Bennett County Education Attainment Charts

This section of charts contains education data for Bennett County South Dakota based mainly on the latest year 2022 Census data using the American Community Survey but also the survey from Common Core Data available for Public Elementary through Secondary Schools. In Figure 1, the percent of all people aged 25 years or older, who have either graduated from high school or completed the Graduate Equivalency Degree (GED) or some equivalent certification/credential. Bennett County shows it has a High School Grad or higher of 88% which is the third most of all other counties in the metropolitan area. The county with the highest percent high school graduates or better in the area is Cherry County which shows a high school graduates of 97% (10.2% larger).

In Figure 2, the percentage of people aged 25 years or older who have graduated from college/university with at least a bachelor's degree is provided. Note that the bachelor's degree is also called a four-year degree because it normally takes four years of full-time study to finish the course curriculum required to obtain the degree. This chart portrays the proportion of the population in this region who are college graduates with at least a bachelor degree or higher. In many ways, this analysis alongside the prior chart are very quick measures of the level of education in any particular area. Bennett County depicts it has a Bachelors Degree or higher of 20% which is the second most of all the counties in the local area. The county with the highest percent with a bachelors degree or higher in the area is Cherry County which depicts a percent with a bachelors degree of 26% (27.8% larger).

Figure 4 shows the percentage of people 25 years of age or older who either have no schooling at all or dropped out of school before being able to complete high school. Additionally, these are people who also do not have a Graduate Equivalency Degree (GED) or some other high school level type credential/student achievement. This analysis, along with the last two charts, provides another high level review and comparative data on the Bennett County South Dakota educational level. Bennett County shows it has a School Dropout Rate of 12% which is less than most other counties in the metro area. The county with the highest percent who dropped out of school in the area is Oglala Lakota County which depicts a percent who dropped out of school of 27% (approximately 2.3 times bigger).

Figure 5 provides a more detailed look at the educational attainment for Bennett County South Dakota. This chart provides the proportion of people aged 25 years of age or older and what was their level of educational attainment. The chart provides 5 broad categories including: No Education/No School, Some High School, High School or equivalent, Some college or Associates Degree, and Bachelors Degree or higher. Bennett County has the percentage of percent of people with no schooling less than most other counties in the surrounding region at 11% of the total. Second, it has the second smallest in terms of percent of people with no schooling of all the other counties in the metro area in terms of percent of people with less than a high school education at 31% of the total.

The next chart shows a break down of people who have received a bachelor's degree or higher advanced degree generally in a campus learning environment. In particular, Figure 6, provides the proportional breakdown of all the people who have received a postsecondary education along with what the level of advanced degree that was obtained. Note that these categories do not include any type professional development type activities such as those related to maintaining professional credentials in workshop lessons. Note Professional Degree includes medical, dental, lawyers, etc. Bennett County has the largest proportion of percent of people with an associate degree at 58% of the total and is ranked #1. Second, it has the smallest proportion of percent of people with a bachelors degree at 5% of the total.

The chart in Figure 7 shows the broad area of academic concentration or the discipline for people who have received a bachelors degree. This high level classification is essentially the field of study for which a degree was obtained. Bennett County has one of the largest proportions of percent of people with a science or engineering degree at 13.8% of the total and is ranked #2. The only larger county being Mellette County with 19.0%. Second, it has the largest proportion of percent of people with a degree in a science or engineering related at 30.3% of the total and is ranked #1. Third, it has the second smallest as measured by percent of people with a science or engineering degree of all the other counties in the metropolitan area when ranked by percent of people with an arts, humanities, or other degree at 7.6% of the total.

The next chart (Figure 8) provides a more detailed deep dive on the category of major degree obtained for people aged 25 years or older who earned a bachelor's degree or higher. Specifically, this frequency distribution details out what the major field of study was the degree obtained. Bennett County has the percentage of percent of people with a degree in science and engineering related fields the second smallest as measured by percent of people with a degree in computers, mathematics and statistics of all the other counties in the greater region at 7.6% of the total. Second, it has the largest proportion of percent of people with a degree in literature and languages at 10.3% of the total and is ranked #1.

Figure 9 provides comparative data between the places in the greater Bennett County South Dakota region for broad educational attainment. This analysis uses provides five broad education attainment categories including: No Education/No School, Some High School, High School or equivalent, Some college or Associates Degree, and Bachelors Degree or higher. Bennett County has one of the largest proportions of percent of people with high school (or ged) at 37.4% of the total and is ranked #2. The only larger county being Cherry County with 39.3%.

A more detailed frequency distribution of educational attainment is provided in Figure 10. In particular this illustration breaks out the highest levels of university educational opportunities beyond the four year college degree. Included in the breakout are the relative proportion of masters degrees, PhD/Doctorate/Doctorial holders, and professional degrees such as medicine, dentistry, lawyers, etc. Bennett County has the percentage of percent of people with no schooling less than most other counties in the surrounding region at 11.2% of the total. Second, it has the second smallest when ranked by percent of people with no schooling of all the other counties in the greater region in terms of percent of people with less than high school at 30.6% of the total. Third, it has the smallest proportion of percent of people with a bachelors degree at 1.7% of the total. The next exhibit (Figure 11) provides detailed cross tabulation analysis that provides education success data broken out or cross tabulated by age group. Please note that the columns add to 100% and you must use the pagination buttons at the bottom of the table to see all the rows.

Figure 12 is a cross tabulation analysis that shows large educational success categories and is broken out or cross tabulated by racial group. Please note that the columns add to 100% and you must use the pagination buttons at the bottom of the table to see all the rows.The final cross tabulation analysis is provided in Figure 13 and shows education success broken out by gender. Please note that the columns add to 100% and you must use the pagination buttons at the bottom of the table to see all the rows.

Bennett County School Enrollment Charts

The next section of chart resources look at school enrollment by a variety of educational institutions and are categorized into a number of other groupings. Figure 14 provides the overall school enrollment by broad range of school age/level groupings. Bennett County has the percentage of percent of children in kindergarten in the mid range of other counties in the local area at 30.3% of the total.

Figure 15 provides a simple high level comparison of the proportion of students that are enrolled in public schools versus students enrolled in private schools in the Bennett County South Dakota region. Bennett County depicts percent enrolled in public schools substantially bigger as the percent enrolled in private schools.

The next chart (Figure 18) provides a similar analysis to the last chart but provides the data for public post secondary education versus private higher education colleges. Bennett County shows percent enrolled in a public college very much bigger as the percent enrolled in a private college.

Figure 19 shows another view of students enrolled in public or private schools-postsecondary schools or colleges/universities. This analysis shows the proportion for all graduate and professional schools (such as law or medical school) and whether those students are enrolled in private or public institutions. Bennett County shows percent enrolled in a public gradudate or professional school very much bigger as the percent enrolled in a private gradudate or professional school.

The next chart in this series of resources shown in Figure 20 looks at the total number of students enrolled in any educational institution for each place in the greater Bennett County region. (Total enrollment in this case includes all students from preschool all the way through students enrolled in graduate school.) Bennett County depicts it has a Total Enrolled of 1,249 which is in the center range of other counties in the metro area. The county with the highest total population enrolled in school in the area is Oglala Lakota County which depicts a total population enrolled in school of 4,860 (approximately 3.9 times bigger). Comparing total population enrolled in school to the United States average of 81,076,829, Bennett County is only about 0.0% the size. Also, measured against the state of South Dakota, total population enrolled in school of 217,474, Bennett County is only about 0.6% the size.

Bennett County Area Schools Charts

Figure 23 lists all the schools in the area along with the school district, county location and other program information/credential such as if they are a public charter school or private charter school or magnet school. Some of the Area Schools are: Bennett County High School - 01, Martin Elementary - 03, Bennett County Jr. High - 06, Merriman School, and Batesland Elementary - 01. The next illustration in Figure 24 shows the total child school enrollment for all grades (through 12th grade) at the school shown using NCES data (Common Core of Data, Public Elementary-Secondary School Universe Survey.) Looking at Enrollment for Area Schools we find that Martin Elementary - 03 ranks the largest with a value of 249 enrolled students. The next largest values are for: Gordon-Rushville Elem-Gordon (200), Batesland Elementary - 01 (196), Bennett County High School - 01 (176), and Gordon-Rushville High School (175). The difference between the highest value (Martin Elementary - 03) and the next highest (Gordon-Rushville Elem-Gordon) is that the enrolled students is about 24.5% larger.

Figure 25 show the ratio of the number of students to the number of teachers in the classroom. A good student to teacher ratio should be low because it indicates that there are less students for any one teacher to educate in a class and generally a better learning environment, better success and optimal teaching excellence. Teachers includes all educational staff such as special education teachers and any other educator. Note that distance learning (online learning/remote learning) is not included in these values. Looking at Student to Teacher Ratio for Area Schools we find that Cutcomb Lake School ranks the largest with a value of 5.0 student to teacher ratio. The next largest values are for: Cody-Kilgore Elementary School (6.8), Cody-Kilgore High School (7.4), Norris Elementary - 08 (7.9), and Merriman School (8.2). The difference between the lowest value (Cutcomb Lake School) and the next lowest (Cody-Kilgore Elementary School) is that the student to teacher ratio is 36.4% larger.

The next chart, Figure 26, shows the racial mix of students at each location in this district of the state of South Dakota department of education.