Median earnings

Computer and Information Sciences, General

Recent graduates5
Median earnings

What is campus life like?

Oglala Lakota College beyond the classroom

Students often attend at local centers across the Pine Ridge Reservation, so family, community, tribal institutions, and local service are integral to the college experience.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Programs include education, nursing and health, business, Lakota studies, social work, natural sciences, and other community-facing fields, with certificates through bachelor's and graduate study.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

Students often attend at local centers across the Pine Ridge Reservation, so family, community, tribal institutions, and local service are integral to the college experience.

Distinctive edge

What changes the experience

A decentralized tribal-college network designed to bring higher education directly to communities across the Pine Ridge Reservation.

1,097 undergraduatesMidwestrural settingCampus housing available