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2026 Best Value Plant Sciences Schools in South Dakota

[Plant Sciences](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/plant-sciences/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong plant sciences education at a price that pays off.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for plant sciences students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Plant Sciences Schools in South Dakota

2026 Best Value Plant Sciences Schools in South Dakota

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in plant sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Plant Sciences Schools

1

Mitchell Technical Institute
Mitchell, SD

$7,524 In-State Tuition & Fees

$12,730 Avg Student Debt

$50,743 Median Earnings (10yr)

Our analysis ranked Mitchell Technical Institute the best value for a degree in plant sciences in South Dakota. Mitchell Technical Institute is a small public school located in the town of Mitchell. Students from in state pay about $7,524 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for plant sciences graduates is $12,730. Soon after graduation, plant sciences degree recipients from Mitchell Technical Institute generally make around $47,686. That is a strong return on a $12,730 median debt.

2

South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD

$9,299 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,125 Avg Student Debt

$55,070 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in plant sciences will find it at South Dakota State University, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,299 in tuition and fees, compared with $12,809 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,125 to complete the plant sciences program here. Early-career plant sciences graduates make about $58,787. Set against $23,125 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. South Dakota State University admits about 98% of applicants.

View All Plant Sciences Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.