Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Schools are assigned a value from 1-100, where 100 is best for students from households earning up to $30,000. This value is multiplied by the percentage of the school’s student body that received a Pell Grant, to calculate the economic mobility score. A higher score is better. Read the full explanation
The percentage of a school’s student body that has received a Pell Grant.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
The total debt accrued by the median student at the time of graduation.
The debt-to-earnings ratio is calculated by dividing student debt upon graduation by the annual salary. A debt to earnings ratio of 1 means that annual educational debt is the same as annual earnings.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and Augustana University are the best collegs in South Dakota by value for money. While there are few liberal art colleges in the state, students can still find quality academic programs and a thriving social scene. Students can explore Mount Rushmore, Badlands National Park, and the Black Hills.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$21,282
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$72,257
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate53%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$24,113
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$59,217
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate71%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$18,125
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$55,070
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate59%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$22,931
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$53,728
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate55%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$20,959
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$54,521
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate58%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$19,499
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$51,926
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate60%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$26,775
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$53,492
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate54%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$21,611
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$48,179
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate49%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$18,356
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$50,970
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate45%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$17,523
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$47,618
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate48%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$17,111
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$46,674
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate42%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
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Average income based on education level
The following figures are the average salaries in South Dakota for each level of education.
Average Income
The average income of people in this state with a high-school diploma, certificate, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree, 10 years after enrollment, based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
HS Diploma$38,669
CertificateN/A
Associate$55,956
Bachelor$51,999
Master$59,443
Cost of attending college in South Dakota
In-state-tuition$14,030
The average in-state tuition, before financial aid, of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Out-of-state-tuition$15,250
The average tuition for out-of-state students, before financial aid of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Most popular degrees in South Dakota
In South Dakota the most popular degrees are Registered Nursing, Business Administration, and Education-grades & methods. To create this list, we complied and analyzed data from IPEDS and College Scorecard.
They both provide information on how many graduates each program has annually. The list below is both undergraduate- and graduate-level programs.
Popular degrees
1Registered Nursing 852graduates
2Business Administration 624graduates
3Education-grades & methods 412graduates
4Biology 312graduates
5Health & Fitness 274graduates
6General Psychology 252graduates
7Mechanical Engineering 214graduates
8Education-by subject area 207graduates
9Computer and Information Sciences 206graduates
10Education, General 173graduates
Fastest growing careers
South Dakota job growth
8.5%
Nurse Practitioners
56.7%
Information Security Analysts
41.9%
Occupational Therapy Assistants
40%
Radiation Therapists
33.3%
Physical Therapist Assistants
33.3%
Community Health Workers
33.3%
Respiratory Therapists
32.4%
Physician Assistants
30.8%
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
25.9%
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
25.9%
Best bachelor’s degrees in South Dakota
These majors are most likely to pay off economically after graduation.
Higher education is supposed to act as an economic elevator that lifts students from low-income households into the middle class. But not all colleges do this: unfortunately, many of the nation’s most “prestigious” schools accept very few students from low-income backgrounds.
To determine what colleges are doing the best job at lifting students out of poverty, we have devised a Social Mobility Index (SMI).
The best colleges for social mobility in South Dakota are shown below.
Bachelor's degree holders or higher
29%
Filters
South Dakota
8.5%
