by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the graduate school options in South Dakota, narrowing things down is no easy task. We have ranked **2** programs by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual reviewed 2 graduate schools on more than 20 objective measures such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
This is how starting salaries are distributed among the top-ranked graduate schools:
Learn more about these excellent graduate schools below:
No school ranked higher than South Dakota State University this year in South Dakota. This public school is set in Brookings, SD. The six-year graduation rate is 62%. In-state tuition and fees run about $9,299, compared with $12,809 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $51,260. Students borrow a median of $24,989 to complete a degree here.
You'll be in good company at South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology, which ranked #2 this year. Located in Rapid City, SD, South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology is a public institution. South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology posts a six-year graduation rate of 52%. In-state tuition and fees average $10,500, with out-of-state students paying around $14,900. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $75,838. Typical student debt is $26,668.
You'll be in good company at University Of South Dakota, which ranked #3 this year. Based in Vermillion, SD, University Of South Dakota is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 60%. In-state tuition and fees run about $9,432, compared with $12,942 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $51,566. The median student debt is $26,322.
The strong outcomes at Dakota State University earned it the #4 place in South Dakota. This public school is set in Madison, SD. About 49% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $9,654, while out-of-state students pay about $12,756. Early-career graduates earn a median of $51,970. Graduates carry a median of $28,724 in student loans.
Out of the 2 graduate schools in South Dakota in this year's ranking, National American University Rapid City landed the #5 spot. Set in Rapid City, SD, National American University Rapid City is a private for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,065. Early-career graduates earn a median of $47,873. National American University Rapid City students take on a median of $38,264 in debt.
California Intercontinental University came in at #6 in this year's ranking. California Intercontinental University is a private for-profit school based in Sioux Falls, SD. Median early-career earnings reach $104,340.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked graduate schools only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Rankings consider a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
See our data sources and methodologies.