Western Dakota Technical College vs Lake Area Tech

Western Dakota Technical College and Lake Area Technical College, both esteemed institutions in South Dakota, offer diverse educational opportunities for students seeking career-focused programs. While they share a commitment to providing high-quality technical education, they differ in several key aspects. Western Dakota Technical College boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students with varying academic backgrounds. Lake Area Technical College, on the other hand, has a slightly higher graduation rate, indicating its dedication to student success and completion. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details, including popular majors, student body demographics, and additional factors that may influence your decision. Discover which institution aligns best with your academic goals and aspirations.

	Lake Area Technical College	Western Dakota Technical College
Overview
Location	Watertown, South Dakota	Rapid City, South Dakota
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Rural: Fringe
College type	2 year	2 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	76.0%	67.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees	$25
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants
Total number of admissions given out
Admitted students who chose to enroll
Yield rate
Test scores (SAT/ACT)		Not required
High school GPA	N/A	N/A
Recommendation letters	N/A	N/A
High school transcript	N/A	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$18,588	$24,082
Average net price	$13,069	$13,934
Tuition	$3,720	$3,472
Room & board
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	93.0% Average amount $3,347	94.0% Average amount $4,968
Students receiving federal student loan	83.0% Average amount $5,052	65.0% Average amount $6,817
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $11,292	2.0% Average amount $8,244

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,190 Men 51.5% Women 48.5%	1,292 Men 40.8% Women 59.2%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	7.8%
International students	0.4%	N/A
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Rural: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	N/A	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	South Dakota Nebraska North Dakota Montana Colorado

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Automotive Technology Agriculture Business Precision Production	Health Professions Business Construction Trades Precision Production Law Enforcement and Firefighting
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	73.7%	51.8%
Dropout rate	21.0%	39.0%
Transferred out	3.6%	8.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Ground Transportation (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $45,852 Year 3: $48,072 Precision Metal Working (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $37,581 Year 2: $36,560 Year 3: $47,024 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $41,649 Year 2: $40,821 Year 3: $43,972 Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $35,901 Year 2: $37,856 Year 3: $38,662 Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $32,677 Year 2: $37,088 Year 3: $38,626 Agricultural Business and Management (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $36,747 Year 2: $37,291 Year 3: $38,196 Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $32,684 Year 2: $31,314 Year 3: $35,217 Finance and Financial Management Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $35,711 Year 2: $29,250 Year 3: $34,483 Marketing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $29,474 Year 2: $26,519 Year 3: $31,236 Human Services, General (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $22,590 Year 2: $23,069 Year 3: $24,361	Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $37,382 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $43,306 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $43,713 Year 2: $39,909 Year 3: $39,418 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $38,609 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $36,674 Precision Metal Working (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $38,018 Year 2: $36,134 Year 3: $36,129 Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $35,733 Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $40,832 Year 2: $36,042 Year 3: $35,431 Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $34,470 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $37,098 Year 2: $30,409 Year 3: N/A Electrical and Power Transmission Installers (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $37,211 Year 2: $31,848 Year 3: N/A Health and Medical Administrative Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A

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Western Dakota Technical College vs Lake Area Tech

Lake Area Technical College

Western Dakota Technical College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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