A Midwest gem. I…read moregraduated from USD in 1989 and recently travelled with my daughter back to my college to do a college tour. What USD offers: * small classes and a low teacher/student ratio * top-notch professors * in-state tuition for children of graduates * great Greek life * small campus...no need for a car * no traffic and low crime * friendly, laid-back, midwestern attitude What sucks at USD: * bitter winters (but not as bad as further north) * FCS Division 1 sports (although USD Football is currently ranked 18th in the country) * ancient freshmen dorms that need massive renovation and larger rooms...although, the new, private, on-campus apartments are impressive. ACTIVITIES I see occasional student reviews on the web whining with "there's nothing to do" at USD. There are many different organizations to get involved with on campus, as well as liberal arts events, speakers and sports. Vermillion is a small town that doubles in size when school is in session. You will find good restaurants, bars and a theater only one mile from campus in downtown Vermillion. Yes, Vermillion has a Walmart which is clearly not sketchy like the Walmart's in the southern US. Because Vermillion is small, it does have fewer distractions than a city-based college would have. Recommended businesses on a recent visit include RED Steakhouse and Charlie's. Carey's bar after a big game is also a great spot to visit. Yankton, Sioux City, and Sioux Falls are an hour (or less) away offering more restaurants, parks, and shopping. Omaha is only 2 hours away from Vermillion. Lake Okiboji and the Lewis and Clark Recreation Area are great destinations. Make friends with a local and get in on some awesome pheasant hunting nearby. Commute time is relative...I live in Houston and normally have to travel to/from work at least 1.5 to two hours each day. USD has a great Greek system that will keep you busy and is worth looking into. Niche.com ranks USD Greek life as some of the best in the country. Nothing to do? College is what you make of it. Look for something to do at USD or in the surrounding area and you will find it. CAMPUS SDs only medical school and law school are located at USD. USD has a mix of beautiful, renovated old buildings and new buildings that brings what USD offers to a new level. The new basketball arena, athletic center/gym, student center and business school building are some of the best I have seen in that part of the country. Admissions is located in a beautiful, renovated building that was used for storage when I attended school. SPORTS The Dakota Dome is dated. We have a high school stadium 10 minutes from my house that has more seating than the Dome has. There are plans to expand the Dome's seating per NCAA Division 1 requirements. Although it's not the same as FBS football, the Dome is still fun, though, and the annual sold-out game against SD State gets noisy! Just as when I was in school, in general only a small percentage of the school population attends games. Vermillion hotels sell-out during large events such as Dakota Days, due to USDs great alumni support. We recently attended a basketball game in the new arena. The arena seats 6,000 and appears to also be used for volleyball. USD competes well against schools much larger in size. USDs basketball team recently lost by 16 to number 1 Duke. USDs football team recently made it to round 2 of the FCS playoffs. FOOD USD uses Aramark for their food service...I normally come across Aramark at sports venues and Aramark's food has generally been ok. The Us food service has taken a hit in the online reviews, but USD has recently added on-campus Einstein Bagels, Chick-Fil-A, Qdoba, and Papa Johns to the meal plans. I noticed Vermillion has two Asian buffets. McDonalds, Burger King, and Jimmy John's are very close to campus. The Brickhouse in downtown Vermillion is a great place for tacos and a microbrew. OPPORTUNITIES USD boasts a high employment rate for recent graduates. USD offers "study abroad" programs and travel class credit in the business school. When I attended USD years ago, I was able to work as the mascot (Charlie Coyote), kept myself busy with the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity, interviewed and worked at Walt Disney World, and interviewed and landed a job with a Fortune 500 company that led me to Texas. We met a nice lady at our motel who told us her granddaughter recently graduated from USD in kinesiology and is now in PT school at the Mayo Clinic. Opportunities are definitely there. ADMISSIONS We were impressed with the admissions department on our recent trip. All of our questions were quickly answered. My daughter was able to sit-in on a class and attend a private tour and open house. Go Yotes!

I was at an ALA girls state even and you guys ran out of chips for our nachos and made me cry. You…read morewere previously five the amount of girls attending so therefore you should have had on hand enough chips including additional chips in case people wanted extras. I believe that it is extremely unprofessional to leave at least 20 people without chips in this situation. And then the audacity to ask me to give you a 5 star review after that. In conclusion this was the worst service I have ever received and the unprofessionalism was unacceptable.

Yes! My son toured colleges and we love this place! They actually care. We're in!!!read more

Transferred here after the first semester of my freshman year and really liked the 1.5 years that I…read morespent here. The campus is really small and could be boring sometimes but everything was close by, so it was all good. The friends you make here are for lifetime and that is what made the times here great and memorable. There were also many international students as well as student-athlete including myself which I did not expect. Classrooms are small so I felt comfortable learning. Anyways, the dorms are dirty and the elevator never work. The cafeteria food is alright but have a lot of menus. I ended up transferring to UNL.

There to assist the Army ROTC and SSG Chavez. We built an obstacle course. The rooms were a…read moredisappointment. The facilities were being updated at that time. They needed it. They have a couple cafeterias which are cozy and stylish. The food was savory. It's a big Agro school. Lots of vegetation around and on campus.

Very nice facility! I love studying in the skyway and getting coffee at the center store.read more

From the owner: Why University Center? University Center Sioux Falls (UCSF)…read moreis a primary driver of individual prosperity and economic vitality for the Sioux Falls region and the state of South Dakota. UCSF provides local access to the state's public university system, with an emphasis on career-focused education at the certificate to doctoral program levels.