2026 Best Value Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology Schools in South Dakota

[Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology](/majors/psychology/clinical-counseling-applied-psychology/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for clinical, counseling & applied psychology students.
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2026 Best Value Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology Schools in South Dakota
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the clinical, counseling & applied psychology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology Schools
For return on investment in clinical, counseling & applied psychology, no school beat South Dakota State University this year. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,299 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $12,809. Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology graduates carry a median of $24,989 in student loans. Early-career clinical, counseling & applied psychology graduates make about $45,975. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
University Of South Dakota came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value clinical, counseling & applied psychology schools. Located in the town of Vermillion, University Of South Dakota is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,432 in tuition and fees, compared with $12,942 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,322 to complete the clinical, counseling & applied psychology program here. Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology graduates of University Of South Dakota earn a median of $48,320 early in their careers. Set against $26,322 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of South Dakota admits about 99% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, 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 2 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.