Lake Area Technical College

Watertown, South Dakota

  • Two-year college
  • Public
  • Town
  • 1,812 students

What you can study

Programs this school reported awarding, with how many students finished one in the latest year. Where the federal data has it, we show what this school's graduates earned a year after finishing (for graduates from a few years back, so a program can show earnings even if few finished recently). The national figure is for everyone who finished that kind of program anywhere.

Agriculture and horticulture

  • Agricultural Business and ManagementCertificate · 0 finishedEarnings for this school not reportedNationally: $36,907
  • Agricultural Business and ManagementAssociate degree · 87 finishedGraduates here earned $49,340 a year after finishingNationally: $40,343

Auto, diesel and aircraft mechanic

  • Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansCertificate · 16 finishedEarnings for this school not reportedNationally: $43,278
  • Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansAssociate degree · 143 finishedGraduates here earned $55,690 a year after finishingNationally: $48,683

Carpentry and construction

  • Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and InspectionAssociate degree · 12 finishedGraduates here earned $43,218 a year after finishingNationally: $52,746

Clinical lab technician

  • Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsAssociate degree · 13 finishedGraduates here earned $50,088 a year after finishingNationally: $52,694

Computers and IT

  • Computer ScienceCertificate · 0 finishedEarnings for this school not reportedNationally: $72,159
  • Computer ScienceAssociate degree · 28 finishedGraduates here earned $41,083 a year after finishingNationally: $41,515

Cosmetology and barbering

  • Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming ServicesCertificate · 35 finishedGraduates here earned $24,262 a year after finishingNationally: $23,574

Dental assisting and hygiene

  • Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsCertificate · 18 finishedGraduates here earned $38,826 a year after finishingNationally: $30,575
  • Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate degree · 8 finishedEarnings for this school not reportedNationally: $62,279

EMT, surgical tech and imaging

  • Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCertificate · 6 finishedEarnings for this school not reportedNationally: $55,124
  • Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate degree · 4 finishedGraduates here earned $56,901 a year after finishingNationally: $61,169

Engineering technology

  • Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/TechniciansAssociate degree · 14 finishedEarnings for this school not reportedNationally: $57,072
  • Electromechanical Technologies/TechniciansAssociate degree · 18 finishedGraduates here earned $65,038 a year after finishingNationally: $63,073
  • Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansAssociate degree · 1 finishedEarnings for this school not reportedNationally: $63,717
  • Construction Engineering Technology/TechnicianAssociate degree · 10 finishedEarnings for this school not reportedNationally: $60,261

Medical assisting and pharmacy tech

  • Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssociate degree · 30 finishedGraduates here earned $39,684 a year after finishingNationally: $40,233

Pilot and air transportation

  • Air TransportationAssociate degree · 5 finishedEarnings for this school not reportedNationally: $52,658

Police, fire and corrections

  • Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate degree · 18 finishedGraduates here earned $57,120 a year after finishingNationally: $40,997

Practical nursing and nursing assistant

  • Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsCertificate · 94 finishedGraduates here earned $47,904 a year after finishingNationally: $50,533

Registered nursing

  • Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate degree · 47 finishedGraduates here earned $74,559 a year after finishingNationally: $75,149

Truck and bus driving

  • Ground TransportationCertificate · 17 finishedEarnings for this school not reportedNationally: $49,738
  • Ground TransportationAssociate degree · 12 finishedEarnings for this school not reportedNationally: $54,623

Welding and machining

  • Precision Metal WorkingCertificate · 30 finishedEarnings for this school not reportedNationally: $42,421
  • Precision Metal WorkingAssociate degree · 34 finishedGraduates here earned $52,506 a year after finishingNationally: $48,947
Other programs (10)
  • Finance and Financial Management ServicesCertificate · 0 finishedNationally: $51,339
  • Finance and Financial Management ServicesAssociate degree · 19 finishedGraduates here earned $43,732 a year afterNationally: $42,478
  • Human Services, GeneralCertificate · 16 finishedNationally: $34,193
  • Human Services, GeneralAssociate degree · 12 finishedGraduates here earned $31,936 a year afterNationally: $32,008
  • MarketingCertificate · 0 finishedNationally: $43,966
  • MarketingAssociate degree · 66 finishedGraduates here earned $41,641 a year afterNationally: $38,094
  • Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsCertificate · 25 finishedNationally: $41,294
  • Mental and Social Health Services and Allied ProfessionsAssociate degree · 3 finishedNationally: $38,048
  • Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchCertificate · 5 finishedNationally: $41,576
  • Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchAssociate degree · 4 finishedNationally: $36,701
Source: College Scorecard

What it really costs

Net price is what students paid after grants and scholarships.

Average net price per year, by family income
$0–30k$11,001$30–48k$11,433$48–75k$12,318$75–110k$17,183Over $110k$18,104Source: College Scorecard
Average net price
$15,278per year, students who got grant aidSource: College Scorecard
Total cost of attendance
$20,069sticker price incl. living costs, per yearSource: College Scorecard
Tuition, in-state
$7,622Source: College Scorecard
Students with federal loans
59%Source: College Scorecard

How students do

Finish their program
76%first-time, full-time students finishing within 1.5 times the normal lengthSource: College Scorecard
Median earnings
$48,1596 years after starting, students who got federal aidSource: College Scorecard
Median earnings, later
$48,72910 years after startingSource: College Scorecard
Median debt at completion
$11,000federal loans, students who finishedSource: College Scorecard
Earned a degree or certificate here
68%all students who started, 8 years laterSource: College Scorecard
Left for another college before finishing
11%all students who started, 8 years laterSource: College Scorecard

Planning to transfer to a four-year school? See how transfer works in South Dakota.

Where these numbers come from

Every number on this page comes from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard page for Lake Area Technical College, which draws on what the school reports to the federal government and on federal student aid and tax records. Program earnings cover graduates who received federal student aid. We last pulled the data on November 6, 2026.

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