2027 Best Value Accounting Schools in South Dakota
[Accounting](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/accounting/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong accounting education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for accounting students.
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2027 Best Value Accounting Schools in South Dakota
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in accounting, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Accounting Schools
Our analysis ranked Western Dakota Technical Institute the best value for a degree in accounting in South Dakota. Located in the city of Rapid City, Western Dakota Technical Institute is a small public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,294. Accounting graduates carry a median of $15,620 in student loans. Accounting graduates of Western Dakota Technical Institute earn a median of $37,839 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Northern State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in accounting, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the town of Aberdeen, Northern State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,845, with out-of-state students paying around $11,947. Students borrow a median of $29,816 to complete the accounting program here. Early-career accounting graduates make about $51,239. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Northern State University admits about 93% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Southeast Technical Institute one of the best values for accounting. Set in the city of Sioux Falls, Southeast Technical Institute is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $7,650 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for accounting graduates is $23,746. Soon after graduation, accounting degree recipients from Southeast Technical Institute generally make around $44,850. That is a strong return on a $23,746 median debt.
A rank of #4 makes University Of South Dakota one of the best values for accounting. University Of South Dakota is a large public school located in the town of Vermillion. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,432, while out-of-state students pay about $12,942. Students borrow a median of $25,793 to complete the accounting program here. Early-career accounting graduates make about $59,832. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Sioux Falls is a great value for students pursuing a degree in accounting, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Sioux Falls, University Of Sioux Falls is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,750. Accounting graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Early-career accounting graduates make about $49,325. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 83%.
Augustana College South Dakota ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value accounting schools. Augustana College South Dakota is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Sioux Falls. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $40,160. Students borrow a median of $26,217 to complete the accounting program here. Soon after graduation, accounting degree recipients from Augustana College South Dakota generally make around $50,088. That is a strong return on a $26,217 median debt. Roughly 68% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.
