Outcomes-based program rankings.
Program outcomes at South Dakota 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 42 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 South Dakota State University.
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. leads engineering & technology with 103K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering.Small sample | — | $103,018★ | — | 19 |
| Mechanical Engineering. |
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
| $87,704 |
| — |
| 95 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General. | — | $83,815 | — | 27 |
| Civil Engineering. | — | $82,486 | — | 40 |
| Agricultural Engineering.Small sample | — | $79,322 | — | 11 |
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations. leads business & economics with 58K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations.Small sample | — | $57,725★ | — | 14 |
| Business/Managerial Economics. | — | $45,123 | — | 85 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. | — | $43,798 | — | 21 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management.Small sample | — | $40,969 | — | 12 |
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration. leads health with 122K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration. | — | $122,169★ | — | 62 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. | — | $77,932 | $17,685 | 336 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions. | — | $73,360 | — | 27 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.Small sample | — | $53,736 | — | 6 |
Mathematics. leads sciences & mathematics with 67K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics. | — | $67,059★ | — | 21 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology.Small sample | — | $57,608 | — | 15 |
| Biology, General. | — | $54,446 | — | 89 |
Political Science and Government. leads social sciences & policy with 71K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Political Science and Government.Small sample | — | $70,727★ | — | 14 |
| Economics.Small sample | — | $64,432 | — | 8 |
| Sociology. | — | $51,910 | — | 21 |
| Psychology, General. | — | $50,210 | — | 73 |
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. leads communications with 68K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. | — | $67,607★ | — | 24 |
| Communication and Media Studies. | — | $55,345 | — | 35 |
| Journalism.Small sample | — | $30,119 | — | 5 |
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. leads humanities & arts with 60K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. | — | $60,081★ | — | 30 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics.Small sample | — | $57,986 | — | 9 |
| Design and Applied Arts. | — | $52,630 | — | 22 |
| English Language and Literature, General.Small sample | — | $50,335 | — | 8 |
| History. | — | $46,502 | — | 32 |
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas. leads education with 50K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas. | — | $50,076★ | — | 57 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. | — | $43,934 | — | 59 |
Plant Sciences. leads agriculture & environment with 78K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant Sciences. | — | $78,494★ | — | 36 |
| Agricultural Mechanization.Small sample | — | $67,746 | — | 18 |
| Agricultural Business and Management. | — | $67,425 | — | 42 |
| Agriculture, General. | — | $61,132 | — | 45 |
| Animal Sciences. | — | $53,784 | — | 117 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management. | — | $50,623 | — | 34 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research. | — | $50,420 | — | 22 |
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. | — | $56,400★ | — | 51 |
| Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies.Small sample | — | $56,132 | — | 16 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management.Small sample | — | $48,319 | — | 17 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services. | — | $46,487 | — | 60 |
| Apparel and Textiles.Small sample | — | $29,685 | — | 6 |
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.
