Head-to-head comparison
Southeast Technical College vs Lake Area Technical College: which has better ROI?
Option A Sioux Falls, SD
Southeast Technical College
- Net price / year
- $17,400
- Earnings, 10 years
- $46,709
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Watertown, SD
Lake Area Technical College
- Net price / year
- $15,979
- Earnings, 10 years
- $45,473
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Southeast Technical College comes closer — median earnings $46,709 against a $34,800 total, vs $45,473 at Lake Area Technical College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Southeast Technical College | Lake Area Technical College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $17,400 | $15,979 |
| Total net cost | $34,800 | $31,958 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $46,709 | $45,473 |
| Median debt | $12,000 | $12,000 |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$67,820 | -$89,698 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Southeast Technical College or Lake Area Technical College?
Lake Area Technical College, at $15,979 a year after aid versus $17,400 — a gap of $1,421 a year, or $2,842 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do Southeast Technical College or Lake Area Technical College graduates earn more?
Southeast Technical College graduates report a median $46,709 ten years after entry, $1,236 more than the $45,473 at Lake Area Technical College. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which leaves students with less debt, Southeast Technical College or Lake Area Technical College?
Completers at both borrow a median $12,000, so neither school has the debt advantage. That figure covers federal loans of students who finished — borrowers who leave early are not counted, and private loans sit outside it.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
73% of students finish at Lake Area Technical College, against 59% at Southeast Technical College. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.