Program directoryPROGRAM-CATEGORY PAYOFF

Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants undergraduate certificate or diploma outcomes at Western Dakota Technical College

Rapid City, SD · Public · Federal field 5139

Data scope

Federal records group outcomes by college, four-digit field and credential level. A record may cover several catalog programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are close to the same-degree benchmark.

$2,097 below the national median for the same field and credential.

Debt pressure
38.0% of annual earnings
Positive-payoff price ceiling
$44,760 / year
10-year scenario
Withheld by data safeguards
Price evidence
College-wide context only
OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

+4%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$43,884$45,734
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
21Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
36Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
69Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
Not availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential
54Recent awardsIPEDS 2023–24 first-major completions in this field and credential
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

239Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
50Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
158Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
163Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
Preliminary federal earnings benchmarkNot availableInformational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$53,976A like-for-like comparison is unavailable

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$12,670

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWING$20,500

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$53,976

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$217/mo

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

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AVERAGE NET PRICE$12,670Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$18,845Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATENot availableInstitution context
COMPLETION RATE54.2%Institution-wide completion rate
WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

$43,884Year 1
$53,976Year 4
$45,734Year 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

4.8% of gross monthly earnings

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$4,498
Estimated loan payment$217
69borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$53,976 vs. $56,073

$2,097 below the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$52,750 median wageSD estimate · 2,050 jobs · 29-2061+3.0% projected U.S. growth · 51.8k openings/yrTypical entry: Postsecondary nondegree awardNursing Assistants$38,800 median wageSD estimate · 6,860 jobs · 31-1131+2.6% projected U.S. growth · 196.2k openings/yrTypical entry: Postsecondary nondegree award
Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

Watertown, SD

Lake Area Technical College

$2,657 higher earnings · $2,900 less debt

Earnings
$56,633
Debt
$17,600
Annual net price
$15,979
View outcomes →
Sioux Falls, SD

Southeast Technical College

$2,017 higher earnings · $3,462 less debt

Earnings
$55,993
Debt
$17,038
Annual net price
$17,400
View outcomes →
Rapid City, SD

National American University-Rapid City

$8,259 higher earnings

Earnings
$62,235
Debt
$31,335
Annual net price
$31,062
View outcomes →
Long Island City, NY

CUNY LaGuardia Community College

$31,866 higher earnings · $8,244 less debt · $6,550 lower annual net price

Earnings
$85,842
Debt
$12,256
Annual net price
$6,120
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

36 observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

Your price and current earnings determine the result.

Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.

Calculate my payoff →