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Best Value Trade School Schools in South Dakota

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2023 Best Value Trade School Schools in South Dakota

Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

8 Schools Ranked
$11,541 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$24,172 Avg Student Debt*

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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Best Value Trade School Schools in South Dakota ranking. Our analysis looked at 8 schools in South Dakota to see which programs offered the best value experiences for trade school students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

Top Value Trade Schools in South Dakota

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

Lake Area Technical Institute

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

Our 2023 rankings named Lake Area Technical Institute the best value school in South Dakota for trade school students working on their degree. Located in Watertown, South Dakota, the small public school handed out 793 degrees in 2021-2022.

LATI undergraduate students pay an average of $6,718 in tuition and fees each year.

LATI also made our Best Trade Schools in South Dakota list, coming in at #1.

Read full report on Lake Area Technical Institute

#2

Southeast Technical College

Sioux Falls, South Dakota
797 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 who want to get the most value for their educational dollar. Sioux Falls, South Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out degrees to 797 students in 2021-2022.

Southeast Tech undergraduate students pay an average of $7,650 in tuition and fees each year.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Southeast Tech is ranked #2 for overall quality in South Dakota.

Read full report on Southeast Technical College

#3

Mitchell Technical College

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mitchell Technical College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Trade School Schools in South Dakota list. Mitchell Technical College is a small public school located in Mitchell, South Dakota that handed out 464 degrees in 2021-2022.

Mitchell Tech undergraduate students pay an average of $7,524 in tuition and fees each year.

Mitchell Tech also took the #5 spot in our Best Trade Schools in South Dakota rankings.

Read full report on Mitchell Technical College

#4

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
2,703 Total Awards
$12,809 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 8 schools in South Dakota that were part of this year’s ranking, South Dakota State University landed the # 4 spot on the list. South Dakota State is a public institution located in Brookings, South Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,703 degrees in 2021-2022.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at South Dakota State are $12,809 per year.

South Dakota State also took the #4 spot in our Best Trade Schools in South Dakota rankings.

Read More…

#5

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, South Dakota
2,132 Total Awards
$12,942 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of South Dakota. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Schools in South Dakota list. This medium-sized public school is located in Vermillion, South Dakota, and it awarded 2,132 degrees in 2021-2022.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at USD are $12,942 per year.

USD not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Trade Schools in South Dakota list.

Read More…

#6

Western Dakota Technical Institute

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

Western Dakota Technical Institute did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students. It came in at #6 on the list. Western Dakota Tech is a small public school situated in Rapid City, South Dakota. It awarded 377 degrees in 2021-2022.

Western Dakota Tech undergraduate students pay an average of $8,333 in tuition and fees each year.

Full Western Dakota Technical Institute Report

#7

National American University - Rapid City

Rapid City, South Dakota
332 Total Awards
$16,065 Average Tuition & Fees

National American University - Rapid City did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students. It came in at #7 on the 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 332 degrees in 2021-2022.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at National American University - Rapid City are $16,065 per year.

Read full report on National American University - Rapid City

#8

University of Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls, South Dakota
586 Total Awards
$20,290 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Sioux Falls landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value trade school programs. University of Sioux Falls is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It awarded 586 degrees in 2021-2022.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University of Sioux Falls are $20,290 per year.

Full University of Sioux Falls Report

Best Value Trade Schools in the Plains States Region

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Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 8 schools only.

References

  • 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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