Best ROI Colleges in South Dakota
Looking for value in South Dakota? Start here. We ranked these colleges by ROI - earnings premium (30%), payback period (25%), debt-to-earnings (20%), completion rate (15%), and loan repayment (10%) - all from U.S. Department of Education data, with no prestige guesswork in the mix.
10 schools ranked
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
| # | School | ROI |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Rapid City, SD | 81 |
| 2 | Augustana University Sioux Falls, SD | 63 |
| 3 | South Dakota State University Brookings, SD | 61 |
| 4 | University of Sioux Falls Sioux Falls, SD | 55 |
| 5 | University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD | 50 |
| 6 | Dakota Wesleyan University Mitchell, SD | 45 |
| 7 | Dakota State University Madison, SD | 43 |
| 8 | Northern State University Aberdeen, SD | 41 |
| 9 | Mount Marty University Yankton, SD | 34 |
| 10 | Black Hills State University Spearfish, SD | 31 |
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How We Rank
Rankings are based on our ROI score (0-100), which weights five quantifiable factors: Earnings Premium (30%), Payback Period (25%), Debt-to-Earnings (20%), Completion Rate (15%), and Loan Repayment (10%). All data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. No subjective criteria are used.
Full methodology →Common Questions
What is the best best-ROI college in South Dakota?
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology tops this list at 81/100 on our ROI scale, the highest among the 10 schools ranked here. Rankings weigh net price against median graduate earnings from U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data - no prestige guesswork.
Which school on this list has the highest graduate earnings?
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology reports the highest median earnings here, about $72,257 ten years after enrollment. In our view higher earnings alone don't make the best value, since what you pay matters just as much - which is why the ranking weighs cost too.
What is the most affordable school on this list?
Northern State University carries the lowest net price among the ranked schools, about $15,812 a year after grants and scholarships. Net price is what students actually pay, not the published sticker price.
How are these schools ranked?
We score every school 0 to 100 on five quantifiable factors: earnings premium (30%), payback period (25%), debt-to-earnings (20%), completion rate (15%), and loan repayment (10%). All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, with no subjective reputation scoring. Of the 10 schools here, 3 earn an ROI score of 60 or higher.