The purpose of a state report card is to provide the general public and policymakers with information to assess and improve post secondary education in each state. "Measuring Up 2008" is the fifth in a series of biennial report cards that evaluates states in six overall performance categories: (1) Preparation for post-secondary education and training; (2) Participation; (3) Affordability; (4) Completion; (5) Benefits; and (6) Learning. Respective findings for South Dakota relative to best-performing states include: (1) South Dakota performs fairly well in preparing its young people for college, but there are large gaps by ethnicity; (2) South Dakota does well in providing college opportunities for its residents; (3) Higher education has become less affordable for students and their families; (4) South Dakota performs well in awarding certificates and degrees relative to the number of students enrolled, but relatively few students complete a bachelor's degree in a timely manner; (5) Only a fair proportion of residents have a bachelor's degree, substantially weakening the state economy; and (6) Like all states, South Dakota receives an "Incomplete" in Learning because there is not sufficient data to allow meaningful state-by-state comparisons. Based on previous state performance, the percentage of young adults in South Dakota who earn a high school diploma has remained stable since the early 1990s; college enrollment of young adults in South Dakota has improved since the early 1990s; college enrollment of working-age adults, relative to the number of residents without a bachelor's degree, has declined; the share of family income, even after financial aid, needed to pay for college has risen substantially; the number of undergraduate credentials and degrees awarded in South Dakota, relative to the number of students enrolled, has increased since the early 1990s; and the percentage of residents who have a bachelor's degree has increased substantially. (Contains 7 figures.) [For the National Report, see ED503494. For the complete South Dakota report, see ED503610.]