Western Dakota Technical College
Rapid City, South Dakota
A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.
Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 2 years.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
The numbers behind the verdict
Lifetime ROI: the long view
Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.
Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.
Equity & access
Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.
23% gap between the two groups
20% gap between the two groups
17% gap between the two groups
Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.
Net price by family income
What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.
| Family income | Average net price / yr |
|---|---|
| Family income $0–$30k | $10,071 |
| $30k–$48k | $10,543 |
| $48k–$75k | $14,003 |
| $75k–$110k | $18,657 |
| $110k+ | $18,845 |
How Western Dakota Technical College compares
This college against the South Dakota and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.
Graduate earnings over time
Median earnings of Western Dakota Technical College students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.
Best-paying majors at Western Dakota Technical College
Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.
| Major | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Certificate | $63,185 | $15,176 | +899% | Strong return |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Certificate | $57,387 | $12,483 | +619% | Strong return |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Certificate | $49,288 | $15,750 | +133% | Strong return |
| Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $46,336 | $12,000 | -22% | Poor return |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | Certificate | $45,734 | $12,720 | -58% | Poor return |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Certificate | $43,025 | $20,000 | -199% | Poor return |
| Accounting and Related Services | Certificate | $41,947 | — | -341% | Poor return |
| Precision Metal Working | Certificate | $40,835 | $8,250 | -366% | Poor return |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Certificate | $35,826 | — | -824% | Poor return |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | Certificate | $31,763 | $9,500 | -921% | Poor return |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Certificate | $33,161 | — | -1,034% | Poor return |
Calculate your own ROI
Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.
ROI at Western Dakota Technical College
Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.
Admissions & profile
Location
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
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