10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$229,444at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Black Hills State University
Spearfish, SD · 20 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 20 · Federal debt reported for 9
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$229,444 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
171.6 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−94%Estimated return after 10 years
$46,420Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
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.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $13,018 housing and food allowance plus $3,674 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$165,800
$8,000Annual price−$197,800
$16,000Current college-wide context−$229,800
$24,000Annual price−$261,800
$32,000Annual price−$293,800
$40,000Annual price−$325,800
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Most students take at least some classes online.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Higher Learning Commission
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- Town
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
722 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in South Dakota run 11% below the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$15,911Average net price / year
$21,277Cost of attendance
$26,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$276/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$46,420Median earnings · year 5 after completion
42.6%Completion rate
96.3%Admission rate
1,087Average SAT score
21ACT midpoint
1,928Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Black Hills State University
What does Black Hills State University cost?
Black Hills State University reports an average annual net price of $15,911 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Black Hills State University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $46,420 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Black Hills State University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $26,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Black Hills State University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 20 field-and-degree records for Black Hills State University; 20 report year-4 earnings and 9 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
5,616Students enrolled at any point
4,966Undergraduate students
650Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
37% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
163 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
59% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$41,615Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$46,684Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$53,615Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income51%
Middle income67%
Higher income76%
Undergraduate student composition
White67%
Black2%
Hispanic5%
Asian1%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW
How earnings develop by field
Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.
Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 15
$54,051Year 1
$64,402Year 5
$76,015Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$48,852Year 1
$63,404Year 5
$70,870Year 10
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 13
$58,446Year 1
$65,583Year 5
$70,342Year 10
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 26
$33,861Year 1
$50,050Year 5
$70,012Year 10
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education.Certificate, 1–2 years · Broad federal field 13
$44,478Year 1
$47,368Year 5
$60,316Year 10
History.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 54
$31,905Year 1
$40,342Year 5
$58,858Year 10
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 13
$47,238Year 1
$51,542Year 5
$58,689Year 10
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 50
$35,940Year 1
$42,146Year 5
$58,363Year 10
Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$40,957Year 1
$48,243Year 4
$46,420Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
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 the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Biology, GeneralAssociate's Degree · $60,349 reported+35%vs same-degree national median$14,625federal debt2Communication and Media StudiesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $45,937 reported+5%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's Degree · $52,883 reported+3%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4SociologyUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $51,562 reported+3%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's Degree · $55,622 reported+2%vs same-degree national median$24,000federal debt6Special Education and TeachingBachelor's Degree · $48,332 reported-4%vs same-degree national median$26,812federal debt
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%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing all 20 field-and-degree records in the current release.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Management and Services | Master's Degree | $73,150 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $69,079 | Not available | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Associate's Degree | $60,349 | $14,625 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $59,626 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Master's Degree | $57,025 | Not available | Not reported |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's Degree | $55,622 | $24,000 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Master's Degree | $53,793 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Bachelor's Degree | $52,883 | Not available | Not reported |
| Curriculum and Instruction | Master's Degree | $51,881 | Not available | Not reported |
| Sociology | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $51,562 | Not available | 5 |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $49,833 | $37,329 | Not reported |
| Special Education and Teaching | Bachelor's Degree | $48,332 | $26,812 | Not reported |
| Communication and Media Studies | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $45,937 | Not available | 9 |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $45,537 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $44,958 | $26,312 | 0 |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | Bachelor's Degree | $42,781 | $31,500 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $42,417 | $27,187 | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $40,967 | $26,613 | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $40,193 | Not available | Not reported |
| Design and Applied Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $29,733 | Not available | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
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.