2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in South Dakota
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for trade school students. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Trade College Search has created its Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in South Dakota ranking. Our analysis looked at 6 schools in South Dakota to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for trade school students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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Top Trade Associate Degree Schools in South Dakota
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Lake Area Technical Institute to be the best school for trade school students who want to pursue a associate degree in South Dakota. LATI is a small public school situated in Watertown, South Dakota. It awarded 514 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend LATI, expect to pay an average of $6,718 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $13,775 in student loans.
LATI does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 44% took at least some of their classes online.
The excellent associate degree programs at Southeast Technical College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best trade school schools in South Dakota. Located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the small public school awarded 522 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees at Southeast Tech is $7,650. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,094 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Southeast Tech does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2020-2021 year, about 43% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend South Dakota State University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in South Dakota list. Located in Brookings, South Dakota, the fairly large public school awarded 105 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
In-state students pay an average of $9,299 in tuition and fees if they attend South Dakota State full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $12,809. On average, associate degree students take out $12,834 in loans while pursuing their degree.
South Dakota State does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2020-2021 year, about 50% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Mitchell Technical College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Mitchell, South Dakota, the small public school handed out 303 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Mitchell Tech, expect to pay an average of $7,524 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. Associate Degree recipients from Mitchell Tech accumulate an average of $13,352 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Mitchell Tech, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2020-2021 about 33% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend National American University - Rapid City. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in South Dakota list. National American University - Rapid City is a private for-profit institution located in Rapid City, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 54 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $16,065 to cover tuition and fees at National American University - Rapid City. The school does not offer an in-state discount. Associate Degree recipients from National American University - Rapid City accumulate an average of $25,178 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
National American University - Rapid City is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.
Western Dakota Technical Institute landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree trade school programs. Located in Rapid City, South Dakota, the small public school awarded 197 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
If you want to attend Western Dakota Tech, expect to pay an average of $8,333 in tuition and fees. Of course, this could be reduced if you receive financial aid. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,197 in student loans.
Online courses are available at Western Dakota Tech, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 47% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Best Trade Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 6 schools only.
References
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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