2026 Best Value Agriculture & Agriculture Operations Schools in South Dakota
[Agriculture & Agriculture Operations](/majors/agriculture-ag-operations/) 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 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value agriculture & agriculture operations schools.
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2026 Best Value Agriculture & Agriculture Operations Schools in South Dakota
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the agriculture & agriculture operations degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Agriculture & Agriculture Operations Schools
Mitchell Technical Institute earned the #1 spot for value among agriculture & agriculture operations schools in South Dakota. Set in the town of Mitchell, Mitchell Technical Institute is a small public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $7,524. Typical student debt for agriculture & agriculture operations graduates is $12,000. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates of Mitchell Technical Institute earn a median of $45,681 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Lake Area Technical Institute came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value agriculture & agriculture operations schools. Lake Area Technical Institute is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Watertown. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,718. Typical student debt for agriculture & agriculture operations graduates is $12,000. Early-career agriculture & agriculture operations graduates make about $41,340. Set against $12,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Southeast Technical Institute came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value agriculture & agriculture operations schools. Located in the city of Sioux Falls, Southeast Technical Institute is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,650. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates carry a median of $18,442 in student loans. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates of Southeast Technical Institute earn a median of $48,654 early in their careers. Set against $18,442 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at South Dakota State University earned it the #4 place for agriculture & agriculture operations. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,299, compared with $12,809 for out-of-state students. Agriculture & Agriculture Operations graduates carry a median of $22,846 in student loans. Early-career agriculture & agriculture operations graduates make about $48,681. That is a strong return on a $22,846 median debt. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
More Agriculture & Agriculture Operations Rankings
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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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
