1 in South Dakota for our education program (No. Niche, a platform for college reviews and rankings, bases its results on factors such as academic quality, student satisfaction, campus safety and housing options. Being ranked #1 reflects the heart and soul our faculty and staff give to our students and the community of learners we’ve built. These rankings are reinforced by student reviews on Niche.com. One student highlighted their experience at Northern: “Northern has a welcoming, close-knit community, and the professors are supportive and approachable.