2026 Best Value Public Health Schools in South Dakota
[Public Health](/majors/health-care-professions/public-health/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong public health education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for public health students.
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2026 Best Value Public Health Schools in South Dakota
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in public health, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Public Health Schools
For return on investment in public health, no school beat Southeast Technical Institute this year. Southeast Technical Institute is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Sioux Falls. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,650. Students borrow a median of $18,442 to complete the public health program here. Soon after graduation, public health degree recipients from Southeast Technical Institute generally make around $48,654. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes South Dakota State University one of the best values for public health. 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 $24,989 to complete the public health program here. Public Health graduates of South Dakota State University earn a median of $51,260 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,989 median debt. The acceptance rate is 98%.
A rank of #3 makes University Of South Dakota one of the best values for public health. Set in the town of Vermillion, University Of South Dakota is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,432, compared with $12,942 for out-of-state students. Public Health graduates carry a median of $26,322 in student loans. Early-career public health graduates make about $54,328. That is a strong return on a $26,322 median debt. University Of South Dakota admits about 99% of applicants.
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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 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.
