The college explorer
Find a college.
See what it returns.
Look beyond the sticker price. Explore real costs, graduate earnings, and how long a degree takes to pay for itself.
How we measure value3,376colleges to explore
434with a Strong ROI verdict
College Scorecard · 2026 release
Federal figures. Our calculations.
17 matching colleges · Showing 1–17
Compare collegesBrowse by state or territory
Payback guideStrong ≤5 yearsSolid ≤10Slow ≤20Weak >20 or no payback
South Dakota 17 matching
View state rankingSlow ROI
South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD
Net price / year$19,841Payback11.8 years
Weak ROI
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, SD
Net price / year$19,858Payback22.3 years
Weak ROI
Southeast Technical College
Sioux Falls, SD
Net price / year$17,400PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Dakota State University
Madison, SD
Net price / year$21,057Payback32.3 years
Strong ROI
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Rapid City, SD
Net price / year$20,183Payback3.4 years
Solid ROI
Augustana University
Sioux Falls, SD
Net price / year$23,894Payback8.8 years
Weak ROI
Black Hills State University
Spearfish, SD
Net price / year$15,911PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Lake Area Technical College
Watertown, SD
Net price / year$15,979PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Northern State University
Aberdeen, SD
Net price / year$15,812PaybackNot available
Slow ROI
University of Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls, SD
Net price / year$21,383Payback13.9 years
Weak ROI
Oglala Lakota College
Kyle, SD
Net price / year$1,895PaybackNot available
Slow ROI
Mitchell Technical College
Mitchell, SD
Net price / year$13,460Payback11.3 years
Weak ROI
National American University-Rapid City
Rapid City, SD
Net price / year$31,062PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Western Dakota Technical College
Rapid City, SD
Net price / year$12,670PaybackNot available
Weak ROI
Mount Marty University
Yankton, SD
Net price / year$22,227PaybackNot available
Slow ROI
Dakota Wesleyan University
Mitchell, SD
Net price / year$19,735Payback14.7 years
Weak ROI
Sinte Gleska University
Mission, SD
Net price / year$12,768PaybackNot available