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2025 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in South Dakota

5 Colleges in South Dakota
157 Associate Degrees
$67,592 Avg Early-Career Salary
Nursing is of the hottest associate degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #2 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 5 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in South Dakota ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 157 associate degrees in nursing to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Nursing School for Your Associate Degree

Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in South Dakota The nursing associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality nursing program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their associate degree from the school. After all, your associate degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for nursing students working on their associate degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Nursing Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Nursing Associate Degree Schools in South Dakota list to help you make the college decision.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Nursing in South Dakota

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in nursing.

Top South Dakota Schools for an Associate in Nursing

1

Lake Area Technical Institute is one of the best schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in nursing. LATI is a small public school located in the remote town of Watertown.

After graduation, nursing associate recipients generally earn around $66,233 in their early careers.

More information about a associate in nursing from Lake Area Technical Institute

2

Southeast Technical College is a great choice for students pursuing an associate degree in nursing. Located in the city of Sioux Falls, Southeast Tech is a public college with a small student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the nursing program state that they receive average early career wages of $62,601.

More information about a associate in nursing from Southeast Technical College

3
20 Annual Graduates

Mitchell Technical College is a good choice for individuals pursuing an associate degree in nursing. Located in the remote town of Mitchell, Mitchell Tech is a public college with a small student population.More information about a associate in nursing from Mitchell Technical College

4
31 Annual Graduates

Western Dakota Technical Institute is one of the best schools in the country for getting an associate degree in nursing. Western Dakota Tech is a small public school located in the city of Rapid City.More information about a associate in nursing from Western Dakota Technical Institute

5
11 Annual Graduates

Oglala Lakota College is a small public college located in the remote area of Kyle.More information about a associate in nursing from Oglala Lakota College

Best Nursing Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 151 2,167
Kansas 146 868
Missouri 117 1,409
Iowa 116 1,152
Nebraska 98 265
North Dakota 92 287

View All Rankings >

One of 34 majors within the Health Professions area of study, Nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

Nursing Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 157

Related Major Annual Graduates
Allied Health Professions 126
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 56
Health & Medical Administrative Services 47
Health Sciences & Services 29
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science 25
Dental Support Services 9
Mental & Social Health Services 3
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 1

Notes and References

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