2026 Best Value Engineering Schools in South Dakota
[Engineering](/majors/engineering/) 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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Engineering Schools in South Dakota
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Engineering Schools
For return on investment in engineering, no school beat South Dakota State University this year. Set in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,299, with out-of-state students paying around $12,809. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the engineering program here. Early-career engineering graduates make about $69,086. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in engineering will find it at University Of South Dakota, which ranked #2. Located in the town of Vermillion, University Of South Dakota is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $9,432, compared with $12,942 for out-of-state students. Engineering graduates carry a median of $26,322 in student loans. Engineering graduates of University Of South Dakota earn a median of $51,566 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in engineering will find it at South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Rapid City, South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,500, with out-of-state students paying around $14,900. Engineering graduates carry a median of $26,262 in student loans. Soon after graduation, engineering degree recipients from South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology generally make around $72,302. That is a strong return on a $26,262 median debt. The acceptance rate is 80%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 1 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.
