South Dakota — Black Hills State University
Average net price per year: $15,317
Median earnings six years after graduation: $35,900
The net price for a year studying at Black Hills State is close to the national average, but many South Dakotans have to stretch themselves to attend. Those taking out a student loan end up with around $28,250 in debt for a four-year program. Although the graduation rate at the Black Hills is only 34%, the good news is that 93% of alumni are employed within the first two years of graduating. “It’s a great school. Professors are awesome, as are the counselors and advisors,” a sophomore writes. “The Financial Aid department is very unpleasant, not just because the school is ridiculously expensive, but the people staffed there are standoffish and are not helpful.”