10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$229,444at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Black Hills State University
⌖ Spearfish, SD · 20 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$229,444 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
171.6 yrsModeled economic break-even
−94%Modeled 10-year ROI
$46,420Observed earnings · year 5
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
Cost, completion and earnings context
$15,911Average net price / year
$21,277Cost of attendance
$46,420Median earnings · year 5 after completion
42.6%Completion rate
96.3%Admission rate
1,928Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$40,957Year 1
$48,243Year 4
$46,420Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Human Resources Management and Services · Master's Degree$73,1502Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's Degree$69,0793Biology, General · Associate's Degree$60,3494Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's Degree$59,6265Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods · Master's Degree$57,0256Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness · Bachelor's Degree$55,6227Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas · Master's Degree$53,7938Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas · Bachelor's Degree$52,883Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Comparable colleges in SD
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.
Watertown, SD
Lake Area Technical College
- Annual net price
- $15,979
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $45,330
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -99%
Northern State University
- Annual net price
- $15,812
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $51,509
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -73%
Southeast Technical College
- Annual net price
- $17,400
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $50,646
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -77%
Western Dakota Technical College
- Annual net price
- $12,670
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $43,662
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -106%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Management and Services | Master's Degree | $73,150 | Not available |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $69,079 | Not available |
| Biology, General | Associate's Degree | $60,349 | $14,625 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $59,626 | $27,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Master's Degree | $57,025 | Not available |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's Degree | $55,622 | $24,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Master's Degree | $53,793 | Not available |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Bachelor's Degree | $52,883 | Not available |
| Curriculum and Instruction | Master's Degree | $51,881 | Not available |
| Sociology | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $51,562 | Not available |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $49,833 | $37,329 |
| Special Education and Teaching | Bachelor's Degree | $48,332 | $26,812 |
| Communication and Media Studies | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $45,937 | Not available |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $45,537 | Not available |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $44,958 | $26,312 |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | Bachelor's Degree | $42,781 | $31,500 |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $42,417 | $27,187 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $40,967 | $26,613 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $40,193 | Not available |
| Design and Applied Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $29,733 | Not available |
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.