State profile · 24 colleges · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
Colleges in South Dakota
Colleges in South Dakota from PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, compared on acceptance, cost, and 10-year former-student earnings.
- 24
- Colleges
- $43,842
- Avg 10-yr earnings (21 of 24)
- 82.3%
- Avg acceptance
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
South Dakota · the picture in one line
South Dakota's 21 of 24 colleges that report earnings average $43,842 in 10-year former-student earnings - 26th highest of 56 states and territories that report.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- #26
- of 56 states by avg former-student earnings
- $72,257
- top earnings - South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
- 82.3%
- avg acceptance (11 reporting)
- 13 / 6 / 5
- public / nonprofit / for-profit
Best earnings-to-cost value among South Dakota colleges with reported figures: Mitchell Technical College.
South Dakota · enrollment ≠ earnings
In South Dakota, South Dakota State University leads by undergraduate enrollment (9,198 students, #1 of 21) but ranks #3 of 21 on 10-year median earnings ($55,070), while South Dakota School of Mines and Technology tops earnings at $72,257 (#1 of 21) with 2,071 students (#5 of 21). The biggest campus is not always the highest-paying outcome.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- 9,198
- South Dakota enrollment #1
- $72,257
- South Dakota earnings #1
- #1
- Enrollment rank of earnings leader
- #3
- Earnings rank of enrollment leader
Enrollment is IPEDS fall headcount; earnings are Scorecard 10-year medians for federally aided former students. Different populations, not one ROI ratio.
Enrollment of South Dakota's #1 campuses by size vs earnings
Same unit (undergraduate students) for both named leaders.
- South Dakota State Unive…
South Dakota State University
9,198 students
- South Dakota School of M… 2,071
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
2,071 students
What this shows South Dakota State University is largest by enrollment; South Dakota School of Mines and Technology leads on 10-year earnings at $72,257.
This page aggregates colleges and universities in South Dakota returned by PlainCollege's U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard snapshot. It combines IPEDS-derived institutional fields with Treasury-derived earnings published for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.
The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in South Dakota as a single denominator, community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.
The Scorecard data used here was retrieved in March–July 2026. That retrieval window is not the measurement year: tuition and enrollment fields retain their source reporting periods, while 10-year institution earnings describe federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, a decade after entry.
Largest Colleges in South Dakota by Enrollment
IPEDS Fall enrollment via College Scorecard.
- South Dakota State Unive…
South Dakota State University
9,198 students
- University of South Dakota
University of South Dakota
5,439 students
- Southeast Technical Coll… 2,310
Southeast Technical College
2,310 students
- Dakota State University 2,071
Dakota State University
2,071 students
- South Dakota School of M… 2,071
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
2,071 students
- Augustana University 1,965
Augustana University
1,965 students
- Black Hills State Univer… 1,928
Black Hills State University
1,928 students
- Lake Area Technical Coll… 1,812
Lake Area Technical College
1,812 students
- Northern State University 1,273
Northern State University
1,273 students
- University of Sioux Falls 1,218
University of Sioux Falls
1,218 students
- Oglala Lakota College 1,097
Oglala Lakota College
1,097 students
- Mitchell Technical College 990
Mitchell Technical College
990 students
What this shows Enrollment size reflects institutional scale, not quality or on-campus experience - a large school here can still be a small, selective program relative to its state peers.
Highest Earnings, 10-Year Median: South Dakota
U.S. Treasury earnings linkage via College Scorecard.
- South Dakota School of M…
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
$72,257 USD
- Augustana University
Augustana University
$59,217 USD
- South Dakota State Unive…
South Dakota State University
$55,070 USD
- University of Sioux Falls
University of Sioux Falls
$54,521 USD
- Dakota Wesleyan University
Dakota Wesleyan University
$53,728 USD
- University of South Dakota
University of South Dakota
$51,926 USD
- Dakota State University
Dakota State University
$50,970 USD
- Mitchell Technical College
Mitchell Technical College
$50,743 USD
- Mount Marty University
Mount Marty University
$48,179 USD
- Northern State University
Northern State University
$47,618 USD
- Southeast Technical Coll…
Southeast Technical College
$46,709 USD
- Black Hills State Univer…
Black Hills State University
$46,674 USD
What this shows Former-student earnings vary by program mix and local labor market as much as by the school itself; this comparison does not isolate a school's causal effect.
The ROI lens
South Dakota colleges: earnings vs. cost
National context
How South Dakota ranks among the states
South Dakota's average 10-year earnings of $43,842 place it in the 54th percentile among all 56 states and territories tracked by the College Scorecard.
South Dakota: average former-student earnings vs. every state
State-average 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$43,842 Top 46% higher than 54% of 56 states & territories
Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
Each axis is this state's percentile among all states & territories on that metric (Earnings/Affordability/Options/Access) -- not a composite grade, just four independent comparisons in one shape.
School type matters
How school type shapes earnings in South Dakota
Average 10-year former-student earnings by institution type. Program mix, selectivity, student background, and local labor markets all contribute to the observed gaps, so read this beside each school's own figures.
Average former-student earnings by school type - South Dakota
Mean of per-school 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
- Private nonprofit
Private nonprofit
$53,911 avg earnings
- Public
Public
$44,822 avg earnings
- For-profit
For-profit
$30,589 avg earnings
What this shows Keeping schools within one state reduces some regional variation, but this descriptive comparison does not control for program mix, selection, or student background.
What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in South Dakota
PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset contains 24 postsecondary institutions in South Dakota. The ownership mix is 13 public institutions, 6 private nonprofits, and 5 private for-profit schools. Public institutions often report lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits may show higher sticker prices partly offset by institutional aid.
Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition among the 19 of 24 South Dakota institutions that report one is $13,072, and the average admission rate among the 11 that report one sits at 82.3%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.
Institution-level earnings connect cost to one observed outcome. Among the 21 of 24 South Dakota colleges that report 10-year median earnings, federally aided former students show a mean of $43,842, based on Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study, student background, and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts institutions with reported IPEDS enrollment so users can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side.
All Schools in South Dakota
| School Name | City | Type | Enrollment | Acceptance Rate | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota State University | Brookings | Public | 9,198 | 98.3% | $55,070 |
| University of South Dakota | Vermillion | Public | 5,439 | 98.8% | $51,926 |
| Southeast Technical College | Sioux Falls | Public | 2,310 | - | $46,709 |
| Dakota State University | Madison | Public | 2,071 | 88.0% | $50,970 |
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | Rapid City | Public | 2,071 | 79.9% | $72,257 |
| Augustana University | Sioux Falls | Private NP | 1,965 | 67.8% | $59,217 |
| Black Hills State University | Spearfish | Public | 1,928 | 96.3% | $46,674 |
| Lake Area Technical College | Watertown | Public | 1,812 | - | $45,473 |
| Northern State University | Aberdeen | Public | 1,273 | 93.0% | $47,618 |
| University of Sioux Falls | Sioux Falls | Private NP | 1,218 | 82.9% | $54,521 |
| Oglala Lakota College | Kyle | Public | 1,097 | - | $22,517 |
| Mitchell Technical College | Mitchell | Public | 990 | - | $50,743 |
| National American University-Rapid City | Rapid City | For-Profit | 764 | - | $37,325 |
| Western Dakota Technical College | Rapid City | Public | 753 | - | $40,240 |
| Mount Marty University | Yankton | Private NP | 697 | 42.6% | $48,179 |
| Dakota Wesleyan University | Mitchell | Private NP | 670 | 73.4% | $53,728 |
| Sinte Gleska University | Mission | Public | 487 | - | $20,948 |
| Sisseton Wahpeton College | Sisseton | Public | 194 | - | $31,546 |
| California Intercontinental University | Sioux Falls | For-Profit | 151 | - | - |
| Stewart School | Sioux Falls | For-Profit | 133 | - | $31,843 |
| Kairos University | Sioux Falls | Private NP | 82 | 84.6% | - |
| The Salon Professional Academy | Rapid City | For-Profit | 80 | - | $23,641 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Rapid City | Rapid City | For-Profit | 66 | - | $29,547 |
| Sanford Medical Center | Sioux Falls | Private NP | 28 | - | - |
Featured Colleges in South Dakota
Quick picks from this state – compare two schools side by side
Explore more South Dakota data
Guides & Resources
Is College Worth It?
A data-driven answer using earnings and cost data.
How to Compare Colleges
A framework for picking schools with data, not rankings alone.
Financial Aid & Net Price
How net price differs from sticker price and financial aid.
Understanding College Earnings Data
How Scorecard earnings figures are measured and their limits.
About This Data
According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, PlainCollege's current snapshots were retrieved in March–July 2026. This state's institution-level figures come from the July retrieval, including IPEDS-derived characteristics. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, using U.S. Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
What this means for South Dakota applicants
- South Dakota has 24 colleges in PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, spanning community colleges, public flagships, and private institutions.
- Average reported admission rate across South Dakota colleges is 82.3% - individual schools vary widely, check each profile for its own rate.
- State-level averages pool every reporting institution together; run a specific school's numbers before assuming the state figure applies to it.Use the ROI calculator
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or educational advice. State-level averages pool every reporting institution and do not predict any individual school's outcome.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. State-level rollups are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.