How to get into Mount Marty University
How to get into Mount Marty: the Yankton, South Dakota Catholic university with a strong Nursing and pre-health pipeline
42.6%
Acceptance rate
$34,600
In-state cost
What makes Mount Marty University admissions different
Mount Marty University is a small private Catholic university (~700 undergrads) in Yankton, South Dakota, founded 1936 by the Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery. Mount Marty is best known for its Nursing (BSN) program, its Education / Teacher Preparation pipeline, Radiologic Technology, and its Benedictine identity. The school is Common App-accepting, test-optional, fee-free, and rolling-admission.
What an actually competitive application looks like
- 1.
Apply via Common App or the Mount Marty online application. The fee is waived and the admit timeline is rolling.
- 2.
Submit one teacher or counselor recommendation and your high school transcript. A 2.5+ unweighted GPA in college-prep coursework is the practical floor.
- 3.
If applying to Nursing, plan around the program-specific prerequisites (Anatomy and Physiology, college-level math, college-level chemistry). Nursing at Mount Marty is direct-admit but has progression criteria after the first year.
- 4.
File the FAFSA. Mount Marty's institutional aid is widely awarded and stacks with federal and South Dakota state aid.
- 5.
Mention specific affinity for the Benedictine identity in the supplement if it fits — the school operates a working monastery on campus and the spiritual-life programming is central.
Common mistakes that hurt applicants here
- ✕
Treating Mount Marty as identical to a secular small college. The Benedictine identity is real and central to student life.
- ✕
Skipping Nursing prerequisites. Nursing is the school's most competitive program and progression is contingent on prerequisite GPA.
The specifics for Mount Marty University
Application deadlines
- RollingRolling
What makes this admissions process distinctive
Benedictine Catholic identity ↗
Founded 1936 by the Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery, which still operates on campus. The Benedictine values of community, hospitality, and stewardship structure residential and spiritual life.
Nursing (BSN) program
One of the largest BSN programs in South Dakota, with strong NCLEX pass rates and clinical placements through the Avera Health network.
Education / Teacher Preparation pipeline
One of the largest producers of K-12 teachers in South Dakota; tightly integrated with regional school-district placement networks.
Notable scholarships at Mount Marty University
South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship
South Dakota residents with qualifying ACT scores and coursework; stacks with Mount Marty institutional aid.
Founders' and Presidential Scholarships
Awarded to admits based on academic profile through the standard application.
What graduates actually do
Mount Marty, a Benedictine Catholic university in Yankton, South Dakota, focuses on nursing, education, business, and the liberal arts. Alumni are concentrated in South Dakota and Nebraska health systems, K-12 education, and Catholic ministry, and the nursing program is a major source of registered nurses for the upper Plains.
Transfer pathway
Mount Marty accepts transfer students each semester. Applicants submit official college transcripts; courses transfer in based on departmental review and accreditation status. The university articulates with several Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota community colleges and is part of the South Dakota statewide course transfer system for public-college coursework.
Specifics verified 2026-05-18 from the school's own admissions page + Common App. Always confirm current-year details directly on the school site before applying.
If you're on the bubble
Mount Marty admits a friendly share of applicants with GPAs in the 2.5-3.2 band when the file shows fit. The school's small size and Benedictine community are central to the experience — applicants looking for a large research university should look elsewhere.
Next steps
Last updated: November 2025. Acceptance rate and cost data refreshed nightly from college reporting.