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2026 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in South Dakota

[General Civil Engineering](/majors/engineering/civil-engineering/general-civil-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general civil engineering students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in South Dakota

2026 Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools in South Dakota

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general civil engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value General Civil Engineering Schools

1

South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD

$9,299 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,000 Avg Student Debt

$55,070 Median Earnings (10yr)

For return on investment in general civil engineering, no school beat South Dakota State University this year. South Dakota State University is a large public school located in the town of Brookings. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,299, while out-of-state students pay about $12,809. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the general civil engineering program here. General Civil Engineering graduates of South Dakota State University earn a median of $69,129 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. South Dakota State University admits about 98% of applicants.

2

South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology
Rapid City, SD

$10,500 In-State Tuition & Fees

$27,388 Avg Student Debt

$72,257 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in general civil engineering will find it at South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Rapid City, South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,500, with out-of-state students paying around $14,900. Typical student debt for general civil engineering graduates is $27,388. Soon after graduation, general civil engineering degree recipients from South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology generally make around $71,766. That is a strong return on a $27,388 median debt. The acceptance rate is 80%.

View All General Civil Engineering Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 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.