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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in South Dakota

1 Colleges in the United States
$27,000 Avg Student Debt
$55,070 Avg Median Earnings (10yr)
2026 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Badge [Design & Applied Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/design-and-applied-arts/) 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 8 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for design & applied arts students.

What’s on this page:

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2026 Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools in South Dakota

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the design & applied arts degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Design & Applied Arts Schools

1

For return on investment in design & applied arts, no school beat South Dakota State University this year. South Dakota State University is a large public school located in the town of Brookings. In-state tuition and fees average $9,299, compared with $12,809 for out-of-state students. Design & Applied Arts graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career design & applied arts graduates make about $35,944. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 98%.

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Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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 · 8 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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