Location
- Lake Area Technical College
- Watertown, SD
- Northwest Iowa Community College
- Sheldon, IA
Lake Area Technical College vs Northwest Iowa Community College
Watertown, SD · Sheldon, IA · largest Scorecard gap: median debt at graduation
Scorecard match plate
Pair SD:IA
PUBLIC-PAIR · CROSS-STATE · NET-PAR · EARN-SPLIT · DEBT-SPLIT · COMPLETE-GAP · GAP-DEBT
- PUBLIC-PAIR Public pair
- CROSS-STATE SD × IA
- NET-PAR Net near-par
- EARN-SPLIT Earnings split
- DEBT-SPLIT Debt split
- COMPLETE-GAP Completion gap
- GAP-DEBT Largest gap · Median Debt at Graduation
Instrument codes from this pair's College Scorecard ownership, geography, acceptance, net price, earnings, debt, and completion, plus the NET-SPLIT · 2013–2023 decade-path stamp below, not a ranking or recommendation.
Decade path · College Scorecard
Net-price paths do not share a shape
NET-SPLIT · 2013–2023
One school has a directional average-net-price path over 2013–2023; the other sits in a measured range (or the two move opposite ways). Cost gaps on this board are moving targets.
- Lake Area Technical College: average net price rose +19.2% from $12,436 (2013) to $14,826 (2023), r² 0.82.
- Northwest Iowa Community College: net price ranged $10,538–$12,615 across 11 years (2013–2023); endpoint change +7.4% is not a trend (r² 0.04).
- Lake Area Technical College: enrollment ranged 1,533–1,882 (2013–2023, 11 points) without a stable fitted direction.
- Northwest Iowa Community College: enrollment ranged 739–856 (2013–2023, 11 points) without a stable fitted direction.
College Scorecard institution series; dollars are nominal. Direction claims require r² ≥ 0.40 on the fitted annual slope, otherwise the page reports the observed range. Descriptive history, not a recommendation.
Scorecard metrics
Undergraduate Enrollment
Median Debt at Graduation
- Lake Area Technical College
- $12,000
150%-Time Completion
Out-of-State Tuition
- Lake Area Technical College
- $6,718
Median Earnings (6 yr)
- Lake Area Technical College
- $43,659
- Northwest Iowa Community College
- $49,635
Median Earnings (10 yr)
- Lake Area Technical College
- $45,473
- Northwest Iowa Community College
- $50,776
In-State Tuition
- Lake Area Technical College
- $6,718
Avg Net Price
- Lake Area Technical College
- $15,979
- Northwest Iowa Community College
- $14,800
Loan Repayment Rate (Completers)
Cards ordered by relative gap on this pair. Teal = better side.
| Metric | Lake Area Technical College Watertown, SD | Northwest Iowa Community College Sheldon, IA |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Watertown, SD | Sheldon, IA |
| Undergraduate Enrollment | 1,812 | 864 |
| Median Debt at Graduation | $12,000 | $9,500 |
| 150%-Time Completion | 69.0% | 56.5% |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $6,718 | $7,650 |
| Median Earnings (6 yr) | $43,659 | $49,635 |
| Median Earnings (10 yr) | $45,473 | $50,776 |
| In-State Tuition | $6,718 | $7,350 |
| Avg Net Price | $15,979 | $14,800 |
| Loan Repayment Rate (Completers) | 82.0% | 82.5% |
Largest gaps: Lake Area Technical College vs Northwest Iowa Community College
- MEDIAN-DEBT-AT-GRA Northwest Iowa Community College leads on median debt at graduation ($9,500 vs $12,000 at Lake Area Technical College)
- 150%-TIME-COMPLETI Lake Area Technical College leads on 150%-time completion (69.0% vs 56.5% at Northwest Iowa Community College)
- OUT-OF-STATE-TUITI Lake Area Technical College leads on out-of-state tuition ($6,718 vs $7,650 at Northwest Iowa Community College)
Lake Area Technical College profile · Northwest Iowa Community College profile · Compare other colleges
Median Debt at Graduation and other Scorecard questions
On median debt at graduation, who leads between Lake Area Technical College and Northwest Iowa Community College?▼
Northwest Iowa Community College leads on median debt at graduation at $9,500 versus $12,000 at Lake Area Technical College. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On 150%-time completion, who leads between Lake Area Technical College and Northwest Iowa Community College?▼
Lake Area Technical College leads on 150%-time completion at 69.0% versus 56.5% at Northwest Iowa Community College. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On out-of-state tuition, who leads between Lake Area Technical College and Northwest Iowa Community College?▼
Lake Area Technical College leads on out-of-state tuition at $6,718 versus $7,650 at Northwest Iowa Community College. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard College Scorecard institution outcomes (earnings, completion, debt); median debt at graduation focus for this pair · 2025