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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 2023 rankings named Lake Area Technical Institute the best school in South Dakota for trade school students working on their associate degree. Located in Watertown, South Dakota, the small public school awarded 514 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students 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.
Online courses are available at LATI, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 44% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southeast Technical College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in South Dakota list. Southeast Tech is located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 522 associate degrees to qualified students.
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. Associate Degree recipients from Southeast Tech accumulate an average of $16,094 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
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.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means South Dakota State University is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree. South Dakota State is a public institution located in Brookings, South Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 105 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average in-state tuition and fees for students at South Dakota State is $9,299. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $12,809. On average, associate degree students take out $12,834 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at South Dakota State. In fact, around 50% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
The excellent associate degree programs at Mitchell Technical College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best trade school schools in South Dakota. Mitchell, South Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 303 students in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $7,524 to cover tuition and fees at Mitchell Tech. The school does not offer an in-state discount. On average, associate degree students take out $13,352 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Mitchell Tech. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 33% took at least some of their classes online.
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. Rapid City, South Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 54 students 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. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $25,178 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, National American University - Rapid City is an excellent choice, since the school is online.
Read full report on National American University - Rapid City
With a ranking of #6, Western Dakota Technical Institute did quite well on this year’s best schools for trade school students working on their associate degree. Western Dakota Tech is a small public school situated in Rapid City, South Dakota. It awarded 197 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $8,333 to cover tuition and fees at Western Dakota Tech. The school does not offer an in-state discount. On average, associate degree students take out $17,197 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Western Dakota Tech does offer online classes for certain majors. In fact, around 47% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class 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.