Western Dakota Technical College
Rapid City, South Dakota · Public
Graduate earnings
12of 15 assessed undergraduate programs
have graduates earning more than a typical South Dakota high-school graduate (about $36,976 a year). 3 fall short.
15 of 41 undergraduate programs could be assessed. The other 26: 23 with no earnings published and 3 with nothing reported. 1 verdict uses 1-year earnings, an earlier career stage.
Average net price, all families$12,670 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
$12,670 a year
About $25,340 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 | $10,071 |
| $30k to $48k | $10,543 |
| $48k to $75k | $14,003 |
| $75k to $110k | $18,657 |
| $110k and up | $18,845 |
| All families (average) | $12,670 |
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).
15 of 41 programs could be assessed 37% have an earnings verdict
| Program | Degree | Median earnings | vs a high-school grad | Verdict | Median debt | Debt as years of gain | Recent completers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical and Vocational Nursing | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $53,976 | +$17,000 | clears the bar | $12,720 | 0.7 yrs | 56 |
| Auto Repair Technology | Associate's Degree | $54,948 | +$17,972 | clears the bar | $12,483 | 0.7 yrs | 27 |
| Medical Laboratory Science | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $36,793 | -$183 | falls short | $9,500 | no earnings gain | 24 |
| Precision Metalworking | Associate's Degree | $51,988 | +$15,012 | clears the bar | $12,000 | 0.8 yrs | 23 |
| Health Sciences | Associate's Degree | $55,671 | +$18,695 | clears the bar | not published | not assessed | 21 |
| Precision Metalworking | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $48,803 | +$11,827 | clears the bar | $8,250 | 0.7 yrs | 20 |
| Allied Health Diagnostics and Treatment | Associate's Degree | $52,795 | +$15,819 | clears the bar | $15,176 | 1.0 yrs | 18 |
| Criminal Justice | Associate's Degree | $46,659 | +$9,683 | clears the bar | $15,750 | 1.6 yrs | 17 |
| Medical Laboratory Science | Associate's Degree | $40,340 | +$3,364 | clears the bar | $20,000 | 5.9 yrs | 13 |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | Associate's Degree | $59,696 | +$22,720 | clears the bar | $14,750 | 0.6 yrs | 12 |
| Business Administration | Associate's Degree | $35,644 | -$1,332 | falls short | $20,000 | no earnings gain | 12 |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $53,185 | +$16,209 | clears the bar | not published | not assessed | 11 |
| Medical Assisting | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $22,0741-year earnings | -$14,902 | falls short (1-yr) | not published | not assessed | 10 |
| Electrician Training | Associate's Degree | $67,204 | +$30,228 | clears the bar | $12,000 | 0.4 yrs | 7 |
| Dental Assisting and Hygiene | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $39,988 | +$3,012 | clears the bar | $6,500 | 2.2 yrs | 6 |
| Nursing | Associate's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 31 |
| Accounting | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 17 |
| Accounting | Associate's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 13 |
| Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 10 |
| Healthcare Administration | Associate's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 10 |
| Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 9 |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 9 |
| Healthcare Administration | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 9 |
| HVAC Technology | Associate's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 8 |
| Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 7 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 6 |
| Administrative and Office Support | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 5 |
| Agricultural Production Operations | Associate's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 4 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | Associate's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 3 |
| Library and Archives Assisting | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 3 |
| Allied Health Diagnostics and Treatment | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 3 |
| Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 2 |
| Hospitality Management | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 2 |
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 1 |
| Library and Archives Assisting | Associate's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 1 |
| Marketing | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 1 |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General | Associate's Degree | not published | not assessed | earnings not published | not published | not assessed | 0 |
| Fire Protection | Associate's Degree | not reported | not reported | nothing reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Medical Assisting | Associate's Degree | not reported | not reported | nothing reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business Administration | 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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