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Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in South Dakota

2023 Best Basic Certificate Trade Schools in South Dakota

5 Schools Ranked
$7,931 Avg Tuition & Fees*

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 Basic Certificate Trade Schools in South Dakota ranking. This report analyzed 5 schools in South Dakota to see which ones offered the best basic certificate programs for trade school students.

View our full ranking methodology.

Top Trade Basic Certificate Schools in South Dakota

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

Lake Area Technical Institute

Watertown, South Dakota
62 Total Awards
$6,718 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Lake Area Technical Institute the best school in South Dakota for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Located in Watertown, South Dakota, the small public school awarded 62 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.

If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $6,718 to cover tuition and fees at LATI. The school does not offer an in-state discount.

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. During the 2020-2021 year, about 44% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#2

Southeast Technical College

Sioux Falls, South Dakota
17 Total Awards
$7,650 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Southeast Technical College is a great place for trade school students working on their basic certificate. Southeast Technical College is a small public school located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota that handed out 17 basic certificates 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.

Southeast Tech does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 43% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on Southeast Technical College

#3

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, South Dakota
29 Total Awards
$9,432 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 5 schools in South Dakota that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Dakota landed the # 3 spot on the list. USD is a public institution located in Vermillion, South Dakota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 29 basic certificates in 2021-2022.

Full-time students from South Dakota pay an average of $9,432 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend USD. Out-of-state students pay an average of $12,942.

Some students may be able to take online classes at USD. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 58% took at least some of their classes online.

Full University of South Dakota Report

#4

Mitchell Technical College

Mitchell, South Dakota
18 Total Awards
$7,524 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 5 schools in South Dakota that were part of this year’s ranking, Mitchell Technical College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in Mitchell, South Dakota, the small public school awarded 18 diplomas to qualifed basic certificate students in 2021-2022.

Mitchell Tech does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $7,524. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Mitchell Tech does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 33% took at least some of their classes online.

Full Mitchell Technical College Report

#5

Western Dakota Technical Institute

Rapid City, South Dakota
38 Total Awards
$8,333 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent basic certificate programs at Western Dakota Technical Institute helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best trade school schools in South Dakota. Western Dakota Tech is a small public school situated in Rapid City, South Dakota. It awarded 38 basic certificates 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.

Some students may be able to take online classes at Western Dakota Tech. In 2020-2021 about 47% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full Western Dakota Technical Institute Report

Best Trade Basic Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region

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Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 5 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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