Best ROI Colleges in South Dakota
19 schools ranked by median earnings divided by average net price — the schools where the math actually works. Updated from the latest federal filings.
Includes two-year, technical and community colleges alongside four-year universities — the typeis shown under each name. Schools appear only where the underlying figures exist: a real undergraduate population and a published graduation rate. Satellite campuses that repeat a parent institution's numbers are collapsed into one entry.
| # | School | Earnings ÷ Net Price | Net Price | Grad Rate | Earnings 10yr | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oglala Lakota College Kyle · public | 11.9× | $1,895 | 19.2% | $22,517 | — |
| 2 | Sisseton Wahpeton College Sisseton · public | 10.6× | $2,977 | 16.2% | $31,546 | — |
| 3 | Mitchell Technical College Mitchell · community | 3.8× | $13,460 | 73.0% | $50,743 | — |
| 4 | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Rapid City · public | 3.6× | $20,183 | 57.3% | $72,257 | 79.9% |
| 5 | Western Dakota Technical College Rapid City · community | 3.2× | $12,670 | 47.0% | $40,240 | — |
| 6 | Northern State University Aberdeen · public | 3.0× | $15,812 | 49.8% | $47,618 | 93.0% |
| 7 | Black Hills State University Spearfish · public | 2.9× | $15,911 | 43.5% | $46,674 | 96.3% |
| 8 | Lake Area Technical College Watertown · community | 2.8× | $15,979 | 72.7% | $45,473 | — |
| 9 | South Dakota State University Brookings · public | 2.8× | $19,841 | 58.3% | $55,070 | 98.3% |
| 10 | Dakota Wesleyan University Mitchell · private | 2.7× | $19,735 | 59.1% | $53,728 | 73.4% |
| 11 | Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls · community | 2.7× | $17,400 | 62.7% | $46,709 | — |
| 12 | University of South Dakota Vermillion · public | 2.6× | $19,858 | 54.6% | $51,926 | 98.8% |
| 13 | University of Sioux Falls Sioux Falls · private | 2.5× | $21,383 | 61.6% | $54,521 | 82.9% |
| 14 | Augustana University Sioux Falls · private | 2.5× | $23,894 | 72.9% | $59,217 | 67.8% |
| 15 | Dakota State University Madison · public | 2.4× | $21,057 | 45.1% | $50,970 | 88.0% |
| 16 | Stewart School Sioux Falls · private | 2.2× | $14,221 | 87.0% | $31,843 | — |
| 17 | Mount Marty University Yankton · private | 2.2× | $22,227 | 55.4% | $48,179 | 42.6% |
| 18 | Sinte Gleska University Mission · public | 1.6× | $12,768 | 12.5% | $20,948 | — |
| 19 | National American University-Rapid City Rapid City · private | 1.2× | $31,062 | 23.6% | $37,325 | — |
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Data from U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS, College Scorecard, Clery Act). Updated annually. Rankings reflect the data as reported — not editorial opinion.