2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in South Dakota
[Criminal Justice Studies](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/criminal-justice-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value criminal justice studies schools.
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2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in South Dakota
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the criminal justice studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools
Leading the list is Western Dakota Technical Institute, our #1 best value for criminal justice studies in South Dakota. Western Dakota Technical Institute is a small public school located in the city of Rapid City. Students from in state pay about $8,294 in tuition and fees. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $17,999 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Western Dakota Technical Institute generally make around $27,459. Set against $17,999 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice studies will find it at Dakota Wesleyan University, which ranked #2. Located in the town of Mitchell, Dakota Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $33,790. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $31,000. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Dakota Wesleyan University generally make around $71,856. Set against $31,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes University Of South Dakota one of the best values for criminal justice studies. Located in the town of Vermillion, University Of South Dakota is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $9,432, while out-of-state students pay about $12,942. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of University Of South Dakota earn a median of $40,402 early in their careers. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 99%.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Sioux Falls one of the best values for criminal justice studies. Located in the city of Sioux Falls, University Of Sioux Falls is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $21,750 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $26,950. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $38,858. That is a strong return on a $26,950 median debt. University Of Sioux Falls admits about 83% of applicants.
More Criminal Justice Studies Rankings
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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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
