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Best Associate Degree Schools in South Dakota

2023 Best Associate Degree Schools in South Dakota

10 Schools Ranked
$10,340 Avg Tuition & Fees*

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Also, there are a number of trade schools and bootcamp with offerings that you might find attractive.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Associate Degree Schools in South Dakota ranking. This report analyzed 10 schools in South Dakota to see which ones offered the best associate degree programs for students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

Top Associate Degree Schools in South Dakota

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
124 Total Awards
$9,299 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named South Dakota State University the best school in South Dakota for students working on their associate degree. This fairly large public school is located in Brookings, South Dakota, and it awarded 124 associate degrees in .

Full-time students from South Dakota pay an average of $9,299 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend South Dakota State. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $12,809.

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#2

Lake Area Technical Institute

Watertown, South Dakota
643 Total Awards
$6,718 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lake Area Technical Institute. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Associate Degree Schools in South Dakota list. LATI is located in Watertown, South Dakota and has a small student population. In , this school awarded 643 associate degrees to qualified students.

The average tuition and fees at LATI is $6,718. In-state students do not receive a discount, however you may be able to reduce your price if you receive financial aid.

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#3

Southeast Technical College

Sioux Falls, South Dakota
565 Total Awards
$7,650 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southeast Technical College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Associate Degree Schools in South Dakota list. Southeast Technical College is a small public school located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota that handed out 565 associate degrees in .

Southeast Tech does not offer a discount to in-state students, so the average tuition and fees for all undergraduates is $7,650. This amount may be reduced if you receive financial aid.

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#4

Dakota State University

Madison, South Dakota
63 Total Awards
$9,633 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dakota State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Associate Degree Schools in South Dakota list. Dakota State University is a small public school located in Madison, South Dakota that handed out 63 associate degrees in .

Full-time students from South Dakota pay an average of $9,633 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Dakota State. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $12,735.

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#5

Mitchell Technical College

Mitchell, South Dakota
354 Total Awards
$7,524 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mitchell Technical College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Associate Degree Schools in South Dakota list. Mitchell Tech is located in Mitchell, South Dakota and has a small student population. In , this school awarded 354 associate degrees to qualified students.

If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $7,524 to cover tuition and fees at Mitchell Tech. The school does not offer an in-state discount.

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#6

Northern State University

Aberdeen, South Dakota
29 Total Awards
$8,845 Average Tuition & Fees

Northern State University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree programs. Located in Aberdeen, South Dakota, the small public school awarded 29 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in .

In-state students pay an average of $8,845 in tuition and fees if they attend NSU full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $11,947.

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#7

University of Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls, South Dakota
9 Total Awards
$20,740 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Sioux Falls did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #7 on the list. University of Sioux Falls is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It awarded 9 associate degrees in .

If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $20,740 to cover tuition and fees at University of Sioux Falls. The school does not offer an in-state discount.

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#8

Black Hills State University

Spearfish, South Dakota
48 Total Awards
$8,916 Average Tuition & Fees

Black Hills State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in South Dakota ranking. Located in Spearfish, South Dakota, the small public school awarded 48 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in .

In-state students pay an average of $8,916 in tuition and fees if they attend BHSU full time. Out-of-state students pay an average of $12,018.

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#10

Western Dakota Technical Institute

Rapid City, South Dakota
240 Total Awards
$8,008 Average Tuition & Fees

Western Dakota Technical Institute came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in South Dakota ranking. Western Dakota Tech is located in Rapid City, South Dakota and has a small student population. In , this school awarded 240 associate degrees to qualified students.

If you don’t receive financial aid, you can expect a bill for $8,008 to cover tuition and fees at Western Dakota Tech. The school does not offer an in-state discount.

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Best Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region

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Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 10 schools only.

References

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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