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South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD 8,798 Undergrads 56.9% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$22,761
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,219
After Aid
Median Earnings
$55,070
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$18,219
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$55,070
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate56.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients19.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time87.4%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS80.1%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
98.7%
SAT Avg
1,121
SAT Reading
25th: 52054075th: 640
SAT Math
25th: 52056075th: 660
ACT Composite
25th: 192275th: 26
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
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)
Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$478k
+$82k
-$6k
Median Cost$18k/yr
+$412k
+$16k
-$72k
Full Cost$23k/yr
+$396k
-$346
-$88k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$18k/yr
Never
-110%
Full Cost$23k/yr
Never
-108%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
- 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
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 Return-92%
Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
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-71%
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 with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Associate's Degrees
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
AssocCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$12,000
Earnings (5yr)
$46,957
Lifetime Value Added
-$25k
Bachelor's Degrees
Agricultural Business and Management
BachCIP: 0101
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (5yr)
$62,893
Lifetime Value Added
-$975
Agricultural Mechanization
BachCIP: 0102
Median Debt
$22,000
Earnings (5yr)
$71,449
Lifetime Value Added
+$64k
Agricultural Public Services
BachCIP: 0108
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$45,529
Lifetime Value Added
-$118k
Agriculture, General
BachCIP: 0100
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$47,334
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
BachCIP: 5109
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,736
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Animal Sciences
BachCIP: 0109
Median Debt
$21,349
Earnings (5yr)
$56,528
Lifetime Value Added
-$51k
Apparel and Textiles
BachCIP: 1909
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$29,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$261k
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services
BachCIP: 0106
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$49,698
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Architecture
BachCIP: 0402
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$61,118
Lifetime Value Added
-$15k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$25,875
Earnings (5yr)
$58,408
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$64,560
Lifetime Value Added
+$12k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$77,672
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions
BachCIP: 5110
Median Debt
$26,500
Earnings (5yr)
$81,806
Lifetime Value Added
+$142k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (5yr)
$45,065
Lifetime Value Added
-$146k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$101,471
Lifetime Value Added
+$289k
Construction Engineering Technologies
BachCIP: 1510
Median Debt
$21,185
Earnings (5yr)
$74,022
Lifetime Value Added
+$84k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$50,581
Lifetime Value Added
-$100k
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services
BachCIP: 5131
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,559
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$64,860
Lifetime Value Added
+$14k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$74,576
Lifetime Value Added
+$122k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (5yr)
$46,053
Lifetime Value Added
-$137k
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
BachCIP: 5207
Median Debt
$24,312
Earnings (5yr)
$52,826
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies
BachCIP: 1904
Median Debt
$21,852
Earnings (5yr)
$51,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,236
Lifetime Value Added
-$274k
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$24,068
Earnings (5yr)
$53,427
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$26,062
Earnings (5yr)
$51,355
Lifetime Value Added
-$93k
Hospitality Administration/Management
BachCIP: 5209
Median Debt
$24,769
Earnings (5yr)
$52,337
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services
BachCIP: 1907
Median Debt
$22,562
Earnings (5yr)
$48,955
Lifetime Value Added
-$113k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$45,114
Lifetime Value Added
-$145k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$20,162
Earnings (5yr)
$48,310
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$18,250
Earnings (5yr)
$57,178
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$85,669
Lifetime Value Added
+$171k
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology
BachCIP: 2605
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$57,608
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management
BachCIP: 3103
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$49,651
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Plant Sciences
BachCIP: 0111
Median Debt
$22,125
Earnings (5yr)
$67,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$34k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (5yr)
$50,433
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$48,296
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
BachCIP: 0909
Median Debt
$24,499
Earnings (5yr)
$50,823
Lifetime Value Added
-$98k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
BachCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$23,500
Earnings (5yr)
$72,893
Lifetime Value Added
+$75k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$48,531
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$45,610
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$24,313
Earnings (5yr)
$43,496
Lifetime Value Added
-$159k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
BachCIP: 1313
Median Debt
$24,250
Earnings (5yr)
$51,722
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management
BachCIP: 0306
Median Debt
$20,250
Earnings (5yr)
$47,857
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
Master's Degrees
Civil Engineering
MastCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$67,660
Lifetime Value Added
+$164k
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology
MastCIP: 4228
Median Debt
$40,952
Earnings (5yr)
$51,269
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
MastCIP: 1311
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$51,221
Lifetime Value Added
-$22k
Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management
MastCIP: 0306
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$52,107
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Professional Degrees
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
ProfCIP: 5120
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$138,305
Lifetime Value Added
+$508k
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
ProfCIP: 5138
Median Debt
$53,543
Earnings (5yr)
$120,458
Lifetime Value Added
+$379k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.