Sitting Bull College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Sitting Bull College charges a net price of $4,605/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $9,210. Median earnings ten years after entry are $28,488, below the $48,360 high-school baseline, so on this institution-wide metric the degree does not clear its cost. Program choice is what changes that. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
On institution-wide earnings, Sitting Bull College does not clear its cost — it ranks #15 of 17 North Dakota colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $4,605/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $9,210 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $28,488 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$19,872/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$406,650 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Sitting Bull College's own numbers. Net price $4,605 × 2 years = $9,210 total. Median earnings $28,488 fall $19,872 short of the $48,360 high-school baseline, so the premium this formula divides by is not positive and no break-even year exists on institution-wide pay. A programme here earning $58,360 would clear the $9,210 bill in about 0.9 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Sitting Bull College students graduate?
22% finish their degree — 78% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $9,210 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $41,864 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Sitting Bull College expensive compared with other North Dakota colleges?
Its $4,605 net price runs $6,851 below the $11,456 median across the 17 North Dakota colleges we profile, and $13,702 less across the full degree.