Community CollegePublic

Lake Area Technical College

Watertown, South Dakota·Public, 2-year·Plains·lakeareatech.edu
6-yr Graduation
73%
Total enrollment
2,312
peer median 2,141
Avg net price
$14,826
+$1.0k vs Community College
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Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
73%
Full-time retention
81%

Pell equity

1.0pp gap
Pell recipients
69%
Non-Pell
70%

Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates — a notably small equity gap.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 41 Title IV programs, 13 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 28 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
41
Passing
13
31.7% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

41programs
  • Passing13 · 31.7%
  • No Data28 · 68.3%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
2
Safe
10
No data
28

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

13
Human Services General
Associate Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
+3.0%
$37,135 vs $36,067
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+20.8%
$43,574 vs $36,067
Marketing
Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+21.0%
$43,632 vs $36,067
Finance and Financial Management Services
Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+31.5%
$47,420 vs $36,067
Building/Construction Finishing Management and Inspection
Associate Degree · Construction Trades
+32.9%
$47,946 vs $36,067
Agricultural Business and Management
Associate Degree · Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, And Related Sciences
+33.9%
$48,305 vs $36,067
Precision Metal Working
Associate Degree · Precision Production
+42.0%
$51,201 vs $36,067
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+42.5%
$51,402 vs $36,067

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Human Services General
Associate Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
+3.0%
+$1,068

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

14
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services
Undergraduate Certificate · Personal And Culinary Services
34%
$12,000 debt · $35,222 earn
Human Services General
Associate Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
32%
$12,000 debt · $37,135 earn
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
28%
$12,000 debt · $43,574 earn
Marketing
Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
28%
$12,000 debt · $43,632 earn
Finance and Financial Management Services
Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
25%
$12,000 debt · $47,420 earn
Building/Construction Finishing Management and Inspection
Associate Degree · Construction Trades
25%
$12,000 debt · $47,946 earn
Agricultural Business and Management
Associate Degree · Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, And Related Sciences
25%
$12,000 debt · $48,305 earn
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
25%
$12,692 debt · $51,402 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1980Next review Aug 2027

Programmatic accreditations · 5

Action history · 11

  1. Apr 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) - Programs leading to an associate degree
  2. Feb 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Assisting (DA)
  3. Dec 2022Warning or Equivalent-Factors Affecting Academic Quality
    American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) - Programs leading to an associate degree
  4. Nov 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education · Physical Therapy (PTA) - Programs for the physical therapist assistant
  5. Sep 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (PNUR) - Practical nursing programs

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$10,281
$30–48k$11,773
$48–75k$14,034
$75–110k$16,925
$110k+$17,310

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$14,826
+$1,022vs Community College median $13,804
Federal loans
59.3%
In-state tuition
$6,718
Out-of-state
$6,718

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 812 students received $4.3M in Pell grants, alongside $6.0M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
812
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$4.3M
$4,301,936 total
Direct Loans
$6.0M
1,625 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
20
1k
21
1k
22
1k
23
1k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$2.5M
770 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$2.9M
812 loan awards
Parent PLUS$567K
43 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 765 borrowers who entered repayment, 16 (2.0%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
2.0%
-0.3pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
765
Defaulted
16
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
8.4%
2017
7.1%
2018
8.0%
2019
2.0%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Lake Area Technical College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs30
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

569 total completions
01Mechanic
14325.1%
02Health Professions
10217.9%
03Agriculture
8715.3%
04Business
8514.9%
05Engineering Tech
437.6%
06Precision Production
346.0%
07Computer Sciences
284.9%
08Security/Protective
183.2%
09Transportation
173.0%
10Construction Trades
122.1%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
2,312
12-mo unduplicated
2,769
Undergraduate
2,769
Graduate
0

Gender split

Men
47%1,315
Women
53%1,454

Race / ethnicity composition

White
90.6%
Hispanic
2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native
2.5%
Asian
1.5%
Black
1.4%
Unknown
0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.5%
Non-resident
0.1%
Two or more
0.1%

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.00
0 offenses · 2,238 students

3-year trend

0.002 yrs ago0.001 yr ago0.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
0
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
0
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

No criminal offenses reported.

By location

0total

    VAWA offenses

    0
    Domestic violence
    0
    Dating violence
    0
    Stalking
    0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

    Hate crimes by bias

    No hate crimes reported.

    Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

    CategoryArrestsReferrals
    Weapons00
    Drugs00
    Liquor00

    Residence-hall fires

    No residence-hall fires reported.

    Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

    Student-faculty ratio

    Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

    Student-to-faculty
    16.0:1
    Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
    115

    Lake Area Technical College vs Peer comparison

    The peer institutions Lake Area Technical College selected for federal comparison reporting.

    GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
    This institutionPeer median

    A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

    Carnegie
    SubjectLake Area Technical College
    73%2,312$14,826Community College
    Southeast Technical College
    2,659$17,165Community College
    Mitchell Technical College
    1,186$13,650Community College
    Anoka Technical College
    1,970$12,261Community College
    North Central Missouri College
    1,951$10,528Community College
    State Technical College of Missouri
    2,346$13,958Community College
    Peer group median73%2,141$13,804

    Frequently asked questions about Lake Area Technical College

    Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Lake Area Technical College.

    What is the graduation rate at Lake Area Technical College?

    Lake Area Technical College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 73% per the latest IPEDS.

    How many students attend Lake Area Technical College?

    Lake Area Technical College reports a total enrollment of 2,312 students per the latest IPEDS.

    What is the average net price at Lake Area Technical College?

    The average net price at Lake Area Technical College is $14,826 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

    Where is Lake Area Technical College located?

    Lake Area Technical College is located in Watertown, South Dakota 57201-0730.

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