2026 Best Social Sciences Schools in South Dakota

Social Sciences is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. The schools below stand out for the quality of their social sciences programs.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 10 schools to find the best for social sciences students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Social Sciences Schools in South Dakota

Best Schools for Social Sciences in South Dakota

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the social sciences degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Social Sciences

1

South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

76 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded

$40,058 Median Starting Salary

No school ranked higher than South Dakota State University this year for social sciences. Set in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State University is a large public institution. Roughly 62% of students complete a degree within six years here. South Dakota State University awarded about 76 social sciences degrees in the most recent data year. Social Sciences graduates of South Dakota State University earn a median of $40,058 early in their careers. South Dakota State University graduates carry a median of $25,704 in student loans. Get the full social sciences details for South Dakota State University

2

University Of South Dakota
Vermillion, SD

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

52 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded

$36,860 Median Starting Salary

Students looking for a strong social sciences program will find one at University Of South Dakota, which ranked #2. This large public university is located in the town of Vermillion. Roughly 60% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 52 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at University Of South Dakota in the most recent data year. Students who receive their social sciences degree from University Of South Dakota earn around $36,860 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $22,942 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in social sciences from University Of South Dakota

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 10 schools evaluated.

• 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.