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2026 Best Value Biology Education Schools in South Dakota

[Biology Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-and-development/biology-education/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for biology education students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Biology Education Schools in South Dakota

2026 Best Value Biology Education Schools in South Dakota

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in biology education, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Biology Education Schools

1

Northern State University
Aberdeen, SD

$8,845 In-State Tuition & Fees

$26,143 Avg Student Debt

$47,618 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in biology education, no school beat Northern State University this year. Set in the town of Aberdeen, Northern State University is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,845, with out-of-state students paying around $11,947. Biology Education graduates carry a median of $26,143 in student loans. Soon after graduation, biology education degree recipients from Northern State University generally make around $45,824. Set against $26,143 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 93%.

2

Mount Marty College
Yankton, SD

$34,600 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,000 Avg Student Debt

$48,179 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes Mount Marty College one of the best values for biology education. Mount Marty College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Yankton. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $34,600. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the biology education program here. Early-career biology education graduates make about $108,425. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 43%.

View All Biology Education Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled 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 · 5 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.