| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year technical college in the South Dakota technical-college system; campus-based, with hybrid options and some fully online E-Degrees |
| Campus | 1, in Watertown, SD; Practical Nursing labs are also held at Capital City Campus in Pierre |
| Credentials | Associate of applied science degrees, diplomas, certificates and non-degree courses |
| Programs | 51 programs, 6 non-degree certificates and 2 non-degree courses (college program index) |
| Typical length | 11-month diplomas to 20-month and two-year AAS degrees |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission since 1980, no sanctions; reaffirmation visit scheduled for 26 October 2026 |
| Federal aid | Yes (OPEID 00530900) |
| 2026-27 cost | $210 per credit in tuition and fees for every student, plus departmental fees |
| Students | 2,387 in fall 2026, including dual-credit students |
| Founded | 1965; renamed from Lake Area Technical Institute on 1 July 2020 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Lake Area Tech: a public technical college in Watertown, South Dakota
Lake Area Technical College, usually called Lake Area Tech or LATC, is one of South Dakota’s public technical colleges. It was founded in 1965 and was Lake Area Technical Institute until 1 July 2020, when a state law renamed the four South Dakota technical institutes as colleges. In 2017 it won the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, after being named a finalist with distinction in 2011, 2013 and 2015.
Nearly everything is taught on one campus in Watertown, from diesel, welding and pilot training to nursing, dental and therapy-assistant programs. Students from any state pay the same rate. Fall 2026 enrollment reached a record 2,387, including dual-credit high-school students, up 3% on the year before.
Programs at Lake Area Tech
The college lists 51 programs plus six non-degree certificates and two non-degree courses. The table shows the main career programs with the college’s total estimated program cost, which it says is accurate as of 2026 and includes tuition, fees, tools, books and a laptop but not housing or food.
| Program | Credential | Length | Delivery | Prepares for | Estimated total cost (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing (LPN) | Diploma | 11 months full time; 18 months part time | Campus or hybrid (August); part-time hybrid (January); online with labs in Pierre | NCLEX-PN | $16,543 campus, $17,173 hybrid |
| Registered Nursing (LPN-to-RN) | Associate degree | 11 months | Campus or E-Degree with on-campus labs and simulation | NCLEX-RN (LPN licence required to enter) | $16,209 |
| Med/Fire Rescue | AAS; Paramedic diploma | 20 months; diploma 15 months | Campus; hybrid paramedic diploma (January start) | NREMT paramedic; Pro Board Firefighter I and II | $24,463 AAS, $17,285 diploma |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | Associate degree | 20 months | Campus | NBCOT (COTA) | Ask the college |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | AAS | About 20 months | Campus; 28 seats a year | NPTE | Ask the college |
| Medical Laboratory Technician | Associate degree | About 20 months, including an 18-week clinical | Campus, hybrid or part-time E-Degree | ASCP BOC (MLT) | $21,520 |
| Dental Assisting | Diploma; AAS option | 11 months; AAS 20 months | Campus or hybrid | DANB exams | $21,934 campus, $14,996 hybrid |
| Medical Assisting | Diploma | 11 months plus a 255-hour externship | Campus or hybrid | CMA (AAMA) or RMA | $12,034 |
| Diesel Technology | AAS | About 2 years | Campus | Manufacturer options (CNH, Kubota, John Deere, Caterpillar, ButlerMAX) | Ask the college |
| Automotive Technology | AAS | 18 to 24 months | Campus | ASE Education Foundation (ASE Master) | $29,750 |
| Welding Technology | Diploma or AAS | 9 months or 2 years | Campus | AWS certification tests | $22,539 |
| Aviation Maintenance Technology | AAS | 18 months over two years | Campus (FAA Part 147) | FAA Airframe and Powerplant | $29,552 |
| Professional Fixed Wing Pilot | AAS | 18 months to about 2 years | Watertown Regional Airport (Part 61) | Private, Instrument, Commercial; CFI or Part 107 options | $84,032 |
| Law Enforcement | AAS | About 18 months | Campus or hybrid | South Dakota LET written and skills tests | $22,518 campus, $9,948 hybrid |
| Computer Information Systems (3 specializations) | AAS | 2 years | Campus or hybrid; Software Development also as an E-Degree | CompTIA, Cisco CCNA and other named exams (networking) | $21,357 each |
| Business Accounting | Associate degree | About 20 months | Campus or E-Degree | – | $21,012 campus, $21,951 E-Degree |
| Cosmetology | Certificate, 1,500 hours | 4 semesters | Campus (Inspire Salon and Spa) | South Dakota cosmetology licence exam | $15,605 |
| Commercial Driver’s License | Non-credit course | Typically 2 to 4 weeks behind the wheel | Online theory; behind-the-wheel training billed by the hour | CDL skills test (third-party, $150) | $200 per theory module; $350 per driving hour |
Programmatic accreditation, as the college lists it: ACEN for Registered and Practical Nursing; CODA for Dental Assisting and initial accreditation for the new Dental Hygiene AAS; ACOTE for OTA; CAPTE for PTA; NAACLS for MLT through 2029; CAAHEP for Medical Assisting, Surgical Technology and Paramedic; Pro Board for the fire standards in Med/Fire Rescue; the FAA for Aviation Maintenance; the ASE Education Foundation for Automotive; and the AED Foundation for Diesel.
Other programs include Auto Body & Paint, Robotics, Electronic Systems, Energy Technology, Precision Machining, Graphic Design, Agriculture Business, Production, Precision Agriculture and Livestock, Child Care Technician, and Phlebotomy, EMT and drone certificates.
What the main programs cover
Practical Nursing (LPN)
The diploma takes 11 months full time, starting in August on campus or in a hybrid format, or 18 months part time in a hybrid format starting in January. Students in the Pierre option take coursework online, do labs at Capital City Campus, a shared higher-education centre in Pierre, and clinicals at Avera St. Mary’s, with occasional trips to Watertown for simulation. Other clinical sites include Aberdeen, Sioux Falls and Yankton in South Dakota and Montevideo and Ortonville in Minnesota. Graduates sit the NCLEX-PN for an LPN licence.
Registered Nursing (LPN-to-RN)
This is not a first-time nursing program. Applicants must already hold a current, unencumbered LPN licence, and entry is competitive, with one fall start and a priority window from 1 September 2026 to 1 March 2027. The associate degree takes 11 months: two semesters plus a summer. Students can attend on campus or take the RN E-Degree, which puts coursework online but still requires on-campus clinical, lab and simulation sessions once or twice a term. Graduates sit the NCLEX-RN. Completion within 12 months was 89% (54 of 61) in 2025-26.
Med/Fire Rescue and paramedic
The AAS takes about 20 months and combines paramedic education with fire training held to Pro Board standards, including NFPA 1001 Firefighter I and II. Students can leave earlier with a Paramedic diploma after 15 months, and the program has exit points at EMR, EMT and AEMT. EMTs can take a 20-month online hybrid Paramedic diploma that starts in January; it requires NREMT EMT certification before entry. The separate one-semester EMT certificate is also hybrid, with skills sessions and testing on campus.
Diesel Technology
Diesel is the college’s largest program, with 92 associate degrees awarded in 2023-24 according to IPEDS, and it is accredited by the AED Foundation. The AAS takes about two years. Besides the Ag/Industrial Tractor & Truck option, students can join manufacturer programs: ButlerMAX, CNH, Kubota, John Deere TechKnowledge or Caterpillar ThinkBIG. Classes use the Ace A. Brandt Diesel Center, which opened in fall 2023. Automotive Technology graduates can add a Diesel AAS in 18 months.
Aviation: pilot and maintenance
The Professional Fixed Wing Pilot AAS trains at Watertown Regional Airport under FAA Part 61. Students earn Private and Commercial pilot certificates and an Instrument rating, then choose a CFI option (CFI, CFII and Multi-Engine, with at least 209 flight hours) or an uncrewed aerial systems option with Part 107 (at least 197 hours). Aviation Maintenance Technology runs August to May over two years at an FAA Part 147 school: students take the Airframe test after the first year and the Powerplant test at the end, toward an A&P certificate.
Computer Information Systems
The CIS degree has three two-year AAS specializations; the college’s 2026-27 CIS cost sheet shows 70 credits. Software Development & Database Administration teaches Python, Java, JavaScript, C#, PHP and SQL, with database design and administration in MySQL and SQL Server, on campus or as a fully online E-Degree. Networking & Cybersecurity Specialist covers routing, switching, wireless, Windows, Linux and cloud administration and security, toward CompTIA Network+ and Security+ and Cisco CCNA. Graphic Design & Digital Communications covers branding, web, motion graphics, video and UI/UX.
Cost and paying for it
The South Dakota Board of Technical Education sets tuition and state fees, and Lake Area Tech charges the same rate to in-state and out-of-state students. For 2026-27, net tuition rose $4 a credit from the year before, according to the board’s FY27 tuition proposal.
| 2026-27, per credit | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $134 |
| State funding fee | $36 |
| Repair and maintenance fee | $9 |
| Campus support fee | $31 |
| Total per credit, in-state and out-of-state | $210 |
| Departmental fees, per term (vary by program) | $495 to $1,732 |
| Application fee (since 1 September 2025) | None |
| Enrollment fee, due on acceptance (non-refundable) | $100 |
Textbooks run from $160 to over $1,000 a year, depending on the program, according to the college. International applicants pay a $250 application fee. College Navigator gives 2024-25 tuition and fees of $6,718 for a year and an average net price of $13,551 for 2023-24 (full-time beginning in-state students receiving aid). The college takes federal student aid, and its cohort default rate was 0.0% for the FY2021 cohort.
The Build Dakota Scholarship is a full ride covering tuition, fees, books, tools, equipment and a laptop for new students in eligible programs, including nursing, welding, the diesel Ag/Industrial option, CIS, dental and MLT; it does not cover OTA, PTA, aviation, cosmetology or business. It is open to out-of-state students as well as South Dakotans, but recipients must work full time in their field in South Dakota for three years after graduating. Applications for fall 2027 run from 1 January to 31 March 2027. The college’s foundation says it awarded more than $5 million in scholarships in the past academic year.
Open admission, but many health programs are selective
Lake Area Tech admits applicants openly, but several programs set their own entry rules and seat limits. Physical Therapist Assistant takes 28 students a year and uses ACT or Accuplacer reading scores and an essay. Registered Nursing admits only licensed LPNs. Dental Hygiene requires the Dental Assisting program and a TEAS score of at least 58.7. OTA requires ACT subscores of 18 or set Accuplacer scores. Law Enforcement requires an interview, a background check, a drug test and the M-PULSE assessment.
Most programs start in August, and admission for many opens on 1 September for the following fall. The part-time LPN and the hybrid paramedic diploma start in January, MLT starts in fall or spring, and EMT runs in fall, spring or summer. Hybrid programs combine online coursework with scheduled labs or clinicals on campus. E-Degrees, which the college describes as 100% online, are offered in Business Accounting and Financial Services, the Entrepreneurship, Human Resource and Marketing & Management options, Software Development & Database Administration and Agriculture Business; some program pages still mention required on-campus experiences, so check before enrolling from a distance. The college participates in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA).
Accreditation and results
Lake Area Tech has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 2 May 1980 and has no sanctions. HLC last reaffirmed its accreditation in 2016-17, and its evaluation visit for the next reaffirmation is scheduled for 26 October 2026; the outcome will not be known until after the visit.
| Measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Placement: graduates employed or continuing their education within six months | 99.8% | Class of 2025, college outcomes page |
| Graduation within 150% of normal time | 73% | Full-time, first-time students entering fall 2021, College Navigator |
| Retention | 81% of full-time and 78% of part-time students returned | Fall 2023 to fall 2024, College Navigator |
| Practical Nursing, first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate | 96.36% (South Dakota 95.33%, US 88.38%) | 2024, college’s 2025 nursing outcome report |
| Practical Nursing, full-time completion within 12 months | 58% (48 of 83) | 2025-26, program page |
| Medical Assisting, CMA pass rate | 86.84% | Five-year average, 2020-2024, program page |
| Paramedic, NREMT success rate | 82% | 2025 CoAEMSP annual report, published by the college |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant, graduation rate | 87% (34 graduates) | 2023-2025, program page |
Before you enroll
- Registered nursing is for licensed LPNs only. Students starting from scratch need the 11-month Practical Nursing diploma, an LPN licence and a second competitive application before the RN year.
- Practical Nursing completion is lower than its pass rate: only 58% of the 2025-26 full-time cohort finished within 12 months, and the program was below its own 60% goal in five of the last six years.
- The Law Enforcement AAS does not make you a certified officer. Graduates can take South Dakota’s written and skills tests within two years of graduating and are certified only if an agency hires them in that window; otherwise certification comes through the state academy after an agency hires them.
- Pilot training costs about $84,000 and runs under Part 61, not Part 141, so it does not lead to a restricted ATP. Aviation programs are not covered by Build Dakota.
- The Build Dakota full ride comes with a commitment to work full time in your field in South Dakota for three years, and there are no residence halls: all students live off campus.
One campus in Watertown, with nursing labs in Pierre
All credit programs are taught on the Watertown campus at 1201 Arrow Ave. Diesel students use the Ace A. Brandt Diesel Center, cosmetology students the on-campus Inspire Salon and Spa, and the campus also houses the Prairie Lakes Healthcare Center of Learning. Pilot training is based at Watertown Regional Airport, and agriculture students use a demonstration farm northwest of Watertown. Practical Nursing students who choose the Pierre option do their labs at Capital City Campus in Pierre, a shared higher-education centre that Lake Area Tech does not run; a nursing simulation lab there was expanded for spring 2026. The college has proposed a Trades Center that would open in fall 2028.
Housing and career help
Lake Area Tech owns no student housing. It runs an off-campus housing listing service, which it does not screen, and a roommate board. The college runs a job board and publishes placement figures: 99.8% of the Class of 2025 were working or continuing their education within six months. Medical Assisting includes a 255-hour externship, OTA two eight-week Level II fieldworks, Dental Hygiene 720 patient-care hours and MLT an 18-week clinical.
What students say
On Niche, Lake Area Technical College has an overall grade of A− and a rating of 4.42 out of 5 from 107 reviews (checked 9 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise small classes with one-on-one help from instructors, a friendly and supportive community, and hands-on programs. The most common complaints are housing that is expensive or not close to campus, the lack of varsity sports, and online or hybrid classes with little interaction. The reviews cover the whole college, and we could not tell whether they were invited by the school or posted in bursts; no other platform we checked had 25 or more reviews.
Sources
Checked October 2026: Lake Area Tech programs · Cost of attendance 2026-27 · 2026-27 course catalog · Student outcomes · HLC accreditation status · College Navigator · South Dakota law-enforcement training FAQ · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health
- Practical Nursing (LPN diploma; campus, hybrid, or online with Pierre labs)
- Registered Nursing (LPN-to-RN associate degree)
- Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Physical Therapist Assistant (AAS)
- Medical Laboratory Technician
- Surgical Technology
- Dental Assisting (diploma or AAS)
- Dental Hygiene (AAS)
- Medical Assisting (diploma)
- Phlebotomy (certificate)
- Community Health Worker (online certificate)
Emergency Services and Law Enforcement
- Med/Fire Rescue (AAS; Paramedic diploma)
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT certificate)
- Law Enforcement (AAS; Conservation Officer option)
Transportation and Aviation
- Automotive Technology (AAS)
- Diesel Technology (AAS; manufacturer options)
- Auto Body & Paint Technology
- Aviation Maintenance Technology (AAS)
- Professional Fixed Wing Pilot (AAS)
- Commercial Driver's License (non-credit Corporate Education course)
Manufacturing, Electronics and Energy
- Welding Technology (diploma or AAS)
- Precision Machining (AAS)
- CNC Operator (certificate)
- Electronic Systems Technology (AAS)
- Robotics (AAS)
- Energy Technology (AAS)
- Energy Operations
- Manufacturing Maintenance (certificate)
Construction
- Building Trades Technology
- Heavy Equipment Operator
Agriculture and Natural Resources
- Agriculture Business (campus or online)
- Agriculture Production
- Precision Agriculture
- Livestock
- Natural Resources Management
Business and Financial Services
- Business: Entrepreneurship
- Business: Human Resource Associate
- Business: Marketing & Management
- Business: Photography/Media
- Business Accounting
- Agri-Financial Services
- Consumer Financial Services
Computer Information Systems
- Software Development & Database Administration (AAS)
- Networking & Cybersecurity Specialist (AAS)
- Graphic Design & Digital Communications (AAS)
- Uncrewed Aerial Systems (Drones) (certificate)
Cosmetology and Human Services
- Cosmetology (1,500 hours)
- Child Care Technician
- Associate of Social Work
Campus Locations
Watertown, SD 1201 Arrow Ave., Watertown, SD 57201