10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$244,060at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Western Dakota Technical College
Rapid City, SD · 15 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 14 · Federal debt reported for 13
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$244,060 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
Not availableTime to earn back the modeled cost
−106%Estimated return after 10 years
$43,662Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $9,756 housing and food allowance plus $2,475 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$193,380
$8,000Annual price−$225,380
$13,000Current college-wide context−$245,380
$16,000Annual price−$257,380
$24,000Annual price−$289,380
$32,000Annual price−$321,380
$40,000Annual price−$353,380
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Higher Learning Commission
- Main award level
- Associate degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Open admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
464 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in South Dakota run 11% below the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$12,670Average net price / year
$18,845Cost of attendance
$15,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$159/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$43,662Median earnings · year 5 after completion
54.2%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
753Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Western Dakota Technical College
What does Western Dakota Technical College cost?
Western Dakota Technical College reports an average annual net price of $12,670 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Western Dakota Technical College graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $43,662 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Western Dakota Technical College graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $15,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Western Dakota Technical College worth the same?
No. The current release contains 15 field-and-degree records for Western Dakota Technical College; 14 report year-4 earnings and 13 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
1,626Students enrolled at any point
1,626Undergraduate students
Not availableGraduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
41% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
23 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
47% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$36,449Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$44,164Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$45,314Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income38%
Middle income61%
Higher income71%
Undergraduate student composition
White73%
Black2%
Hispanic7%
Asian1%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW
How earnings develop by field
Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.
Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Boilermaking/Boilermaker.Associate degree · Broad federal field 48
$44,295Year 1
$45,751Year 5
$72,585Year 10
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians.Certificate, 1–2 years · Broad federal field 47
$35,840Year 1
$50,995Year 5
$68,450Year 10
Computer Programming.Associate degree · Broad federal field 11
$42,838Year 1
$59,848Year 5
$62,818Year 10
Criminal Justice and Corrections.Associate degree · Broad federal field 43
$36,674Year 1
$50,858Year 5
$60,837Year 10
Boilermaking/Boilermaker.Certificate, 1–2 years · Broad federal field 48
$33,699Year 1
$51,223Year 5
$59,848Year 10
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians.Associate degree · Broad federal field 15
$41,695Year 1
$52,354Year 5
$59,848Year 10
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians.Associate degree · Broad federal field 47
$42,325Year 1
$43,948Year 5
$57,726Year 10
Law.Associate degree · Broad federal field 22
$44,398Year 1
$41,115Year 5
$54,993Year 10
Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$37,127Year 1
$49,930Year 4
$43,662Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Electrical and Power Transmission Installers · Associate's Degree$67,2042Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications · Associate's Degree$59,6963Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General · Associate's Degree$55,6714Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Associate's Degree$54,9485Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$53,9766Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$53,1857Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Associate's Degree$52,7958Precision Metal Working · Associate's Degree$51,988Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $39,988 reported+19%vs same-degree national median$8,250federal debt2Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralAssociate's Degree · $55,671 reported+9%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Computer Systems Networking and TelecommunicationsAssociate's Degree · $59,696 reported+9%vs same-degree national median$20,049federal debt4Computer Systems Networking and TelecommunicationsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $53,185 reported+6%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Precision Metal WorkingUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $48,803 reported+0%vs same-degree national median$9,125federal debt6Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's Degree · $46,659 reported-0%vs same-degree national median$17,999federal debt
Comparable colleges in SD
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Watertown, SD
Lake Area Technical College
- Annual net price
- $15,979
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $45,330
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -99%
Black Hills State University
- Annual net price
- $15,911
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $46,420
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -94%
Sinte Gleska University
- Annual net price
- $12,768
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $51,687
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -71%
Mitchell Technical College
- Annual net price
- $13,460
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $53,624
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -63%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing all 15 field-and-degree records in the current release.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers | Associate's Degree | $67,204 | $12,548 | Not reported |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | Associate's Degree | $59,696 | $20,049 | Not reported |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | Associate's Degree | $55,671 | Not available | Not reported |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $54,948 | $15,125 | Not reported |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $53,976 | $20,500 | 55 |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $53,185 | Not available | 25 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Associate's Degree | $52,795 | $18,081 | Not reported |
| Precision Metal Working | Associate's Degree | $51,988 | $12,000 | Not reported |
| Precision Metal Working | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $48,803 | $9,125 | 25 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Associate's Degree | $46,659 | $17,999 | Not reported |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | Associate's Degree | $40,340 | $24,994 | Not reported |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $39,988 | $8,250 | 12 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $36,793 | $11,000 | 12 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's Degree | $35,644 | $22,017 | Not reported |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Not available | $11,375 | 0 |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.