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Best Value Degrees in South Dakota (2026)

Top 100 of 114 programs in South Dakota · Updated 2026

The best college programs in South Dakota, ranked by overall value. We scored 114 programs across South Dakota schools on earnings, AI resilience, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $49,940/yr in graduate earnings.

Programs in SD

114

Avg Earnings (Top 100)

$49,940/yr

Avg DW Score

59/100

#1 Program

Computer and Information Sciences, General

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

Top Programs in South Dakota

Top 100 programs by DegreeWorth Score. Click any row for full analysis.

#	Program	DW Score	Earnings	AI Risk	ROI
1	Computer and Information Sciences, General South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · Rapid City, SD	88 82–90	$78,193/yr	Very High	23.9x
2	Computer and Information Sciences, General South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	88 81–89	$73,770/yr	Very High	26.3x
3	Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	84 81–83	$71,758/yr	High	18.6x
4	Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration University of South Dakota · Vermillion, SD	84 81–84	$71,758/yr	High	18.6x
5	Computer/Information Technology Administration Dakota State University · Madison, SD	80 74–82	$58,166/yr	Very High	20.5x
6	Information Science/Studies Dakota State University · Madison, SD	79 72–80	$63,636/yr	Very High	19.4x
7	Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration National American University-Rapid City · Rapid City, SD	79 76–78	$69,890/yr	High	11.0x
8	Computer and Information Sciences, General Dakota State University · Madison, SD	78 72–79	$61,287/yr	Very High	16.5x
9	Finance and Financial Management Services Northern State University · Aberdeen, SD	76 74–77	$47,781/yr	Very High	18.8x
10	Finance and Financial Management Services University of South Dakota · Vermillion, SD	76 74–77	$49,472/yr	Very High	17.4x
11	Economics University of South Dakota · Vermillion, SD	75 71–76	$52,857/yr	Very High	18.9x
12	Chemical Engineering South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · Rapid City, SD	74 72–75	$72,785/yr	High	23.6x
13	Accounting and Related Services University of South Dakota · Vermillion, SD	74 71–76	$57,234/yr	Very High	14.8x
14	Mechanical Engineering South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · Rapid City, SD	73 70–74	$69,667/yr	Very High	20.5x
15	Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration University of Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls, SD	73 71–73	$70,622/yr	High	7.4x
16	Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration Dakota Wesleyan University · Mitchell, SD	72 70–72	$67,981/yr	High	5.0x
17	Accounting and Related Services Northern State University · Aberdeen, SD	72 69–73	$51,239/yr	Very High	15.0x
18	Civil Engineering South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	72 70–73	$69,129/yr	High	19.9x
19	Mechanical Engineering South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	72 70–74	$67,791/yr	Very High	22.0x
20	Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration Augustana University · Sioux Falls, SD	71 69–71	$72,237/yr	High	3.9x
21	Civil Engineering South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · Rapid City, SD	71 69–72	$68,755/yr	High	17.5x
22	Computer Engineering South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · Rapid City, SD	70 64–71	$72,639/yr	Very High	16.5x
23	Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	70 69–70	$69,255/yr	Moderate	21.0x
24	Business Administration University of South Dakota · Vermillion, SD	70 64–71	$47,107/yr	High	15.6x
25	Industrial Engineering South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · Rapid City, SD	69 67–70	$70,216/yr	High	17.8x
26	Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration Mount Marty University · Yankton, SD	68 66–67	$66,183/yr	High	4.0x
27	Computer and Information Sciences, General National American University-Rapid City · Rapid City, SD	68 62–69	$52,129/yr	Very High	8.9x
28	Agricultural Business and Management South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	68 60–68	$51,222/yr	High	15.9x
29	Economics South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	68 65–69	$44,663/yr	Very High	16.4x
30	Teacher Education Black Hills State University · Spearfish, SD	67 69–68	$47,494/yr	High	13.4x
31	Construction Engineering Technologies South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	67 64–68	$77,949/yr	Very High	18.9x
32	Business Administration Black Hills State University · Spearfish, SD	66 60–67	$45,682/yr	High	14.2x
33	Teacher Education Black Hills State University · Spearfish, SD	65 68–65	$47,978/yr	High	12.4x
34	Business Administration Dakota State University · Madison, SD	65 59–66	$44,748/yr	High	13.4x
35	Business Administration Northern State University · Aberdeen, SD	65 59–65	$43,667/yr	High	14.2x
36	Teacher Education South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	65 67–66	$45,625/yr	High	12.9x
37	Marketing University of South Dakota · Vermillion, SD	65 59–66	$48,060/yr	Very High	16.0x
38	Dental Support Services University of South Dakota · Vermillion, SD	64 63–63	$61,265/yr	Moderate	15.4x
39	Plant Sciences South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	63 58–64	$58,787/yr	High	17.1x
40	Business Administration National American University-Rapid City · Rapid City, SD	62 56–63	$48,827/yr	High	8.0x
41	Mining and Mineral Engineering South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · Rapid City, SD	62 59–63	$90,514/yr	High	20.8x
42	Teacher Education Northern State University · Aberdeen, SD	61 65–61	$46,042/yr	High	11.4x
43	Electrical South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · Rapid City, SD	61 57–62	$73,551/yr	Very High	16.7x
44	Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	61 56–62	$43,904/yr	High	13.2x
45	Criminal Justice and Corrections University of South Dakota · Vermillion, SD	61 50–61	$40,402/yr	Moderate	14.1x
46	Business Administration Augustana University · Sioux Falls, SD	60 54–60	$50,516/yr	High	3.4x
47	Teacher Education Dakota State University · Madison, SD	60 65–61	$46,627/yr	High	10.5x
48	Teacher Education University of South Dakota · Vermillion, SD	60 66–60	$43,790/yr	High	11.4x
49	Teacher Education University of South Dakota · Vermillion, SD	60 64–61	$42,543/yr	High	11.8x
50	Health and Medical Administrative Services National American University-Rapid City · Rapid City, SD	59 54–60	$45,392/yr	High	7.4x
51	Mathematics South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	59 55–60	$46,520/yr	Very High	14.4x
52	Business Administration University of Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls, SD	59 54–60	$44,301/yr	High	6.4x
53	Accounting and Related Services University of Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls, SD	59 56–60	$49,325/yr	Very High	4.9x
54	Metallurgical Engineering South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · Rapid City, SD	58 56–59	$71,985/yr	High	16.3x
55	Agricultural Mechanization South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	58 55–58	$47,492/yr	Moderate	18.2x
56	Teacher Education South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	57 63–58	$43,530/yr	High	10.7x
57	Parks South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	56 52–57	$38,076/yr	Moderate	12.3x
58	Marketing Northern State University · Aberdeen, SD	55 49–56	$45,891/yr	Very High	12.3x
59	Health and Physical Education/Fitness Northern State University · Aberdeen, SD	54 51–54	$40,123/yr	Moderate	14.2x
60	Criminal Justice and Corrections National American University-Rapid City · Rapid City, SD	53 43–53	$45,720/yr	Moderate	6.8x
61	Animal Sciences South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	53 49–54	$44,844/yr	High	14.2x
62	Health and Physical Education/Fitness South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	53 50–54	$41,019/yr	Moderate	13.4x
63	Special Education and Teaching Black Hills State University · Spearfish, SD	52 54–54	$49,134/yr	High	12.6x
64	Public Relations & Advertising South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	52 52–53	$39,795/yr	High	12.7x
65	Human Development & Family Studies South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	52 55–52	$37,123/yr	High	12.2x
66	Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions University of South Dakota · Vermillion, SD	52 55–52	$41,191/yr	Moderate	11.1x
67	Teacher Education Mount Marty University · Yankton, SD	51 56–52	$45,760/yr	High	2.7x
68	Architecture South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	51 54–52	$41,781/yr	High	15.4x
69	Hospitality Administration/Management South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	51 43–51	$32,512/yr	High	13.1x
70	Business/Managerial Economics South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	50 49–52	$45,123/yr	Very High	11.1x
71	Accounting and Related Services National American University-Rapid City · Rapid City, SD	49 56–50	$35,820/yr	Very High	7.7x
72	Teacher Education University of Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls, SD	49 56–50	$39,899/yr	High	3.8x
73	Special Education and Teaching University of South Dakota · Vermillion, SD	49 51–50	$46,439/yr	High	11.5x
74	Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences University of South Dakota · Vermillion, SD	49 47–49	$44,109/yr	High	14.1x
75	Teacher Education Augustana University · Sioux Falls, SD	48 53–48	$44,290/yr	High	2.0x
76	Criminal Justice and Corrections University of Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls, SD	48 37–48	$38,858/yr	Moderate	3.7x
77	Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	47 44–48	$44,891/yr	High	12.9x
78	Political Science and Government South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	47 45–48	$34,337/yr	Very High	12.6x
79	History South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	47 46–48	$33,135/yr	High	12.8x
80	Business Administration Mount Marty University · Yankton, SD	46 41–47	$39,625/yr	High	2.8x
81	Biology, General South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	46 46–47	$32,940/yr	High	14.7x
82	Teacher Education University of Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls, SD	46 56–47	$38,688/yr	High	4.7x
83	Biology, General University of South Dakota · Vermillion, SD	46 47–47	$30,167/yr	High	16.1x
84	Sociology South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	45 42–46	$40,236/yr	High	11.3x
85	Political Science and Government University of South Dakota · Vermillion, SD	45 43–45	$31,973/yr	Very High	12.5x
86	Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	44 42–45	$45,770/yr	High	11.3x
87	Psychology, General South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	44 43–45	$35,425/yr	High	12.0x
88	Biology, General University of Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls, SD	44 40–45	$46,229/yr	High	4.6x
89	Communication and Media Studies University of South Dakota · Vermillion, SD	44 37–44	$35,792/yr	High	12.9x
90	Political Science and Government Augustana University · Sioux Falls, SD	43 38–44	$46,646/yr	Very High	2.3x
91	Health and Physical Education/Fitness Black Hills State University · Spearfish, SD	43 42–44	$34,142/yr	Moderate	11.8x
92	Agriculture, General South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	43 35–44	$49,781/yr	High	11.7x
93	Design and Applied Arts South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	43 49–44	$35,944/yr	High	12.6x
94	Special Education and Teaching Dakota State University · Madison, SD	42 47–43	$42,318/yr	High	10.2x
95	Communication and Media Studies South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	42 34–42	$39,173/yr	High	11.1x
96	Liberal Arts and Sciences South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	42 44–42	$43,563/yr	Low	12.0x
97	Psychology, General University of South Dakota · Vermillion, SD	42 42–43	$31,696/yr	High	12.6x
98	Health and Physical Education/Fitness University of Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls, SD	41 40–42	$34,839/yr	Moderate	5.9x
99	English Language and Literature, General South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD	40 32–40	$37,252/yr	Very High	11.4x
100	Psychology, General Black Hills State University · Spearfish, SD	38 36–38	$35,996/yr	High	9.1x

Methodology

This ranking includes the top 100 programs at South Dakota colleges and universities, drawn from 114 total programs with earnings data. Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score (0–100), which combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and tuition ROI.

Only in-state tuition is used for ROI calculations. Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best college program in South Dakota?

By DegreeWorth Score, Computer and Information Sciences, General at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology ranks #1 in South Dakota with a score of 88/100 and graduate earnings of $78,193/yr.

How many college programs are in South Dakota?

Our database includes 114 programs across South Dakota colleges with reported earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Last updated 2025.