2027 Best Value Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in South Dakota
[Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/) 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 7 schools to find the best return on investment for homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting students.
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2027 Best Value Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools in South Dakota
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools
Western Dakota Technical Institute tops our 2027 list of the best value homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting schools in South Dakota. Set in the city of Rapid City, Western Dakota Technical Institute is a small public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,294. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting graduates carry a median of $17,999 in student loans. Soon after graduation, homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting degree recipients from Western Dakota Technical Institute generally make around $27,459. That is a strong return on a $17,999 median debt.
Lake Area Technical Institute came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting schools. Located in the town of Watertown, Lake Area Technical Institute is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $6,718 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting graduates is $12,000. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting graduates of Lake Area Technical Institute earn a median of $41,230 early in their careers. Set against $12,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #3 makes Southeast Technical Institute one of the best values for homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting. Located in the city of Sioux Falls, Southeast Technical Institute is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,650. Students borrow a median of $12,000 to complete the homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting program here. Early-career homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting graduates make about $49,560. That is a strong return on a $12,000 median debt.
Dakota Wesleyan University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting schools. Located in the town of Mitchell, Dakota Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $33,790. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete the homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting program here. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting graduates of Dakota Wesleyan University earn a median of $71,856 early in their careers. Set against $31,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.
University Of South Dakota is a great value for students pursuing a degree in homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the town of Vermillion, University Of South Dakota is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,432, compared with $12,942 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting graduates is $25,000. Early-career homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting graduates make about $40,402. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. University Of South Dakota admits about 99% of applicants.
University Of Sioux Falls earned the #6 position for value in homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting this year. Located in the city of Sioux Falls, University Of Sioux Falls is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $21,750. Students borrow a median of $26,950 to complete the homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting program here. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting graduates of University Of Sioux Falls earn a median of $38,858 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 83%.
National American University Rapid City earned the #7 position for value in homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting this year. Set in the city of Rapid City, National American University Rapid City is a small private for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,065. Students borrow a median of $43,158 to complete the homeland security, law enforcement & firefighting program here. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting graduates of National American University Rapid City earn a median of $45,720 early in their careers. Set against $43,158 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.
