How much money do University of South Dakota graduates make and which majors earn the most upon graduating? Six years after enrolling, alumni who are working have average earnings of $37,900 per year. After ten years, graduates earn $48,200 on average.
In terms of specific areas of study, the following is a ranking of degree programs by the median first-year starting salaries for USD graduates.
The undergraduate degree which initially pays the highest is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing with a median starting salary of $55,900 followed by Dental Support Services and Allied Professions paying $53,500 and Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing graduates who have a median starting income of $44,000 .
Looking at post-graduate and doctorate students, those completing the Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degree) program rank first with a median initial income of $99,900 followed by Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) at $65,700 and Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degree) who earn $64,500 .
Note about salary data: First year earnings data are aggregated by the US Department of Education and analyzes IRS reported income for University of South Dakota graduates who received federal financial aid in the form of grants or loans. Not all graduates or fields of study are represented as data for some degree programs are omitted for privacy purposes.
| Major | Earnings |
|---|---|
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degree) | $99,900 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) | $65,700 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degree) | $64,500 |
| Public Administration (Master's Degree) | $63,100 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degree) | $62,100 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degree) | $59,500 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degree) | $58,000 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $55,900 |
| Medicine (First Professional Degree) | $55,400 |
| Human Services (Master's Degree) | $54,400 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Bachelor’s Degree) | $53,500 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degree) | $51,400 |
| Law (First Professional Degree) | $49,200 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degree) | $44,000 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degree) | $42,900 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $41,400 |
| Social Work (Master's Degree) | $41,200 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $40,900 |
| Special Education and Teaching (Bachelor’s Degree) | $38,700 |
| Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $37,700 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) | $37,400 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) | $37,100 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor’s Degree) | $35,400 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor’s Degree) | $35,200 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $33,300 |
| Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) | $32,300 |
| Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,400 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,400 |
| Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,100 |
| Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,300 |
| History (Bachelor’s Degree) | $25,700 |
| Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $24,600 |
| English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) | $23,900 |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=219471 IPEDS survey and College Scorecard data for University of South Dakota.