Education and Childcare

Public Education:

Brookings is home to the Brookings School District 05-1 with an enrollment of 3,464 students as of November 2021. The district currently has three elementary schools, one intermediate school, one middle school, and one high school.

For more information about the school district click HERE.

Private Education:

Brookings is also home to several private schools, including St. Thomas More Catholic School, Peace Lutheran Elementary School and Our Savior Lutheran Church.

Higher Education:

South Dakota State University calls Brookings home. SDSU is the largest, only land-grant university in South Dakota, and had 12,000 students including 1,500 graduate students in 2024. 2,500 students graduate annually. The top programs are:

  • Mechanical Engineering

  • Animal Sciences

  • Biomedical Sciences

For more information about SDSU click HERE. To learn more about the mission, vision, and University Traditions of SDSU click HERE.

Brookings Child Care Collaborative:

Brookings Child Care Collaborative (BCCC) supports a spectrum of learning
for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old in the Brookings community. We embrace that the Childcare Crisis has many fronts and takes a community of partners just as passionate about quality childcare as they are early learning, while also supporting services that are affordable and accessible to all in the community.

The Brookings School District (BSD), Boys & Girls Club of Northern Plains (BGCNP), Brookings Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) and South Dakota State University’s College of Education & Health Sciences (SDSU) are taking lead on creating a holistic plan that addresses childcare accessibility without duplicating services and resources. This collaborative thrives on robust community support with partnerships contributing to a sustainable financial and personnel framework.

Visit the BCCC website to learn more.

Childcare:

Brookings offers a variety of childcare options to accommodate the needs of working parents and guardians. There are many licensed daycare centers, preschools, and in-home childcare providers available in the community.

For a childcare directory click HERE.