Case Study: Black Hills State University increases retention with Ruffalo Noel Levitz

Using a Major Grant to Make Major Gains in Student Success at Black Hills State University

Black Hills State University is a regional public institution in South Dakota with 3,500 students. When the Covid-19 pandemic reduced its high school recruitment pool in 2020, the university focused more heavily on retaining current students and improving student success. It partnered with Ruffalo Noel Levitz for Strategic Enrollment Planning.

With Ruffalo Noel Levitz, BHSU built a strategic enrollment plan centered on advising, tutoring, faculty mentoring, peer mentoring, high-impact practices, career support, and other retention tactics. The university used the plan to win a 5-year, $2.16 million Title III grant from the U.S. Department of Education, then developed a data-informed infrastructure to monitor student success. BHSU reported a 10-point retention increase from 65% to 75% between 2020 and 2022 and later received an RNL Retention Excellence Award.

Black Hills State University

John Allred

Vice President for Enrollment Management