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2026 Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in South Dakota

[Political Science & Government](/majors/social-sciences/political-science-and-government/) 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.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for political science & government students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in South Dakota

2026 Best Value Political Science & Government Schools in South Dakota

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the political science & government degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Political Science & Government Schools

1

South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD

$9,299 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,000 Avg Student Debt

$55,070 Median Earnings (10yr)

South Dakota State University tops our 2026 list of the best value political science & government schools in South Dakota. Set in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,299, with out-of-state students paying around $12,809. Typical student debt for political science & government graduates is $25,000. Political Science & Government graduates of South Dakota State University earn a median of $34,337 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.

2

University Of South Dakota
Vermillion, SD

$9,432 In-State Tuition & Fees

$26,000 Avg Student Debt

$51,926 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of South Dakota came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value political science & government schools. University Of South Dakota is a large public school located in the town of Vermillion. Students from in state pay about $9,432 in tuition and fees, compared with $12,942 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for political science & government graduates is $26,000. Political Science & Government graduates of University Of South Dakota earn a median of $31,973 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of South Dakota admits about 99% of applicants.

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Notes and References

This ranking is produced 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 · 7 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.