Statistics at Dakota State University

Statistics graduates nationally earn around $60,000 in their first year, and Dakota State's program likely falls within that range based on peer institutions across the country. The estimated debt of just over $20,000 translates to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.34—meaning you'd owe roughly one-third of your first-year salary, which is manageable by most standards. For context, many bachelor's programs saddle graduates with debt exceeding half their annual income, so this financial profile suggests solid value if the earnings hold true.

The challenge here is uncertainty. With only two schools offering statistics degrees in South Dakota and no reported outcomes data from either, you're making this decision without seeing actual results from Dakota State graduates. The $60,000 figure comes from national medians, which include programs at research universities with very different resources and recruitment pipelines than a small South Dakota tech school with a 98% acceptance rate. Statistics programs can vary dramatically in quality and employer perception—some feed directly into lucrative data science roles, while others produce graduates who struggle to differentiate themselves in a crowded analytics market.

Before committing, find out where recent Dakota State statistics graduates actually landed jobs and what they're earning. The program could perform better or worse than these national estimates suggest, and with this level of data suppression, you need direct evidence that this specific degree opens the doors you're hoping for.