Brookings South Dakota Education Attainment Charts

This section of charts contains education data for Brookings 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. Brookings depicts it has a High School Grad or higher of 96% which is in the mid range of other places in the metropolitan area. The city with the highest percent high school graduates or better in the area is Volga which shows a high school graduates of 99% (only about 3.0% 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. Brookings shows it has a Bachelors Degree or higher of 50% which is the second most percent with a bachelors degree or higher of all the places in the greater Brookings region. The city with the highest percent with a bachelors degree or higher in the area is Bushnell which shows a percent with a bachelors degree of 55% (9.6% 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 Brookings South Dakota educational level. Brookings depicts it has a School Dropout Rate of 4% which is in the middle range of other places in the local area. The city with the highest percent who dropped out of school in the area is Bushnell which depicts a percent who dropped out of school of 9% (approximately 2.2 times bigger).

Figure 5 provides a more detailed look at the educational attainment for Brookings 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. Brookings has the percentage of percent of people with no schooling in the mid range of other places in the greater region at 4% of the total. Second, it has the smallest proportion of percent of people with less than a high school education at 21% of the total. Third, it has one of the largest proportions of percent of people with some college or an associates degree at 50% of the total and is ranked #2. The only larger city being Bushnell with 55%.

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. Brookings has the percentage of percent of people with an associate degree less than most other places in the surrounding region at 54% of the total. Second, it has one of the largest proportions of percent of people with a bachelors degree at 18% of the total and is ranked #2. The only larger city being Volga with 30%. Third, it has the largest proportion of percent of people with a masters degree at 6% of the total and is ranked #1. Also, it has the largest proportion of percent of people with a professional school degree at 10% of the total and is ranked #1.

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. Brookings has the largest proportion of percent of people with a science or engineering degree at 11.7% of the total and is ranked #1.

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. Brookings has the smallest proportion of percent of people with a degree in computers, mathematics and statistics at 9.2% of the total. Second, it has the largest proportion of percent of people with a degree in physical and related sciences at 2.4% of the total and is ranked #1. Third, it has the largest proportion of percent of people with a degree in multidisciplinary studies at 11.7% of the total and is ranked #1.

Figure 9 provides comparative data between the places in the greater Brookings 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. Brookings has the smallest proportion of percent of people with less than a high school degree at 20.9% of the total. Second, it has less than most other places in the area in order of percent of people with high school (or ged) at 25.2% of the total. Third, it has one of the largest proportions of percent of people with some college or an associates degree at 49.8% of the total and is ranked #2. The only larger city being Bushnell with 54.5%.

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. Brookings has the percentage of percent of people with no schooling in the mid range of other places in the local area at 3.6% of the total. Second, it has the smallest proportion of percent of people with less than high school at 20.9% of the total. Third, it has the largest proportion of percent of people with a masters degree at 3.6% of the total and is ranked #1. Also, it has the largest proportion of percent of people with a professional school degree (e.g. law or medicine) at 5.4% of the total and is ranked #1. 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.

Brookings South Dakota 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. Brookings has the percentage of percent of children in kindergarten the second smallest in terms of percent of children in kindergarten of all the other places in the local area at 10.7% of the total. Second, it has the second smallest when ranked by percent of children in kindergarten of all the other places in the metro area in terms of percent of children in grade 1 to 4 at 8.1% of the total. Third, it has the second smallest in order of percent of children in kindergarten of all the other places in the metro area in order of percent of children in grades 5 to 8 at 7.6% of the total. Also, it has the largest proportion of percent of children in grades 9 to 12 at 64.1% of the total and is ranked #1.

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 Brookings South Dakota region. Brookings depicts percent enrolled in public schools substantially bigger as the percent enrolled in private schools.

The next comparison provided in Figure 16 shows the proportion of students enrolled in private schools versus students enrolled public schools for students enrolled in Kindergarten through 8th grade (grade 8) or (K through 8). Brookings depicts percent of children enrolled in public k-8 grades considerably bigger as the percent of children enrolled in private k-8 grades.

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. Brookings depicts percent enrolled in a public college considerably 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. Brookings shows percent enrolled in a public gradudate or professional school appreciably 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 Brookings region. (Total enrollment in this case includes all students from preschool all the way through students enrolled in graduate school.) Brookings shows it has a Total Enrolled of 10,148 which is more than all other places in the surrounding region. Comparing total population enrolled in school to the United States average of 81,076,829, Brookings is only about 0.0% the size. Also, versus the state of South Dakota, total population enrolled in school of 217,474, Brookings is only about 4.7% the size.

The final chart in this series is Figure 22 and provides analysis data for the school year shown. The chart shows the proportion of kids/children that are enrolled in a pre-school public district versus those kids/children who are enrolled in a private pre-school oriented tuition institution (private salary/superintendent/etc.) Brookings South Dakota has one of the largest proportions of public preschool enrollment at 53% of the total and is ranked #2. The only larger city being Volga with 77%.

Brookings South Dakota 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: Brookings High School - 01, Medary Elementary - 05, Hillcrest Elementary - 04, Gs Mickelson Middle School - 02, and Camelot Intermediate - 06. 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 Brookings High School - 01 ranks the largest with a value of 821 enrolled students. The next largest values are for: Gs Mickelson Middle School - 02 (644), Medary Elementary - 05 (515), Hillcrest Elementary - 04 (514), and Camelot Intermediate - 06 (498). The difference between the highest value (Brookings High School - 01) and the next highest (Gs Mickelson Middle School - 02) is that the enrolled students is about 27.5% 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 Rutland High School - 01 ranks the largest with a value of 5.8 student to teacher ratio. The next largest values are for: Norfeld Colony Elementary - 07 (10.0), Elkton High School - 01 (10.8), Deubrook High School - 01 (10.8), and Deubrook Jh - 02 (10.8). The difference between the lowest value (Rutland High School - 01) and the next lowest (Norfeld Colony Elementary - 07) is that the student to teacher ratio is 73.3% 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.