by our College Data Analytics TeamWhen pursuing a degree in today's world, there are many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in South Dakota ranking is part of that endeavor. This list may shock you as many typically expensive schools are very generous with need-based financial aid.
See What's Included in This Value Report:
Our analysis looked at 10 schools in South Dakota to determine which ones have the best value Associate Degree programs. Instead of depending on subjective information to rank the best value schools, we focus on objective factors in our analysis. More specifically, the following explains what we consider and why.
The first step of determing the value of a school in our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in South Dakota ranking is to look at the school's average net price for students with families that make $0-$30k a year. The net price is the sum of tuition, fees, and room and board minus any financial aid awarded to the student. But, a school that excels in providing value for your money must also be a great school overall as well.
To account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To learn more, visit our best value ranking methodology page.
Keep scrolling for the top schools in this ranking or select one of the other rankings methods below.
If you know what major you want to study, check out our list of the best value schools by major. If you're interested in other degree levels, you can view one of the lists below.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Lake Area Technical Institute tops this year’s ranking as the best value (income $0-$30k) school for associate degrees in South Dakota for overall quality. Lake Area Technical Institute is a small public school located in Watertown, South Dakota.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Lake Area Technical Institute is ranked #2 for quality in the state of South Dakota. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $10,854.
A rank of #2 on our Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in South Dakota list means Mitchell Technical College is a great place for students working on their degree. Mitchell, South Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Mitchell Technical College has the honor of being ranked #3 in South Dakota for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $9,397.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Dakota State University. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in South Dakota list. Located in Brookings, South Dakota, the school is a fairly large public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, South Dakota State University is ranked #1 for quality in the state of South Dakota. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $13,901.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oglala Lakota College. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in South Dakota list. Oglala Lakota College is located in Kyle, South Dakota and has a small student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Oglala Lakota College is ranked #10 for quality in the state of South Dakota. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $2,523.
Out of the 10 associate degree schools in South Dakota that were part of this year’s ranking, Dakota State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Madison, South Dakota, the school is a small public institution.
Not only is Dakota State University a great value, but it is also ranked #4 in South Dakota for overall quality. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $14,239.
Southeast Technical College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in South Dakota ranking. Southeast Tech is a public institution located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Southeast Technical College has the honor of being ranked #5 in South Dakota for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $14,544.
Black Hills State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in South Dakota ranking. BHSU is a public institution located in Spearfish, South Dakota.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Black Hills State University is ranked #8 for quality in the state of South Dakota. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $12,147.
Western Dakota Technical Institute landed the #8 spot on the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in South Dakota ranking. This small public school is located in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Not only is Western Dakota Technical Institute a great value, but it is also ranked #9 in South Dakota for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $11,988.
Read full value report on Western Dakota Technical Institute
National American University - Rapid City did quite well in the 2024 Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in South Dakota ranking, coming in at #9. National American University - Rapid City is a private for-profit institution located in Rapid City, South Dakota.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, National American University - Rapid City is ranked #7 for quality in the state of South Dakota. Students from families who make $0-$30k a year pay an annual average net price of $15,938.
University of Sioux Falls came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Colleges for the Money (Income $0-$30k) in South Dakota ranking. University of Sioux Falls is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
University of Sioux Falls has the honor of being ranked #6 in South Dakota for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $0-$30k per year is $17,861.
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Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 10 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.