2022 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Nursing (Income $0-$30k) in South Dakota

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in South Dakota For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Nursing is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 3rd of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 313,362 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, nursing graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $67,065 and had an average of $26,282 in loans still to pay off.

Across South Dakota, there were 1,106 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $61,771 and $33,828 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 96 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in South Dakota For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 4 colleges that offer a degree in nursing. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great nursing programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the nursing program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in South Dakota For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in South Dakota For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for south dakota associate degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 4 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Nursing (Income $0-$30k) in South Dakota

#1

Oglala Lakota College

Kyle, South Dakota

#4 in overall quality

$-841 Average Net Price

$55,693 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oglala Lakota College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in South Dakota For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oglala Lakota College is located in Kyle, South Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 associates’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our south dakota associate degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Oglala Lakota College has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in South Dakota” ranking. It costs about $-841 for South Dakota Associate Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oglala Lakota College. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

Read more about Nursing at Oglala Lakota College

#2

Lake Area Technical Institute

Watertown, South Dakota

#1 in overall quality

$9,287 Average Net Price

Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in South Dakota For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lake Area Technical Institute landed the #2 spot on the list. Lake Area Technical Institute is a public institution located in Watertown, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

LATI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in South Dakota” list. The yearly cost to attend Lake Area Technical Institute is $9,287 for south dakota associate degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Nursing at Lake Area Technical Institute

#3

Southeast Technical College

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

#2 in overall quality

$12,596 Average Net Price

$54,810 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southeast Technical College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in South Dakota For Those Making $0-$30k. This small school is located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and it awarded 51 associates’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our south dakota associate degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Southeast Tech has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in South Dakota” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southeast Tech is $12,596 for south dakota associate degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Nursing at Southeast Tech

#4

Western Dakota Technical Institute

Rapid City, South Dakota

#3 in overall quality

$12,453 Average Net Price

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Dakota Technical Institute. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for an Associate in South Dakota For Those Making $0-$30k list. Western Dakota Technical Institute is a small public school situated in Rapid City, South Dakota. It awarded 14 associates’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Western Dakota Tech, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in South Dakota” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Dakota Tech is $12,453 for South Dakota Associate Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Nursing at Western Dakota Tech

• Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Nursing (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
• Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Nursing (Income $0-$30k)

Notes and References

References

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
• Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

• *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
• Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

• Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.

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