Find Trade Colleges

Best Value Trade School Schools in South Dakota

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 analysis found Lake Area Technical Institute to be the best value school for trade school students in South Dakota. LATI is a small public school situated in Watertown, South Dakota. It awarded 793 degrees in 2021-2022.

LATI undergraduate students pay an average of $6,718 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, LATI is ranked #1 for overall quality in South Dakota.

Read More…

#2

Southeast Technical College

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

The excellent programs at Southeast Technical College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value trade schools in South Dakota. Southeast Technical College is a small public school located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota that handed out 797 degrees in 2021-2022.

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

Southeast Tech did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best Trade Schools in South Dakota list.

Full Southeast Technical College Report

#3

Mitchell Technical College

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

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Mitchell Technical College is a great place for trade school students who want to get the most value for their educational dollar. This small public school is located in Mitchell, South Dakota, and it awarded 464 degrees in 2021-2022.

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

Mitchell Tech also made our Best Trade Schools in South Dakota list, coming in at #5.

Read More…

#4

South Dakota State University

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend South Dakota State University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Schools in South Dakota list. Located in Brookings, South Dakota, the fairly large public school awarded 2,703 diplomas to qualifed students in 2021-2022.

South Dakota State undergraduate students pay an average of $12,809 in tuition and fees each year.

South Dakota State did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our Best Trade Schools in South Dakota list.

Read full report on South Dakota State University

#5

University of South Dakota

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

Out of the 8 schools in South Dakota that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Dakota landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in Vermillion, South Dakota, the medium-sized public school handed out 2,132 degrees in 2021-2022.

USD undergraduate students pay an average of $12,942 in tuition and fees each year.

USD did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Trade Schools in South Dakota list.

Full University of South Dakota Report

#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 Technical Institute is a small public school located in Rapid City, South Dakota that handed out 377 degrees in 2021-2022.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Western Dakota Tech are $8,333 a 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 came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Schools in South Dakota ranking. Located in Rapid City, South Dakota, the small private for-profit school handed out 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 More…

#8

University of Sioux Falls

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

University of Sioux Falls ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Schools in South Dakota list. Located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 586 diplomas to qualifed students in 2021-2022.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at University of Sioux Falls are $20,290 a year.

Full University of Sioux Falls Report

Best Value Trade Schools in the Plains States Region

View Best Value Trade Schools Nationwide >

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.

Find Trade Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited trade schools across the U.S.