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Is Lake Area Technical College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Lake Area Technical, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Workable
Lake Area Technical lands in the workable band for a typical family. Median debt of $12,000 can be carried by median long-run earnings of $45,473, but the margin is not huge. For context, Lake Area Technical's net price runs about 66% above the typical 2-year, public school. This is the kind of school where your actual aid offer can move the answer meaningfully.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 791 similar 2-year, public schools
This school
$12,554
/yrAverage school like this
$7,555
/yrThis weighs on your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $4,999 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $20,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$15,979
Median earnings 10 years out
$45,473
Median debt at graduation
$12,000
Graduation rate
69%
At Lake Area Technical, a typical graduate carries about $12,000 in student debt and earns roughly $45,473 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $136 per month, or 4% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
What this means for your family
Lake Area Technical is a two year school in Watertown, SD. For many families, the real question is not just sticker price but what this path unlocks next, whether that is direct employment, transfer, or a lower cost route into a four year degree.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
2-year
Southeast Technical
Sioux Falls, SD
Worth-It Score: 67/100
Median net price: $17,400
2-year
The Salon Professional Academy
Rapid City, SD
Worth-It Score: 68/100
Median net price: $18,146
2-year
Stewart School
Sioux Falls, SD
Worth-It Score: 83/100
Median net price: $14,221
2-year
Mitchell Technical
Mitchell, SD
Worth-It Score: 76/100
Median net price: $13,460
2-year
Paul Mitchell the School-Rapid City
Rapid City, SD
Worth-It Score: 74/100
Median net price: $19,694
Common questions about Lake Area Technical
The median net price at Lake Area Technical is $15,979 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at community colleges options in South Dakota? See the most affordable community colleges in South Dakota →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →