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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.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $3,673 more than the typical high school graduate ($41,800) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties undergraduate student-loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
75% of former students here out-earned that benchmark ten years after entry, per College Scorecard.
Context, not a federal determination: the official test will use earnings measured four years after completion and thresholds the Department of Education has not yet published, which may vary by state. Our figure is College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry. How this works
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: 64/100
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 →
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →