13 colleges ranked by return on investment — based on U.S. Department of Education data.
| # | College / University | ROI Rating | Break-Even | Grad Salary | Med. Debt | Grad Rate | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 |
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Rapid City, SD
|
High ROI | 0.8 yrs | $72,257 | $27,000 | 53% | Public |
| 🥈 |
Augustana University
Sioux Falls, SD
|
High ROI | 1.2 yrs | $59,217 | $25,000 | 73% | Private Non-profit |
| 🥉 |
South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD
|
High ROI | 1.4 yrs | $55,070 | $23,250 | 62% | Public |
| 4 |
University of Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls, SD
|
High ROI | 1.5 yrs | $54,521 | $23,249 | 63% | Private Non-profit |
| 5 |
Dakota Wesleyan University
Mitchell, SD
|
High ROI | 1.8 yrs | $53,728 | $27,000 | 48% | Private Non-profit |
| 6 |
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, SD
|
High ROI | 1.8 yrs | $51,926 | $23,592 | 60% | Public |
| 7 |
Dakota State University
Madison, SD
|
High ROI | 1.9 yrs | $50,970 | $23,500 | 51% | Public |
| 8 |
Northern State University
Aberdeen, SD
|
High ROI | 2.5 yrs | $47,618 | $22,320 | 49% | Public |
| 9 |
Mount Marty University
Yankton, SD
|
High ROI | 2.8 yrs | $48,179 | $26,396 | 52% | Private Non-profit |
| 10 |
Black Hills State University
Spearfish, SD
|
Good ROI | 3.3 yrs | $46,674 | $26,000 | 43% | Public |
| 11 |
National American University-Rapid City
Rapid City, SD
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | $37,325 | $29,020 | 0% | Private For-profit |
| 12 |
California Intercontinental University
Sioux Falls, SD
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Private For-profit |
| 13 |
Kairos University
Sioux Falls, SD
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Private Non-profit |