2026 Best Value Agricultural Economics & Business Schools in South Dakota

[Agricultural Economics & Business](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/agricultural-economics-business/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value agricultural economics & business schools.
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2026 Best Value Agricultural Economics & Business Schools in South Dakota
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in agricultural economics & business, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Agricultural Economics & Business Schools
Leading the list is Mitchell Technical Institute, our #1 best value for agricultural economics & business in South Dakota. Set in the town of Mitchell, Mitchell Technical Institute is a small public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,524. Typical student debt for agricultural economics & business graduates is $12,730. Agricultural Economics & Business graduates of Mitchell Technical Institute earn a median of $47,686 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $12,730 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Lake Area Technical Institute earned it the #2 place for agricultural economics & business. Located in the town of Watertown, Lake Area Technical Institute is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $6,718 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $12,000 to complete the agricultural economics & business program here. Agricultural Economics & Business graduates of Lake Area Technical Institute earn a median of $41,340 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $12,000 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at South Dakota State University earned it the #3 place for agricultural economics & business. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,299, while out-of-state students pay about $12,809. Typical student debt for agricultural economics & business graduates is $22,557. Soon after graduation, agricultural economics & business degree recipients from South Dakota State University generally make around $51,222. That is a strong return on a $22,557 median debt. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.