College ROI

Smarter Choices, Brighter Futures
Back to Colleges

Dakota State University

Madison, SD 2,071 Undergrads 45.1% Grad Rate
School Website|Financial Calculator
Share
Total Cost
$25,753
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$21,057
After Aid
Median Earnings
$63,160
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$21,057
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$63,160
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$50,970
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate45.1%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age23.9
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients24.3%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time77.1%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS77.4%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
88.0%
SAT Avg
1,215
SAT Reading
25th: 57057075th: 680
SAT Math
25th: 62055375th: 760
ACT Composite
25th: 202375th: 27

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 4 Years to Graduation

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$561k
+$94k
+$76k
Median Cost$21k/yr
+$485k
+$18k
+$704
Full Cost$26k/yr
+$468k
+$1k
-$16k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
34
∞
Median Cost$21k/yr
64
1%
Full Cost$26k/yr
Never
-17%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
  • Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
  • NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return66%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return-33%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,400
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,162
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $52,615
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $35,447
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$61,944
Natl Median: $65,389
Lifetime Value Added
+$113k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,912
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
+$86k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,726
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,821
Natl Median: $37,073
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,799
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$66,685
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
+$18k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$20,508
Earnings (4yr)
$69,841
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$52k
Median Debt
$20,059
Earnings (4yr)
$85,696
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$174k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$42,513
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
-$170k
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$78,637
Natl Median: $85,063
Lifetime Value Added
+$120k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,634
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,400
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$103k
Median Debt
$19,343
Earnings (4yr)
$56,991
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
-$49k
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $48,471
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,625
Earnings (4yr)
$46,095
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$139k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,240
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Statistics
BachCIP: 2705
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $92,425
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$23,500
Earnings (4yr)
$48,997
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,583
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$137,285
Natl Median: $124,201
Lifetime Value Added
+$525k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$130,226
Natl Median: $121,855
Lifetime Value Added
+$442k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$76,460
Natl Median: $112,705
Lifetime Value Added
+$22k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $101,441
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $74,146
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Doctoral Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $172,649
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $100,573
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $126,925
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.