Outcomes-based program rankings.
Program outcomes at University Of South Dakota 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 28 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 University Of South Dakota.
Computer and Information Sciences, General. leads engineering & technology with 62K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General.Small sample | — | $62,012 | — | 12 |
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
Accounting and Related Services. leads business & economics with 71K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services. | — | $71,179★ | — | 55 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services. | — | $70,100 | — | 46 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. | — | $64,890 | $15,000 | 75 |
| Marketing. | — | $55,261 | — | 40 |
Health and Medical Administrative Services. leads health with 75K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health and Medical Administrative Services.Small sample | — | $74,816★ | — | 19 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. | — | $73,025 | $14,150 | 163 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions. | — | $68,556 | — | 37 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services.Small sample | — | $64,069 | — | 18 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General. | — | $61,518 | $12,000 | 78 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions. | — | $52,211 | $13,425 | 66 |
Biology, General. leads sciences & mathematics with 58K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology, General. | — | $58,099 | $12,000 | 69 |
Economics. leads social sciences & policy with 71K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economics.Small sample | — | $71,463★ | — | 14 |
| Political Science and Government. | — | $61,362 | — | 28 |
| Psychology, General. | — | $50,993 | $18,000 | 66 |
| Anthropology.Small sample | — | $19,227 | — | 13 |
Communication and Media Studies. leads communications with 52K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communication and Media Studies. | — | $52,100 | $12,000 | 56 |
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. leads humanities & arts with 50K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. | — | $50,306★ | — | 53 |
| History.Small sample | — | $45,096 | — | 8 |
| Fine and Studio Arts.Small sample | — | $43,945 | — | 13 |
| English Language and Literature, General.Small sample | — | $31,155 | — | 8 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics.Small sample | — | $27,476 | — | 7 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft.Small sample | — | $24,730 | — | 16 |
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.Small sample | — | $50,270★ | $18,000 | 16 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. | — | $46,034 | $18,250 | 100 |
| Special Education and Teaching. | — | $45,415 | — | 26 |
Criminal Justice and Corrections. leads criminal justice with 58K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice and Corrections. | — | $58,046 | $11,000 | 40 |
International/Globalization Studies. leads other & interdisciplinary with 24K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| International/Globalization Studies.Small sample | — | $24,035 | — | 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.
