Best Colleges for Social Mobility in South Dakota (2026)
Updated
Best Colleges for Social Mobility in South Dakota lists 10 four-year institutions in South Dakota. Schools are ordered by Azimuth's mobility pillar for South Dakota, highest first.
The pillar measures historical low-income earnings relative to peers, the scale of Pell enrollment and Pell completion, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. South Dakota State University ranks 1st on this list and reports $63,042 in median earnings for its graduates four years after completing.
The list includes 6 public and 4 private nonprofit schools. Northern State University posts the lowest average net price at $15,812, while South Dakota School of Mines and Technology ranks 505th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median earnings, 4 years after completion | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota State University · Brookings, SD | $63,042 | $19,841 | $14,266 | 98.3% |
| South Dakota State University ranks 1st on this list and reports median earnings of $63,042 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | University of South Dakota · Vermillion, SD | $62,334 | $19,858 | $14,921 | 98.8% |
| University of South Dakota admits 99% of applicants, the most open admission rate on the page, and shows a six-year completion rate of 60%. | |||||
| 3 | Augustana University · Sioux Falls, SD | $65,005 | $23,894 | $18,746 | 67.8% |
| A private nonprofit university in Sioux Falls, Augustana University posts the top six-year completion rate on the list at 73% and an average net price of $23,894. | |||||
| 4 | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · Rapid City, SD | $87,878 | $20,183 | $15,348 | 79.9% |
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology holds the strongest Azimuth composite rank on the page, 505th among nonprofit four-year institutions, alongside median earnings of $87,878 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls, SD | $58,903 | $21,383 | $18,145 | 82.9% |
| University of Sioux Falls reports an average net price of $21,383 and graduates a median of $58,903 four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Dakota Wesleyan University · Mitchell, SD | $64,461 | $19,735 | $15,251 | 73.4% |
| Graduates of Dakota Wesleyan University earn a median of $64,461 four years after completing, and the school admits 73% of applicants. | |||||
| 7 | Dakota State University · Madison, SD | $63,160 | $21,057 | $17,317 | 88.1% |
| Dakota State University ranks 7th on this list, with a six-year completion rate of 51% and an average net price of $21,057. | |||||
| 8 | Northern State University · Aberdeen, SD | $53,116 | $15,812 | $10,762 | 93.0% |
| Northern State University carries the lowest average net price on the page at $15,812 and reports median earnings of $53,116 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Mount Marty University · Yankton, SD | $57,208 | $22,227 | $19,564 | 42.6% |
| Mount Marty University admits 43% of applicants, the most selective admission rate on the list, and its graduates earn a median of $57,208 four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | Black Hills State University · Spearfish, SD | $48,243 | $15,911 | $11,863 | 96.3% |
| Black Hills State University reports an average net price of $11,863 for families earning under $30,000 and a six-year completion rate of 43%. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by Azimuth's mobility pillar for South Dakota, highest first. The pillar measures historical low-income earnings relative to peers, the scale of Pell enrollment and Pell completion, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. The pillar draws on the median earnings of each institution's federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after completing, across all fields. It does not measure earnings in any one major or teaching quality. The list includes 6 public and 4 private nonprofit institutions.