Lake Area Technical College
Watertown, South Dakota · Public
Graduate earnings
18of 20 assessed undergraduate programs
have graduates earning more than a typical South Dakota high-school graduate (about $36,976 a year). 2 fall short.
20 of 37 undergraduate programs could be assessed. The other 17: 16 with no earnings published and 1 with nothing reported. 1 verdict uses 1-year earnings, an earlier career stage.
Average net price, all families$15,979 a year By family income
What it would cost
Net price is the yearly cost after grants and scholarships, as reported for students who received federal aid.
Average for all families
$15,979 a year
About $31,958 over 2 years, if price and aid stay the same.
This multiplies the reported yearly net price by the years you choose. It is not a quote or a prediction: it leaves out interest, price rises and the chance of taking longer to finish.
Net price for every income band
| Family income | Net price per year |
|---|---|
| Under $30k | $11,193 |
| $30k to $48k | $12,971 |
| $48k to $75k | $14,129 |
| $75k to $110k | $18,118 |
| $110k and up | $18,230 |
| All families (average) | $15,979 |
College Scorecard, release 2026-06-10. Bands with no figure were not reported by the school.
Program earnings
Median earnings of each program’s graduates against a typical South Dakota high-school graduate ($36,976 a year).
20 of 37 programs could be assessed 54% have an earnings verdict
| Program | Degree | Median earnings | vs a high-school grad | Verdict | Median debt | Debt as years of gain | Recent completers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto Repair Technology | Associate's Degree | $60,763 | +$23,787 | clears the bar | $12,000 | 0.5 yrs | 133 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | Associate's Degree | $48,305 | +$11,329 | clears the bar | $12,000 | 1.1 yrs | 104 |
| Practical and Vocational Nursing | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $56,633 | +$19,657 | clears the bar | $9,500 | 0.5 yrs | 90 |
| Marketing | Associate's Degree | $43,632 | +$6,656 | clears the bar | $12,000 | 1.8 yrs | 62 |
| Precision Metalworking | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $49,693 | +$12,717 | clears the bar | not published | not assessed | 48 |
| Nursing | Associate's Degree | $66,2331-year earnings | +$29,257 | clears the bar (1-yr) | $18,707 | 0.6 yrs | 46 |
| Medical Assisting | Associate's Degree | $43,574 | +$6,598 | clears the bar | $12,000 | 1.8 yrs | 40 |
| Computer Science | Associate's Degree | $60,752 | +$23,776 | clears the bar | not published | not assessed | 31 |
| Cosmetology | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $35,222 | -$1,754 | falls short | $12,000 | no earnings gain | 28 |
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $69,953 | +$32,977 | clears the bar | $12,000 | 0.4 yrs | 27 |
| Precision Metalworking | Associate's Degree | $51,201 | +$14,225 | clears the bar | $11,000 | 0.8 yrs | 27 |
| Finance | Associate's Degree | $47,420 | +$10,444 | clears the bar | $12,000 | 1.1 yrs | 27 |
| Auto Repair Technology | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $50,334 | +$13,358 | clears the bar | not published | not assessed | 25 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | Associate's Degree | $72,225 | +$35,249 | clears the bar | $12,000 | 0.3 yrs | 23 |
| Human Services | Associate's Degree | $37,135 | +$159 | clears the bar | $11,273 | 70.9 yrs | 20 |
| Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection | Associate's Degree | $47,946 | +$10,970 | clears the bar | $12,000 | 1.1 yrs | 20 |
| Dental Assisting and Hygiene | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $38,313 | +$1,337 | clears the bar | $5,500 | 4.1 yrs | 20 |
| Human Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $34,188 | -$2,788 | falls short | not published | not assessed | 19 |
| Criminal Justice | Associate's Degree | $52,822 | +$15,846 | clears the bar | $12,000 | 0.8 yrs | 14 |
| Medical Laboratory Science | Associate's Degree | $51,402 | +$14,426 | clears the bar | not published | not assessed | 7 |
| Mental Health and Counseling Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 35 |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 20 |
| Ground Transportation | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 15 |
| Allied Health Diagnostics and Treatment | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 12 |
| Dental Assisting and Hygiene | Associate's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 9 |
| Air Transportation | Associate's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 8 |
| Ground Transportation | Associate's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 7 |
| Allied Health Diagnostics and Treatment | Associate's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 7 |
| Natural Resources and Conservation | Associate's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 4 |
| Natural Resources and Conservation | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 4 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 4 |
| Mental Health and Counseling Services | Associate's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 3 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Computer Science | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Finance | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Marketing | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not reported | not reported | nothing reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
Sources and definitions
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, release 2026-06-10. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid. Debt is federal loans only.
- The high-school line is ED’s state benchmark, $36,976 a year.
- Earnings not published: ED reports the program but no earnings figure, usually because too few graduates were measured. Nothing reported: ED lists the program with no figures at all. Neither is a judgement of the program.
- Debt as years of gain is median federal debt divided by how much more graduates earn per year than a typical high-school graduate. It is not a repayment time.
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