2026 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in South Dakota
[Liberal Arts General Studies](/majors/liberal-arts-sciences-humanities/liberal-arts-and-general-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for liberal arts general studies students.
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2026 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in South Dakota
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in liberal arts general studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools
For return on investment in liberal arts general studies, no school beat Black Hills State University this year. Black Hills State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Spearfish. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,916, compared with $12,018 for out-of-state students. Liberal Arts General Studies graduates carry a median of $26,820 in student loans. Early-career liberal arts general studies graduates make about $42,789. Set against $26,820 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 96%.
Students looking for strong value in liberal arts general studies will find it at Northern State University, which ranked #2. Northern State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Aberdeen. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,845, with out-of-state students paying around $11,947. Typical student debt for liberal arts general studies graduates is $26,143. Soon after graduation, liberal arts general studies degree recipients from Northern State University generally make around $45,824. Set against $26,143 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes South Dakota State University one of the best values for liberal arts general studies. South Dakota State University is a large public school located in the town of Brookings. Students from in state pay about $9,299 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $12,809. Typical student debt for liberal arts general studies graduates is $20,866. Early-career liberal arts general studies graduates make about $32,134. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. South Dakota State University admits about 98% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes University Of South Dakota one of the best values for liberal arts general studies. Located in the town of Vermillion, University Of South Dakota is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,432, with out-of-state students paying around $12,942. Liberal Arts General Studies graduates carry a median of $30,092 in student loans. Soon after graduation, liberal arts general studies degree recipients from University Of South Dakota generally make around $35,907. Set against $30,092 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Dakota State University earned it the #5 place for liberal arts general studies. Dakota State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Madison. In-state tuition and fees average $9,654, compared with $12,756 for out-of-state students. Liberal Arts General Studies graduates carry a median of $37,250 in student loans. Liberal Arts General Studies graduates of Dakota State University earn a median of $41,119 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 88%.
More Liberal Arts General Studies Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 12 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.
