Lake Area Technical College

Watertown, South Dakota

Public Town: Remote

Lake Area Technical College is a public institution in Watertown, South Dakota enrolling 1,812 students, according to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.. Graduates earn a median of $45,473 ten years after enrollment, based on U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid data. The average net price after financial aid is $15,979. This profile includes admissions data, graduation rates, program-level earnings, and cost breakdowns to help students compare colleges using official federal data.

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Lake Area Technical College

Lake Area Technical College operates as a public institution located in Watertown, South Dakota (town: remote), with a total reported enrollment of 1,812 students of which 2,769 are undergraduates. Institution-level records in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) classify each school by Carnegie category, ownership sector, and urban/rural locale, which is how this profile’s peer group and cost cohort are determined. Lake Area Technical College is categorized as “7” under the Carnegie classification system, a meaningful signal when comparing like-to-like institutions.

Selectivity and financial signals give context to what applicants can expect. Admission rate data is not currently reported for this institution. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $15,979, with published in-state tuition of $6,718 and a Pell grant recipient share of 27.5%. Median federal student debt at graduation is $12,000, drawn from the U.S. Treasury-matched College Scorecard file.

Outcomes reveal whether the investment pays back. Four-year completion rate data is unavailable, rising to 69.0% at six years. Graduates earn a median of $45,473 ten years after enrolling, compared with $43,659 six years post-enrollment. Within three years of entering repayment, 126200.0% of borrowers are making progress on their federal loans, and 65.2% of graduates earn above the high-school threshold. Treating these numbers as a single snapshot alongside the cost cohort is the standard approach for evaluating ROI under the College Scorecard methodology.

Quick Facts

1,812
Total enrollment
Acceptance rate
SAT average
4-yr graduation rate
$45,473
10-yr median earnings
First-year retention

Costs & Financial Aid

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $6,718
Out-of-State Tuition $6,718
Average Net Price $15,979

Net Price by Family Income

$0 – $30,000 $11,193
$30,001 – $48,000 $12,971
$48,001 – $75,000 $14,129
Over $110,000 $18,230
27.5%
Pell Grant Rate
57.4%
Federal Loan Rate
$12,000
Median Debt
$127/mo
Monthly Payment

Student Demographics

White 88.0%
African American 1.9%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 2.7%
Pacific Islander 0.4%
Two or More Ethnicities 0.1%
International 0.1%
47.9%
Female
28.7%
First Generation

Outcomes

69.0%
6-Year Completion Rate
$43,659
Median Earnings (6yr)
$45,473
Median Earnings (10yr)
65.2%
Earning Over $25K
126200.0%
Loan Repayment (3yr)

Programs & Earnings

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician Associate's 10 $72,225 $12,000
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians Associate's 16 $69,953 $12,000
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Associate's 20 $66,233 $18,707
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians Associate's 109 $60,763 $12,000
Computer Science Associate's 30 $60,752
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians Associate's 2 $57,596
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants Certificate 77 $56,633 $9,500
Criminal Justice and Corrections Associate's 16 $52,822 $12,000
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions Associate's 12 $51,402
Precision Metal Working Associate's 27 $51,201 $11,000
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians Certificate 21 $50,334
Precision Metal Working Certificate 47 $49,693
Agricultural Business and Management Associate's 83 $48,305 $12,000
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection Associate's 19 $47,946 $12,000
Finance and Financial Management Services Associate's 26 $47,420 $12,000
Ground Transportation Associate's 8 $45,852
Marketing Associate's 36 $43,632 $12,000
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services Associate's 41 $43,574 $12,000
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions Certificate 22 $38,313 $5,500
Human Services, General Associate's 23 $37,135 $11,273
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services Certificate 29 $35,222 $12,000
Human Services, General Certificate 26 $34,188

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the admissions statistics for Lake Area Technical College?
Lake Area Technical College is a public institution in Watertown, South Dakota. Total enrollment is 1,812 students.
How much do Lake Area Technical College graduates earn?
Graduates of Lake Area Technical College earn a median of $45,473 ten years after enrollment. Six years after enrollment, median earnings are $43,659.
How much does Lake Area Technical College cost?
The average net price at Lake Area Technical College is $15,979. In-state tuition is $6,718 and out-of-state tuition is $6,718. Median student debt at graduation is $12,000.
Is Lake Area Technical College worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Lake Area Technical College is $12,000, while graduates earn a median of $45,473 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 26% of first-year post-graduation earnings. 126200.0% of borrowers are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $127.

Data Sources

Data as of 2024-25 academic year. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Primary: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. Data reflects most recent available year.

Institutional characteristics: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) institutional characteristics file.

Earnings: Median earnings 6 and 10 years after enrollment, from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal student aid data.

Program data: Credential-level earnings from the College Scorecard Field of Study dataset.

All federal data sources used on this page

Earnings data sourced from IRS records via the U.S. Treasury–Department of Education matching used by the College Scorecard.