| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year technical college; on campus, with six business programs fully online |
| Locations | 4, all in South Dakota: the Rapid City campus and three Practical Nursing sites in Whitewood, Philip and Hot Springs |
| Credentials | Associate degrees (AAS), diplomas, certificates and specialty courses |
| Typical length | From a five-week truck driving certificate to six-semester associate degrees |
| Students | 1,296 in fall 2025, including 411 high-school dual-enrollment students |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission since 1983; last reaffirmed 2021-22; next comprehensive evaluation October 2027 |
| Federal aid | Yes (federal school code 010170) |
| 2026-27 tuition and fees | $276 per credit for every student, plus program fees, mostly $39 to $98 per credit |
| Name | Formerly Western Dakota Technical Institute; often called Western Dakota Tech or WDT |
| Facts checked | 9 October 2026 |
Rapid City’s public technical college
Western Dakota Technical College is a public two-year college at 800 Mickelson Drive in Rapid City and one of South Dakota’s four public technical colleges, overseen by the state Board of Technical Education and run by its own Board of Trustees. It was formerly Western Dakota Technical Institute and is still often called Western Dakota Tech. The college lists 38 programs, from nursing, radiography and lab science to the trades, truck driving, law enforcement, IT and business, and teaches Practical Nursing at three sites outside Rapid City. Six business programs are fully online. Fall 2025 enrollment was 1,296, up 8.1% on the year before, including 411 high-school dual-enrollment students. The previous president died in office in September 2024, and the college’s 10th president took office in July 2025.
Programs and 2026-27 cost estimates
The table lists programs currently enrolling, from the college’s program pages and its 2026-27 cost sheet (checked October 2026). The estimates are the college’s whole-program figures, including tuition, fees, program fees, estimated books and a laptop where one is required; a dash means the sources gave no figure.
| Program | Credential | Length | Where and how | Prepares for | Program accreditation | College’s 2026-27 estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing | Diploma, 45 credits | 480 clinical hours | Rapid City, Whitewood, Philip, Hot Springs | NCLEX-PN | ACEN (initial) | $16,995 |
| Registered Nursing (LPN-to-RN) | AAS; RN year 41 credits | Fall or spring start | Rapid City | NCLEX-RN; requires an LPN licence | ACEN (initial) | $15,137 |
| Radiologic Technology | AAS, 79 credits | 6 semesters incl. a prerequisite semester | Rapid City | ARRT exam | None listed by the college | $30,619 |
| Medical Laboratory Technician | AAS, 69 credits | 4 semesters | Rapid City | – | NAACLS (to 2034) | $26,169 |
| Medical Laboratory Assistant – Phlebotomy | Certificate, 18 credits | 1 semester | Rapid City | AMT CMLA; ASCP or AMT phlebotomy | NAACLS (initial, to 2029) | $7,118 |
| Surgical Technology | AAS, 60 credits | – | Rapid City | NBSTSA CST | CAAHEP | $22,670 |
| Paramedic | AAS, 63 credits; certificate, 42 | – | Rapid City | Entry requires NREMT certification | CAAHEP (CoAEMSP) | $24,113; $16,110 |
| Advanced EMT | Certificate, 18 credits | About 9 months | Rapid City | – | – | $6,993 |
| Emergency Medical Technician | Specialty course, 6 credits | – | Rapid City | NREMT EMT | – | – |
| Registered Dental Assisting | Diploma, 41 credits | – | Rapid City | SD Board of Dentistry approval | CODA | $16,201 |
| Health Information Management (Coding Specialty) | AAS, 60 credits; diploma, 31 | – | Rapid City | – | – | $21,970; $11,317 |
| Automotive Technology | AAS, 65.5 credits | – | Rapid City | – | ASE Education Foundation | $25,542 |
| Diesel Technology | AAS, 66 credits | – | Rapid City | – | ASE Education Foundation; AED Foundation | $24,967 |
| Welding and Fabrication | AAS, 63 credits; diploma, 36 | – | Rapid City | – | – | $26,892; $16,355 |
| Electrical Trades | AAS, 71 credits | 4 semesters | Rapid City | Work as an apprentice electrician | – | $26,927 |
| Plumbing Technology | Diploma, 30 credits | – | Rapid City | One year of apprenticeship-card credit | – | $11,496 |
| Construction Technology | Diploma, 36 credits | – | Rapid City | – | – | $14,220 |
| Professional Truck Driving | Short-term certificate, 7 credits | 5 weeks | Rapid City; some night-and-weekend classes | Class A CDL | Federally registered ELDT provider | $4,274 |
| Architectural and Engineering Technology | AAS, 68 credits; certificates, 19 and 20 | 18 months (AAS) | Rapid City | CAD drafting work, not architect licensure | – | $26,521; $9,250; $9,875 |
| Environmental Engineering Technician | AAS, 67 credits | – | Rapid City | – | – | $28,416 |
| Agricultural Business | AAS, 61 credits; certificate, 28 | – | Rapid City | – | – | $23,232; $10,461 |
| Law Enforcement Technology | AAS, 62 credits | Academy in the final semester | Rapid City | – | SD Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training Commission approval | $23,344 |
| Criminal Justice | AAS, 63 credits | 2 years | Rapid City | – | – | $23,596 |
| Computer Science – IT Specialist | AAS, 66 credits; diploma, 33 | 4 semesters; 2 semesters | Rapid City | CompTIA, Cisco CCNA, Microsoft exams | – | $26,240; $14,407 |
| Accounting | AAS, 62 credits | – | Online | – | IACBE | $21,460 |
| Business & Technology | AAS, 63 credits | – | Online | – | IACBE | $20,975 |
| Bookkeeping | Diploma, 30 credits | – | Online | – | – | $10,514 |
| Business – Hospitality | Diploma, 39 credits | 3 semesters (about 11 months) | Online, campus or mixed | 240-hour internship | – | $12,980 |
| Business – Entrepreneurship; Business – Social Media Marketing | Certificates, 18 credits each | – | Online or mixed (Entrepreneurship also on campus) | – | – | $6,094; $5,981 |
| Business Office Professional | Diploma, 30 credits | – | Rapid City | – | – | $10,219 |
Six business programs can be taken fully online: Accounting, Bookkeeping, Business & Technology, Business – Entrepreneurship, Business – Hospitality and Business – Social Media Marketing. The college has been a SARA member since February 2017, so it can enroll online students from other states. Also listed are an Electrical Trades – Autonomous Equipment Technician certificate (21 credits), an individualized Technical Studies degree and an Allied Health associate degree, which is a completion degree for students who already hold a Western Dakota Tech healthcare diploma and has no licence of its own.
Some programs are not enrolling. HVAC & Refrigeration Technology is on hiatus for 2026-27; in May 2026 the state board approved turning it into a 36-credit, nine-month diploma. Precision Machining and Machining & Engineering Technology are on hiatus for 2025-26 and 2026-27, and Medical Assisting has not enrolled since 2024-25. Two new programs are planned for fall 2027: a 60-credit Gunsmithing degree, approved in May 2026, and Dental Hygiene, which is seeking initial CODA accreditation and takes applications from 1 December 2026 to 29 January 2027.
What the main programs cover
Practical Nursing and the RN bridge
Nursing is a two-step ladder. The Practical Nursing diploma is 45 credits, including 480 hours of supervised clinical practice, and it is the only program taught away from Rapid City, with cohorts in Whitewood, Philip and Hot Springs. Graduates who pass the NCLEX-PN and hold an LPN licence can then apply to the 41-credit Registered Nursing year, which starts in fall (apply by 1 July) or spring (apply by 1 December). Both programs admit by cohort, and the college warns that clinicals may include evenings, nights, weekends and holidays and travel outside Rapid City.
Radiologic Technology
The radiography degree is 79 credits: 64 in the core program and 15 in general education, spread over six semesters, the first of them a prerequisite semester. It admitted its first class in August 2024. Clinical rotations take place at Monument Health, Black Hills Surgical Hospital and Black Hills Orthopedics, and graduates are eligible to sit the ARRT exam. Entry is selective, separate from the college’s open admission. The program carries the college’s $89-a-credit program fee.
Professional Truck Driving
The truck driving certificate has two parts: CORP 110, a one-credit theory course, and CORP 111, a six-credit driving lab, together covering the federal entry-level driver training theory and behind-the-wheel requirements for a Class A licence. It takes five weeks. Each class is capped at eight students, and the college runs six cohorts plus two night-and-weekend classes a year from Badlands Hall, where a reserved lot is used for training and CDL testing. Students register through the college’s Corporate Education Center.
Computer Science – Information Technology Specialist
Despite its name, this program is about running networks and systems, not software theory. The four-semester AAS and the two-semester diploma prepare students for CompTIA, Cisco CCNA and Microsoft certification exams, and the college hosts Cisco, Red Hat and Palo Alto Networks academies. Western Dakota Tech is listed as an NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. Students must buy the required laptop, priced at $2,535 on the 2026-27 cost sheet, and the program is on the Build Dakota Scholarship list.
Construction Technology
The 36-credit Construction Technology diploma covers framing, cabinet-making, concrete and masonry, steel-frame and modular construction, print reading and welding, and includes an internship. Its program page names no OSHA or NCCER credential, so students who need one should ask. The college’s other building-trade programs are the Plumbing Technology diploma, which earns a year of apprenticeship-card credit, and the four-semester Electrical Trades degree.
Law Enforcement Technology
This 62-credit associate degree finishes with a Law Enforcement Academy in the final semester, when students also sign a Law Enforcement Restrictions Acknowledgment. The program is approved by South Dakota’s Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training Commission, acting for the Attorney General’s Office. Applicants need a valid driver’s licence, and South Dakota agencies cannot appoint officers under 21. We could not confirm whether graduates are certified on completion, so ask the program and the hiring agency how the academy fits the state’s certification route.
Cost: $276 a credit in 2026-27
Western Dakota Tech charges one rate to all students, with no separate in-district, in-state or out-of-state price. In 2025-26 the same charges came to $263 a credit, and the college also listed a separate $31-a-credit technology fee that year.
| 2026-27, per credit hour | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $134 |
| Institutional fee | $98 |
| State fees (facility $36 and maintenance and repair $8) | $44 |
| Total before program fees (same for every student) | $276 |
| Program fees | $39 to $98 in 11 tiers (business $39, Registered Nursing $66, MLT and Radiologic Technology $89, automotive, welding and construction $98); general education and healthcare core courses $61; truck driving $306 |
According to the college’s 2026-27 cost sheets, students also pay a one-time $55 confirmation fee and a $100 matriculation fee (listed on the program-fees sheet as a graduation fee per award), and Architectural and Engineering Technology, Computer Science, Environmental Engineering Technician and Welding students need a laptop ($2,535). No online course fee is listed for 2026-27. Whole-program estimates are in the programs table and run from $4,274 for truck driving to $30,619 for Radiologic Technology among programs now enrolling. The college warns that tuition and fees may change during the year. Federal data put 2024-25 tuition and fees at $8,294 a year.
The college takes federal student aid (school code 010170), including Federal Work-Study. Other help:
- Build Dakota Scholarship: a full ride covering tuition, fees, books and required program expenses in eligible programs, open to applicants of any age from any state. Recipients must study full-time, keep a 2.5 GPA and then work full-time in their field in South Dakota for three years. Applications run from 1 January to 31 March. The college recognized 127 recipients in June 2026, and Muth Electric is sponsoring 10 Electrical Trades awards.
- College scholarships: for fall 2026 the college said more than $1.25 million was available, including over $1 million in Build Dakota awards and more than 30 WDT Foundation scholarships worth about $250,000, through one application due 31 March.
- Veterans: the college has a Services for Veterans team and a VA education benefits FAQ.
Admission and schedules
Admission to the college is open and the application is free. New students apply, take the ACCUPLACER placement test ($15, waived with qualifying ACT or SAT scores), attend an admissions advising session, send a high-school transcript or GED and show two MMR doses before registering. Several health programs are selective and admit by cohort: Registered Nursing (LPN licence required; deadlines 1 July and 1 December), Practical Nursing, Radiologic Technology, Paramedic (NREMT certification, Anatomy and Physiology, Medical Terminology, BLS, a $50 background check and immunizations) and, from 2027, Dental Hygiene. Law Enforcement students need a valid driver’s licence.
The year is semester-based, with fall classes starting in August. Most programs are daytime cohorts on the Rapid City campus, and the six business programs above are online. Truck driving is the only program that publishes night-and-weekend classes. Health-program clinicals may be scheduled on evenings, nights, weekends and holidays, and outside Rapid City.
Accreditation and results
Western Dakota Tech has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 21 October 1983, for certificates from 1983 and associate degrees from 1990. HLC continued its accreditation after a comprehensive evaluation in 2021-22 (action of May 2022); the next comprehensive evaluation is scheduled for 18 October 2027, ahead of reaffirmation in 2027-28, and HLC lists no sanctions. Recent HLC approvals include an additional location in 2024 and a Pell-eligible prison education program in November 2025. Program accreditors are in the programs table: ACEN for Practical Nursing and the RN bridge (initial accreditation), NAACLS for MLT (continuing, to 2034) and Phlebotomy (initial, to 2029), CAAHEP for Paramedic and Surgical Technology, CODA for Registered Dental Assisting, the ASE Education Foundation for Automotive and Diesel (plus the AED Foundation for Diesel) and IACBE for Accounting and Business & Technology. Law Enforcement Technology is approved by the state’s officer standards commission. The college’s accreditation page names no programmatic accreditor for Radiologic Technology.
The college’s figures for its 2024 graduates, and federal figures for completion:
| Measure | Result | Group and source |
|---|---|---|
| Placement | 100% | 2024 graduates; 249 of 286 responded (college placement report) |
| Working in their field | 96% | Same group |
| Employed in South Dakota | 93% | Same group |
| In-field hourly wage one year after graduating | $27.48 | Same group, college release of September 2025 |
| Graduation within 150% of normal time | 54% | Full-time first-time students who started in fall 2021 (federal IPEDS data) |
| Returned for a second year | 67% full-time, 49% part-time | Fall 2023 to fall 2024 (IPEDS) |
The college counts as placed the responding graduates who are employed, continuing their education or in the military, out of those seeking work, using surveys from six months after graduation, faculty data and state labor records. The nursing pages link to NCLEX results, but we could not read figures from them, so none are given here; ask the program for its latest pass rates. We found no published pass rates on the program pages for the ARRT, ASCP or AMT laboratory, CST or NREMT exams.
What changed since 2023
- October 2023: the state board approved the Hot Springs Practical Nursing site.
- 2024-25: Medical Assisting went on hiatus and has not reopened.
- August 2024: Radiologic Technology and Advanced EMT took their first classes, and the newly approved truck driving certificate was due to start.
- September 2024: NAACLS granted Phlebotomy initial accreditation and MLT 10-year continuing accreditation. The college’s president died in office the same month; the 10th president took office in July 2025.
- 2025: both machining programs went on hiatus for 2025-26 and 2026-27. Fall 2025 enrollment rose 8.1%.
- May 2026: the state board approved the Gunsmithing degree (from fall 2027), the HVAC/R diploma conversion and a teaching site at the Rapid City correctional facility.
- 2026-27: HVAC & Refrigeration Technology is not enrolling.
Before you enroll
- There is no direct-entry RN program. Students without an LPN licence start with the Practical Nursing diploma and must be licensed before they can apply to the RN year.
- Build Dakota is a full ride with a condition: three years of full-time work in your field in South Dakota after graduating. Check the terms before accepting it if you may move away.
- Radiologic Technology began in 2024 and the college’s accreditation page lists no programmatic accreditor for it; ask about its accreditation status and, once it has graduates, their ARRT results.
- Check that the program you want is enrolling: HVAC/R, both machining programs and Medical Assisting are not, and Gunsmithing and Dental Hygiene do not start until fall 2027.
- There is no on-campus housing. The college’s leased flats are about four miles from campus.
Campuses
The Rapid City campus at 800 Mickelson Drive teaches every program. Practical Nursing, and only Practical Nursing, is also taught at three sites approved by the Higher Learning Commission: Hale Hall at 1016 Meade Street in Whitewood, Philip High School at 330 Scottie Avenue in Philip, and the Michael J. Fitzmaurice State Veterans Home at 2500 Minnekahta Avenue in Hot Springs. The prison education sites in Rapid City are not open to the public.
Housing and career help
Western Dakota Tech has no residence hall in operation. It places students at The Sojourn flats, 2401 Mount Rushmore Road, about four miles from campus: for 2026-27 a shared room costs $2,950 per student per semester and a single $5,900, on a lease from 8 August 2026 to 17 May 2027. The college has a career services office; its placement figures are under Accreditation and results above. Local news reported a Western Dakota Tech career fair in February 2026.
What students say on Niche
On Niche, Western Dakota Technical College has 3.87 out of 5 from 189 reviews and an overall grade of B+ (checked 9 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise hands-on, career-focused training, with welding named, experienced faculty, and instructors and advisers who are easy to reach. The complaints are uneven instructor quality in some programs, slow replies to email, outdated equipment in some programs and little campus life. We could not see when the reviews were posted, so we cannot say whether they were invited or arrived in a burst. Niche also keeps an older page under the former name, Western Dakota Technical Institute.
Sources
Checked 9 October 2026: Western Dakota Tech programs · HLC accreditation status · College accreditation page · 2026-27 cost · Fall 2025 enrollment and 2024 placement · College Navigator · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Practical Nursing (diploma; Rapid City, Whitewood, Philip and Hot Springs)
- Registered Nursing AAS (LPN-to-RN "1+1" bridge; requires an LPN licence; Rapid City)
Health Sciences
- Radiologic Technology (AAS)
- Medical Laboratory Technician (AAS)
- Medical Laboratory Assistant – Phlebotomy (certificate)
- Surgical Technology (AAS)
- Paramedic (AAS and certificate)
- Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (certificate)
- Emergency Medical Technician (specialty course)
- Registered Dental Assisting (diploma)
- Health Information Management – Coding Specialty (AAS and diploma)
- Allied Health (completion AAS for WDTC healthcare diploma holders)
- Dental Hygiene (AAS; first class fall 2027, seeking CODA accreditation)
Trades and Transportation
- Automotive Technology (AAS)
- Diesel Technology (AAS)
- Welding and Fabrication (AAS and diploma)
- Electrical Trades (AAS)
- Electrical Trades – Autonomous Equipment Technician (certificate)
- Plumbing Technology (diploma)
- Construction Technology (diploma)
- Professional Truck Driving (Class A CDL short-term certificate)
- Gunsmithing (AAS; starts fall 2027)
Engineering, Environment and Agriculture
- Architectural and Engineering Technology (AAS; Architectural and Mechanical certificates)
- Environmental Engineering Technician (AAS)
- Agricultural Business (AAS and certificate)
Public Safety and Law
- Law Enforcement Technology (AAS)
- Criminal Justice (AAS)
Business (online options)
- Accounting (AAS; online)
- Bookkeeping (diploma; online)
- Business & Technology (AAS; online)
- Business – Hospitality (diploma; online or campus)
- Business – Entrepreneurship (certificate; online or campus)
- Business – Social Media Marketing (certificate; online or mixed)
- Business Office Professional (diploma)
Information Technology
- Computer Science – Information Technology Specialist (AAS and diploma)
Other
- Technical Studies (individualized AAS)
Campus Locations
Rapid City, SD 800 Mickelson Dr, Rapid City, SD 57703
Whitewood, SD Hale Hall, 1016 Meade St, Whitewood, SD
Philip, SD Philip High School, 330 Scottie Ave, Philip, SD
Hot Springs, SD State Veterans Home, 2500 Minnekahta Ave, Hot Springs, SD