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Most Popular Basic Certificate Trade Schools in South Dakota

2023 Most Popular Basic Certificate Trade Schools in South Dakota

9 Schools Ranked
$8,159 Avg Tuition & Fees*

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which trade school program is right for you. 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 Most Popular Basic Certificate Trade Schools in South Dakota ranking. This report analyzed 9 schools in South Dakota to see which ones were the most popular basic certificate programs for trade school students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from each school on the list.

Learn more about these popular 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 most popular school in South Dakota for trade school students working on their basic certificate. LATI is a small public school situated in Watertown, South Dakota. It awarded 62 basic certificates in 2021-2022.

LATI does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $6,718. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid. Of those students who received their degree, 73% were women.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since LATI does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 44% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.

Full Lake Area Technical Institute Report

#1

Western Dakota Technical Institute

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

Our analysis found Western Dakota Technical Institute to be the most popular school for trade school students who want to pursue a basic certificate in South Dakota. Western Dakota Technical Institute is a small public school located in Rapid City, South Dakota that handed out 38 basic certificates 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. Around 63% of those degree recipients were women.

One thing to take note of is that Western Dakota Tech does offer online classes in some areas. 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

#3

Stewart School

Sioux Falls, South Dakota
35 Total Awards

Out of the 9 schools in South Dakota that were part of this year’s ranking, Stewart School landed the # 3 spot on the list. Stewart School is located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and has a very small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 35 basic certificates to qualified students.

Of those students who received their degree, 100% were women.

Read More…

#4

Headlines Academy Inc

Rapid City, South Dakota
53 Total Awards

Out of the 9 schools in South Dakota that were part of this year’s ranking, Headlines Academy Inc landed the # 4 spot on the list. Headlines Academy Inc is located in Rapid City, South Dakota and has a very small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 53 basic certificates to qualified students.

Of those students who received their degree, 98% were women.

Read More…

#5

Southeast Technical College

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

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Southeast Technical College is a great place for trade school students working on their basic certificate. This small public school is located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and it awarded 17 basic certificates in 2021-2022.

If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $7,650 to cover tuition and fees at Southeast Tech. The school does not offer an in-state discount. Of those students who received their degree, 88% were women.

Online courses are available at Southeast 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, 43% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.

Read More…

#6

Black Hills Beauty College

Rapid City, South Dakota
24 Total Awards

Black Hills Beauty College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Basic Certificate Trade Schools in South Dakota ranking. This very small private for-profit school is located in Rapid City, South Dakota, and it awarded 24 basic certificates in 2021-2022.

Around 92% of those degree recipients were women.

Read full report on Black Hills Beauty College

#7

University of South Dakota

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

University of South Dakota ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Basic Certificate Trade Schools in South Dakota list. This medium-sized public school is located in Vermillion, South Dakota, and it awarded 29 basic certificates in 2021-2022.

The average in-state tuition and fees for students at USD is $9,432. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $12,942. Around 66% of those degree recipients were women.

Some students may be able to take online classes at USD. In fact, around 58% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.

Read More…

#7

Mitchell Technical College

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

Mitchell Technical College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Basic Certificate Trade Schools in South Dakota ranking. Mitchell Tech is located in Mitchell, South Dakota and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 18 basic certificates to qualified students.

The average tuition and fees at Mitchell Tech is $7,524. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid. Of those students who received their degree, 39% were women.

You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Mitchell Tech. In 2020-2021 about 33% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#9

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
48 Total Awards
$9,299 Average Tuition & Fees

South Dakota State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for trade school students to get a basic certificate. It came in at #9 on the list. South Dakota State is located in Brookings, South Dakota and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 48 basic certificates to qualified students.

In-state students pay an average of $9,299 in tuition and fees if they attend South Dakota State full time. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $12,809. Of those students who received their degree, 67% were women.

Some students may be able to take online classes at South Dakota State. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 50% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.

Read full report on South Dakota State University

Most Popular Trade School Basic Certificate Schools in the Plains States Region

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Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 9 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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