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University of South Dakota: Aerial view of University of South Dakota Vermillion Campus
Photo: anup khanal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

College · Catholic life on campus

University of South Dakota

  • LocationVermillion, SD
  • Type and sizePublic · 4-year · 9,868 students
Official website
Campus Ministry Honor Roll badge

University of South Dakota is not a Catholic college. This rating measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes.

St. Thomas More Newman Center serves University of South Dakota students in Vermillion. Its worship page lists Mass Monday through Thursday at 5:15 PM and Sundays at 9:30 AM and 7:30 PM, with a named chaplain, FOCUS student groups, retreats, and mission trips. Adoration is listed as postponed.

Mass, confession, and adoration

Confirm with the parish

Mass 3

  • Monday–Thursday5:15 PMSt. Thomas More Newman Center · Listed as Daily Mass Monday-Thursday.
  • Sunday9:30 AMSt. Thomas More Newman Center
  • Sunday7:30 PMSt. Thomas More Newman Center

Adoration 1

  • Tuesday–Thursday8:30 AM–5:00 PMSt. Thomas More Newman Center · Listed as postponed, need more adorers; sign-up at the Newman Center.

Times come only from official parish, chaplaincy, or school pages, and can change with the season. Last verified Oct. 12, 2026.

Sources for these times (1)
  1. Worship | St. Thomas More Newman Centerusdnewman.org/worship · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “5:15 pm Monday-Thursday”
    The Newman Center lists Daily Mass at 5:15 pm Monday through Thursday.
    “9:30 am and 7:30 pm every Sunday”
    The Newman Center lists Sunday Masses at 9:30 am and 7:30 pm.
    “9:30 am and 7:30 pm every Sunday”
    The Newman Center lists Sunday Masses at 9:30 am and 7:30 pm.
    “Tuesday-Thursday 8:30 am - 5 pm postponed, need more adorers.”
    The Newman Center lists adoration on Tuesday through Thursday, 8:30 am to 5 pm, as postponed.

Plan a campus visit Mass times for your dates, questions to ask, and a calendar button.

Catholic churches nearby

Map of University of South Dakota, its Catholic center and nearby Catholic churches0.25 miSaint Thomas More Newman Center: 0.1 mi1St. Thomas More Newman Center: 0.1 miUniversity of South Dakota (campus)N0.1 mi
CampusCatholic centerCatholic church (numbered below)Open a street map ›
  1. Saint Thomas More Newman Center — 0.1 mi · 320 East Cherry Street, Vermillion

Within 3 miles, as mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The map may be incomplete. Confirm with the parish or diocese.

Catholic life scorecard

Each line is one thing we looked for. A check means yes, a half means partly, a dash means no. “Not enough information” means official sources did not say.

ACatholic life on campus: Strong (grade A): 85 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.

Catholic life on campus

88 of 100 points on what we could document.

  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic campus ministry serving this campus (Catholic center, campus ministry, or chaplaincy)Yes
    Sources (2)
    1. Parishes of the Diocese | Diocese of Sioux Fallssfcatholic.org/parishes · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “St. Thomas More Newman Center”
      The Diocese of Sioux Falls lists St. Thomas More Newman Center among its parish and ministry listings.
    2. Community | St. Thomas More Newman Centerusdnewman.org/community · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Every Thursday at 6:00 p.m., we gather around the table for our beloved Dollar Dinner, serving home-cooked meals to University of South Dakota students for just $1.”
      The Newman Center serves a weekly Dollar Dinner for University of South Dakota students.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Dedicated Catholic center or chapel on or next to campusYes (The St. Thomas More Newman Center is about 0.09 mile from the campus (computed from its published address).)
    Sources (1)
    1. Find Us | St. Thomas More Newman Centerusdnewman.org/find-us · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Address 320 E Cherry St., Vermillion, SD 57069”
      The Newman Center's published address is 320 E Cherry St., Vermillion, SD 57069.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Priest chaplain assigned to campus ministryFull-time priest chaplain (A named priest is listed as Chaplain with no other assignment shown.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Staff | St. Thomas More Newman Centerusdnewman.org/staff · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Fr. John Rutten Chaplain frjohnrutten@sfcatholic.org”
      Fr. John Rutten is listed as the Newman Center's Chaplain.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Weekday Mass at the campus ministry1–4 weekdays (Daily Mass is listed Monday through Thursday.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Worship | St. Thomas More Newman Centerusdnewman.org/worship · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “5:15 pm Monday-Thursday”
      The Newman Center lists Daily Mass at 5:15 pm Monday through Thursday.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Sunday Mass at the campus ministry or a campus chapelTwo or more weekend Masses
    Sources (1)
    1. Worship | St. Thomas More Newman Centerusdnewman.org/worship · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “9:30 am and 7:30 pm every Sunday”
      The Newman Center lists Sunday Masses at 9:30 am and 7:30 pm.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Scheduled confession at the campus ministryWeekly or more often (Confession is offered 45 minutes before each daily and Sunday Mass.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Worship | St. Thomas More Newman Centerusdnewman.org/worship · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “45 minutes before all daily and Sunday Masses”
      Confession is offered 45 minutes before each daily and Sunday Mass.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic student groups and missionary outreach (e.g., FOCUS, Saint Paul's Outreach, Knights of Columbus, Bible studies)Two or more (FOCUS Bible studies, FOCUS Greek, and Varsity Catholic are listed.)
    Sources (2)
    1. Formation | St. Thomas More Newman Centerusdnewman.org/formation · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Grow in your relationship with Christ through a FOCUS Bible study.”
      The Newman Center offers FOCUS Bible studies for students.
    2. FOCUS Missionaries | St. Thomas More Newman Centerusdnewman.org/focus-missionaries · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Team Director - Varsity Catholic”
      A FOCUS Varsity Catholic team is listed on the Newman Center's FOCUS page.
      “Missionary - FOCUS Greek”
      A FOCUS Greek ministry is listed on the Newman Center's FOCUS page.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Formation programs (retreats, OCIA/RCIA, service, small groups)Two or more kinds (OCIA, retreats, and mission trips are listed.)
    Sources (2)
    1. Formation | St. Thomas More Newman Centerusdnewman.org/formation · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “OCIA meets every Tuesday from 7:30–9:00 p.m. in Newman Hall”
      OCIA meets weekly on Tuesdays at Newman Hall.
    2. Mission | St. Thomas More Newman Centerusdnewman.org/mission · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “We offer a variety of retreat experiences designed to meet people at different stages of their faith journey”
      The Newman Center offers retreats for students.
      “The Newman Center encourages students to consider participating in a FOCUS mission experience”
      The Newman Center encourages students to take part in FOCUS mission trips.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic church within walking distance (computed from OpenStreetMap)Within 1 mile of campusComputed from OpenStreetMap church locations.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Published weekly schedule of Mass, confession, and adoration6 to 11 times a week (9 weekly times documented: 6 Mass, 0 confession, 3 adoration.)Computed from the verified Mass, confession, and adoration times listed on this page (each day a time is offered counts once).

Grades come from the documented indicators under the published rubric. “Not enough information” does not mean the school lacks it.

Strengths

  • Mass is listed on weekdays and twice on Sundays at the Newman Center.
    Sources (1)
    1. Worship | St. Thomas More Newman Centerusdnewman.org/worship · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “9:30 am and 7:30 pm every Sunday”
      The Newman Center lists Sunday Masses at 9:30 am and 7:30 pm.
      “5:15 pm Monday-Thursday”
      The Newman Center lists Daily Mass at 5:15 pm Monday through Thursday.
  • A named chaplain, Fr. John Rutten, is listed on the staff page.
    Sources (1)
    1. Staff | St. Thomas More Newman Centerusdnewman.org/staff · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Fr. John Rutten Chaplain frjohnrutten@sfcatholic.org”
      Fr. John Rutten is listed as the Newman Center's Chaplain.
  • FOCUS groups, OCIA, retreats, and mission trips are listed on the ministry's own pages.
    Sources (3)
    1. Formation | St. Thomas More Newman Centerusdnewman.org/formation · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “OCIA meets every Tuesday from 7:30–9:00 p.m. in Newman Hall”
      OCIA meets weekly on Tuesdays at Newman Hall.
    2. FOCUS Missionaries | St. Thomas More Newman Centerusdnewman.org/focus-missionaries · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Team Director - Varsity Catholic”
      A FOCUS Varsity Catholic team is listed on the Newman Center's FOCUS page.
      “Missionary - FOCUS Greek”
      A FOCUS Greek ministry is listed on the Newman Center's FOCUS page.
    3. Mission | St. Thomas More Newman Centerusdnewman.org/mission · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “We offer a variety of retreat experiences designed to meet people at different stages of their faith journey”
      The Newman Center offers retreats for students.
      “The Newman Center encourages students to consider participating in a FOCUS mission experience”
      The Newman Center encourages students to take part in FOCUS mission trips.

Concerns

  • Adoration is listed as postponed pending more volunteers.
    Sources (1)
    1. Worship | St. Thomas More Newman Centerusdnewman.org/worship · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Tuesday-Thursday 8:30 am - 5 pm postponed, need more adorers.”
      The Newman Center lists adoration on Tuesday through Thursday, 8:30 am to 5 pm, as postponed.

Know something we missed? Suggest a correction.

The Catholic center

St. Thomas More Newman Center

  • Address: 320 E Cherry St., Vermillion, SD 57069
  • Distance from campus: less than 0.1 mi (straight line from the campus point in federal IPEDS data)
  • Facilities: Newman Hall

View on map ↗

Source: usdnewman.org, verified Oct. 12, 2026

Catholic clubs and student life

12 groups and regular activities · 0 on campus, 0 off campus, 12 location not published

Faith formation 4

  • FOCUS Bible Studies
    Small group Bible studies led by FOCUS missionaries and student leaders.
    usdnewman.org
  • OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
    Tuesdays 7:30-9:00 PM
    Welcoming class for people exploring the Catholic faith or preparing for Confirmation and the Eucharist.
    usdnewman.org
  • Marriage preparation
    Preparation for the Sacrament of Matrimony, on request through the Newman Center.
    usdnewman.org
  • Vocational discernment events
    Discernment events offered throughout the year.
    usdnewman.org

Clubs and groups 3

  • FOCUS Varsity Catholic
    FOCUS group listed on the Newman Center's FOCUS page.
    usdnewman.org
  • FOCUS Greek
    FOCUS ministry listed on the Newman Center's FOCUS page.
    usdnewman.org
  • Newman Center Advisory Council
    Student leadership council with events, hospitality, liturgy, marketing, and outreach committees.
    usdnewman.org

Retreats 2

  • Retreats
    Retreat experiences that include prayer, the sacraments, Scripture, and fellowship.
    usdnewman.org
  • SEEK conference
    National Catholic conference hosted by FOCUS, which the Newman Center promotes for students.
    usdnewman.org

Service 1

  • FOCUS mission trips
    Service and mission trips in partnership with organizations in the U.S. and abroad.
    usdnewman.org

Social life 1

  • Dollar Dinner
    Thursdays at 6:00 PM
    Home-cooked meals for University of South Dakota students for $1, with fellowship.
    usdnewman.org

Sports and recreation 1

  • Intramurals
    Coyote Catholic teams in intramural activities through the Wellness Center.
    usdnewman.org

Everything listed is published by the school, its campus ministry, or the parish. Ask the campus minister what’s happening this semester.

Catholic campus ministry

Sources (3)
  1. Worship | St. Thomas More Newman Centerusdnewman.org/worship · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “9:30 am and 7:30 pm every Sunday”
    The Newman Center lists Sunday Masses at 9:30 am and 7:30 pm.
  2. Parishes of the Diocese | Diocese of Sioux Fallssfcatholic.org/parishes · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “St. Thomas More Newman Center”
    The Diocese of Sioux Falls lists St. Thomas More Newman Center among its parish and ministry listings.
  3. Find Us | St. Thomas More Newman Centerusdnewman.org/find-us · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “Address 320 E Cherry St., Vermillion, SD 57069”
    The Newman Center's published address is 320 E Cherry St., Vermillion, SD 57069.

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Academic Excellence

CAcademic Excellence: Mixed (grade C): 55 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.
65 of 100
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.60%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.79%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,125 · ACT 22
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.16 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$11,862

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

Campus facts

SportsNCAA Division I · The Summit League
SettingTown
ROTCArmy
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member16 to 1

Federal data (IPEDS). None of this changes the faith grades.

Cost and value

Federal data, shown separately. Cost, debt, and earnings are never part of any grade.

Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
7,095
Total students9,868
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$19,858
Cost of attendance (per year)$24,422
Median federal debt at graduation$23,592
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
60%
First-year retention79%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$51,926
Admission rate99%
Students receiving Pell grants19%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 1125–1315ACT 19–25
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1125
SAT reading & writing530–620
SAT math595–695
ACT composite19–25
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value index: 52 / 100 (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Local Church

Diocese of Sioux Falls

The Most Reverend Donald E. DeGrood, Bishop of Sioux Falls

Formal address: “Your Excellency”

Source: sfcatholic.org, sfcatholic.org, usccb.org, verified Oct. 7, 2026.

Diocese determined from the county using NCES Catholic school records. Confirm with the diocese.

About this school’s data

Questions families ask

Is University of South Dakota a Catholic college?
No. University of South Dakota is not a Catholic college. Catholic School Compass rates the Catholic life on its campus instead. Catholic students are served by St. Thomas More Newman Center.
What is University of South Dakota’s Catholic Life Score?
82 out of 100 (grade A). It measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes, together with academics.
Where is Mass celebrated at University of South Dakota?
Mass is listed at St. Thomas More Newman Center. Days and times are on this page; please confirm with the parish or campus ministry before you go.
Is University of South Dakota Compass Recommended?
Yes. University of South Dakota meets the Compass Recommended standard for Catholic life on campus.

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