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2026 Best Value History Schools in South Dakota

[History](/majors/history/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value history schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value History Schools in South Dakota

2026 Best Value History Schools in South Dakota

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

Best Value History Schools

1

South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD

$9,299 In-State Tuition & Fees

$26,977 Avg Student Debt

$55,070 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in history, no school beat South Dakota State University this year. Set in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,299, compared with $12,809 for out-of-state students. History graduates carry a median of $26,977 in student loans. Early-career history graduates make about $33,135. That is a strong return on a $26,977 median debt. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.

2

University Of South Dakota
Vermillion, SD

$9,432 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,000 Avg Student Debt

$51,926 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes University Of South Dakota one of the best values for history. University Of South Dakota is a large public school located in the town of Vermillion. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,432, compared with $12,942 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the history program here. Early-career history graduates make about $28,431. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.

View All History 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 · 8 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.