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Black Hills State outlines Rapid City expansion, nursing growth and SURF partnerships
Summary
Black Hills State University told the Joint Appropriations Committee about enrollment gains, partnerships with the Sanford Underground Research Facility, a $16.6 million Rapid City health science center project and efforts to grow nursing and allied-health workforce pipelines in western South Dakota.
Steve Elliott, president of Black Hills State University (BHSU), updated the committee on enrollment, regional partnerships and a Rapid City campus building project intended to address health workforce shortages.
BHSU told lawmakers it has increased scholarship fundraising and reported higher application and admitted-student numbers for fall 2025. ‘‘Cost is a major contributing factor in our students' ability to further their education,’’ President Steve Elliott said, thanking the committee for continuation of the tuition freeze.
BHSU provided enrollment and outcome data. The university reported 3,346 students with roughly 67 percent from South Dakota, and said 32 percent of its students are Pell-eligible. The institution said placement rates for recent graduates reached about 94 percent for the spring 2024 cohort and that it has increased the number of American Indian, Hispanic and veteran students it serves.
Elliott described partnerships that support workforce and research training across Western South Dakota. He noted collaborations with the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) and said BHSU hosted Department of Energy and national-lab directors for an underground tour that included a student forum. Elliott said the university’s Rapid City education and facility expansion seeks to increase enrollment in health-related and other high-demand programs.
On facilities and funding, BHSU reported a $16,600,000 Rapid City West River Health Science Center addition and renovation that is funded from a mix of state general funds, federal ARPA funds, higher education facilities funds and a private donation from Monument Health. Elliott said the project supports an agreement that provides guaranteed admission into South Dakota State University's nursing program for eligible students.
Elliott said BHSU’s Rapid City marketing and program alignment work will emphasize seven prioritized degree programs — including business, education and applied health sciences — and guarantee course offerings so students can stay on track. He also described regional partnerships including Fuel the Growth (a workforce/economic development collaboration), the Crazy Horse Memorial’s Seventh Gen program, Monument Health and Ellsworth Air Force Base.
The university asked the committee to continue supporting regional partnerships and campus investments that aim to produce graduates for workforce needs in Western South Dakota.
No formal committee action followed the presentation.
