Outcomes-based program rankings.
Program outcomes at Black Hills State University vary significantly by field of study. These rankings evaluate each program by post-graduation earnings, debt burden, and return on investment — not prestige or reputation.
Use this analysis to compare programs and understand which fields deliver the strongest outcomes.
Analyzing 12 programs with available earnings data.
recent graduates
This bar shows the range of median earnings across all majors at this school.
The tables below compare programs in each category by earnings, rank, debt, and cohort size.
These sections represent the complete set of ranked undergraduate programs at Black Hills State University.
Business Administration, Management and Operations. leads business & economics with 60K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. | — | $59,626 | — | 71 |
Program rankings are derived entirely from post-graduation outcomes. We do not use reputation surveys, selectivity metrics, or SAT scores. This means some programs may rank differently than you'd expect based on prestige — and that's intentional.
Median earnings 10 years post-enrollment
Debt burden relative to earnings
Institutional contribution to outcomes
Resources, cohort size, and graduation rates
Trajectory from early to mid-career
Biology, General. leads sciences & mathematics with 41K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology, General. | — | $40,967 | — | 27 |
Sociology. leads social sciences & policy with 50K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sociology.Small sample | — | $49,833★ | — | 9 |
| Community Organization and Advocacy.Small sample | — | $42,781 | — | 15 |
| Psychology, General. | — | $42,417 | — | 26 |
Communication and Media Studies. leads communications with 46K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communication and Media Studies.Small sample | — | $45,537 | — | 17 |
Design and Applied Arts. leads humanities & arts with 30K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design and Applied Arts.Small sample | — | $29,733★ | — | 13 |
| History.Small sample | — | $22,824 | — | 19 |
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas. leads education with 53K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas.Small sample | — | $52,883★ | — | 19 |
| Special Education and Teaching.Small sample | — | $48,332 | — | 7 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. | — | $44,958 | — | 56 |
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. leads other & interdisciplinary with 56K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness. | — | $55,622 | — | 20 |
Why rankings may differ by program: A university's nursing program and business program can have entirely different outcome profiles. Our methodology surfaces these differences so you can evaluate programs — not just institutions.
