2027 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in South Dakota
[Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities](/majors/liberal-arts-sciences-humanities/) 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.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for liberal arts / sciences & humanities students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in South Dakota
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the liberal arts / sciences & humanities degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools
Leading the list is Northern State University, our #1 best value for liberal arts / sciences & humanities in South Dakota. Set in the town of Aberdeen, Northern State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,845 in tuition and fees, compared with $11,947 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates is $26,143. Early-career liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates make about $45,824. That is a strong return on a $26,143 median debt. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
Black Hills State University came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value liberal arts / sciences & humanities schools. Located in the town of Spearfish, Black Hills State University is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $8,916, while out-of-state students pay about $12,018. Typical student debt for liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates is $26,820. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities graduates of Black Hills State University earn a median of $42,789 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 96%.
South Dakota State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in liberal arts / sciences & humanities, landing the #3 spot this year. South Dakota State University is a large public school located in the town of Brookings. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,299, with out-of-state students paying around $12,809. Typical student debt for liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates is $20,866. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities graduates of South Dakota State University earn a median of $32,134 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 98%.
University Of South Dakota came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value liberal arts / sciences & humanities schools. 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. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities graduates carry a median of $30,092 in student loans. Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities graduates of University Of South Dakota earn a median of $35,907 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 99%.
Students looking for strong value in liberal arts / sciences & humanities will find it at Dakota State University, which ranked #5. Set in the town of Madison, Dakota State University is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,654, compared with $12,756 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for liberal arts / sciences & humanities graduates is $37,250. Soon after graduation, liberal arts / sciences & humanities degree recipients from Dakota State University generally make around $41,119. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
