---
title: Lake Area Technical College — cost, debt & earnings (College Scorecard)
location: Watertown, SD
control: Public
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2026-06-10 release)
sourceUrl: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/
---

# Lake Area Technical College

Watertown, SD · Public · Associate-granting

> Federal College Scorecard institution **medians** — not a prediction of any one student's outcome, and not a figure for any single program. Earnings/debt cover federally-aided students.

## The bottom line

| Figure | Value | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Typical earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $45,473 | recorded |
| Earnings range (25th–75th pct) | $29,962 – $62,719 | recorded |
| Typical federal debt | $9,888 | recorded |
| Debt of students who withdrew | $5,500 | recorded |
| Completion rate | 73% | recorded |
| Average annual net cost | $19,637 | recorded |
| % earning above a $28k HS-grad wage | 67% | recorded |
| Debt ÷ a year's earnings | 0.22× | derived |
| Earnings premium vs $28k HS benchmark | $17,473 | derived |

**73% of students finish** — the loans are owed whether or not you graduate, so read every figure below next to this number.

Typical **federal** loan debt is $9,888 (≈ 22% of a year's typical earnings here). Note: this counts federal loans only — not private loans, Parent PLUS, or family savings — so true borrowing is usually higher; and because dropouts borrow less, low-completion schools can show a deceptively low debt figure.

## Earnings by major (the number that decides "worth it")

> **Different measure — read on its own terms.** These are median earnings **1 year after completing the program** (early career, graduates only) — NOT the 10-years-after-entry school-wide figure above. Do not compare a program figure to the school figure; compare majors to each other. The Dept. of Education omits programs with too few graduates.

By program, early-career pay ranges from $18,226 to $57,596 across 17 program(s).

| Major | Credential | Pay (1 yr out) | Median debt |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians. | Associate's Degree | $57,596 | not reported |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician. | Associate's Degree | $48,971 | $12,000 |
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians. | Associate's Degree | $45,799 | $12,000 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians. | Associate's Degree | $41,649 | $12,000 |
| Computer Science. | Associate's Degree | $41,208 | not reported |
| Precision Metal Working. | Associate's Degree | $37,581 | $11,000 |
| Agricultural Business and Management. | Associate's Degree | $36,747 | $12,000 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections. | Associate's Degree | $36,699 | $12,000 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions. | Associate's Degree | $36,262 | not reported |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants. | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $35,901 | $9,500 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services. | Associate's Degree | $35,711 | $12,000 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions. | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $32,684 | $5,500 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services. | Associate's Degree | $32,677 | $12,000 |
| Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection. | Associate's Degree | $31,150 | $12,000 |
| Marketing. | Associate's Degree | $29,474 | $12,000 |
| Human Services, General. | Associate's Degree | $22,590 | $11,273 |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services. | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $18,226 | $12,000 |

## What this is — and is NOT

Institution-wide medians from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. **Not** a prediction of what you would earn or owe, **not** a figure for any single program (a CS and a fine-arts graduate of the same school diverge enormously), **not** proof the school caused the outcome (selection, not causation), and **not** a "best college" ranking. Explore Lake Area Technical College by field of study at the official Scorecard: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?219143

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Structured data (JSON-LD), each figure labeled by epistemic status: `/education/lake-area-technical-college-sd.jsonld` · all schools: `/education`