Lake Area Technical College

Watertown, SD 1,710 Undergrads 73.2% Grad Rate

School Website|Financial Calculator

Total Cost

$18,239

Sticker Price

Avg Net Price

$14,826

After Aid

Median Earnings

$45,473

10yr Post-Entry

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$14,826

Peer Midpoint: $9,014

Earnings (10yr)$45,473

Peer Midpoint: $40,397

Graduation Rate73.2%

Peer Midpoint: 32.9%

Socio-Economic Diversity

Pell Grant Recipients34.2%

Enrollment Status

Full-Time81.3%

Economic Outcomes

Earn More than HS75.6%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance

100.0%

SAT Avg

SAT Reading

25th: --75th: -

SAT Math

25th: --75th: -

ACT Composite

25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)

Institution Lifetime NPV

Vs Median Peer

Vs HS Grad

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

+$453k

+$64k

-$31k

Median Cost$15k/yr

+$426k

+$37k

-$59k

Full Cost$18k/yr

+$419k

+$30k

-$65k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age

Return on Inv. %

Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0

Never

-∞

Median Cost$15k/yr

Never

-215%

Full Cost$18k/yr

Never

-194%

Analysis Assumptions:

Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return-244%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return-98%

Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Median Debt

Earnings (5yr)

$53,442

Lifetime Value Added

+$44k

Human Services, General

AssocCIP: 4400

Median Debt

$11,273

Earnings (5yr)

$31,016

Lifetime Value Added

-$177k

Marketing

AssocCIP: 5214

Median Debt

$12,000

Earnings (5yr)

$39,495

Lifetime Value Added

-$92k

Precision Metal Working

AssocCIP: 4805

Median Debt

$11,000

Earnings (5yr)

$52,342

Lifetime Value Added

+$34k

Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies

AssocCIP: 4706

Median Debt

$12,000

Earnings (5yr)

$54,641

Lifetime Value Added

+$56k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.