Best Trade Programs in South Dakota (2026)
Top 70 of 70 programs in South Dakota · Updated 2026
The best trade school programs in South Dakota, ranked by overall value. We scored 70 programs across South Dakota trade schools on earnings, AI resilience, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $42,099/yr in graduate earnings.
Programs in SD
70
Avg Earnings (Top 100)
$42,099/yr
Avg TSW Score
60/100
#1 Program
Nursing
Lake Area Technical College
Top Trade Programs in South Dakota
Top 70 programs by TSW Score. Click any row for full analysis.
| # | Program | TSW Score | Earnings | AI-Proof | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Nursing
Lake Area Technical College · Watertown, SD |
78
73–78 |
$66,233/yr | Moderate | 48.3x |
| 2 |
Electrical Installation
Mitchell Technical College · Mitchell, SD |
82
76–82 |
$60,565/yr | AI-Proof | 119.9x |
| 3 |
Practical Nursing
Western Dakota Technical College · Rapid City, SD |
72
71–72 |
$43,884/yr | AI-Proof | 56.1x |
| 4 |
Practical Nursing
Lake Area Technical College · Watertown, SD |
74
72–75 |
$42,160/yr | AI-Proof | 72.3x |
| 5 |
Electrical Installation
Mitchell Technical College · Mitchell, SD |
69
64–70 |
$49,794/yr | AI-Proof | 46.0x |
| 6 |
Nursing
Southeast Technical College · Sioux Falls, SD |
75
71–75 |
$62,601/yr | Moderate | 39.9x |
| 7 |
Construction Management Technology
Lake Area Technical College · Watertown, SD |
66
66–66 |
$38,635/yr | AI-Proof | 27.8x |
| 8 |
Construction Management Technology
Mitchell Technical College · Mitchell, SD |
66
64–66 |
$37,485/yr | AI-Proof | 29.2x |
| 9 |
Practical Nursing
Mitchell Technical College · Mitchell, SD |
68
68–69 |
$38,287/yr | AI-Proof | 49.9x |
| 10 |
Criminal Justice
Southeast Technical College · Sioux Falls, SD |
71
69–73 |
$49,560/yr | Resilient | 31.4x |
| 11 |
Practical Nursing
Southeast Technical College · Sioux Falls, SD |
72
68–73 |
$38,446/yr | AI-Proof | 67.9x |
| 12 |
Precision Metalworking
Western Dakota Technical College · Rapid City, SD |
63
63–64 |
$44,614/yr | AI-Proof | 50.0x |
| 13 |
Vehicle Repair Technology
Lake Area Technical College · Watertown, SD |
64
63–65 |
$47,080/yr | AI-Proof | 39.7x |
| 14 |
Nursing
National American University-Rapid City · Rapid City, SD |
71
66–72 |
$73,942/yr | Moderate | 22.6x |
| 15 |
Criminal Justice
Lake Area Technical College · Watertown, SD |
68
65–69 |
$41,230/yr | Resilient | 29.7x |
| 16 |
Vehicle Repair Technology
Southeast Technical College · Sioux Falls, SD |
62
61–63 |
$46,262/yr | AI-Proof | 34.6x |
| 17 |
Allied Health Professions
Southeast Technical College · Sioux Falls, SD |
68
65–68 |
$73,361/yr | Resilient | 46.9x |
| 18 |
Precision Metalworking
Lake Area Technical College · Watertown, SD |
57
56–58 |
$43,436/yr | AI-Proof | 38.0x |
| 19 |
Agricultural Business
Lake Area Technical College · Watertown, SD |
66
62–69 |
$41,340/yr | Moderate | 34.6x |
| 20 |
Vehicle Repair Technology
Mitchell Technical College · Mitchell, SD |
60
60–61 |
$44,032/yr | AI-Proof | 30.8x |
| 21 |
Business
Southeast Technical College · Sioux Falls, SD |
68
62–70 |
$37,383/yr | Moderate | 28.4x |
| 22 |
Allied Health Professions
Mitchell Technical College · Mitchell, SD |
63
61–63 |
$58,960/yr | Resilient | 39.4x |
| 23 |
Vehicle Repair Technology
Western Dakota Technical College · Rapid City, SD |
59
55–60 |
$38,031/yr | AI-Proof | 34.8x |
| 24 |
Finance
Lake Area Technical College · Watertown, SD |
65
61–68 |
$40,070/yr | Exposed | 28.2x |
| 25 |
Practical Nursing
National American University-Rapid City · Rapid City, SD |
61
59–61 |
$37,827/yr | AI-Proof | 22.5x |
| 26 |
Computer Networking
Southeast Technical College · Sioux Falls, SD |
66
57–69 |
$46,959/yr | Exposed | 38.5x |
| 27 |
Accounting
Southeast Technical College · Sioux Falls, SD |
66
61–68 |
$44,850/yr | Exposed | 28.3x |
| 28 |
Electrical Installation
Western Dakota Technical College · Rapid City, SD |
60
58–61 |
$41,303/yr | AI-Proof | 24.8x |
| 29 |
Allied Health Professions
Western Dakota Technical College · Rapid City, SD |
62
59–62 |
$54,737/yr | Resilient | 38.5x |
| 30 |
Electromechanical Technology
Mitchell Technical College · Mitchell, SD |
61
59–63 |
$72,319/yr | Resilient | 47.1x |
| 31 |
IT Management
Southeast Technical College · Sioux Falls, SD |
65
58–67 |
$42,439/yr | Exposed | 26.7x |
| 32 |
Precision Metalworking
Western Dakota Technical College · Rapid City, SD |
51
50–52 |
$37,717/yr | AI-Proof | 27.9x |
| 33 |
Health Administration
National American University-Rapid City · Rapid City, SD |
64
58–66 |
$37,252/yr | Moderate | 20.7x |
| 34 |
Construction Engineering Technology
Lake Area Technical College · Watertown, SD |
64
60–66 |
$75,253/yr | Exposed | 47.6x |
| 35 |
Medical Assisting
Lake Area Technical College · Watertown, SD |
59
55–60 |
$35,932/yr | Resilient | 31.9x |
| 36 |
Accounting
Mitchell Technical College · Mitchell, SD |
63
58–66 |
$40,475/yr | Exposed | 25.5x |
| 37 |
Electromechanical Technology
Lake Area Technical College · Watertown, SD |
59
57–60 |
$60,085/yr | Resilient | 43.7x |
| 38 |
Agricultural Mechanization
Mitchell Technical College · Mitchell, SD |
58
57–58 |
$55,301/yr | Resilient | 32.3x |
| 39 |
Business Administration
National American University-Rapid City · Rapid City, SD |
62
55–64 |
$33,364/yr | Moderate | 13.5x |
| 40 |
Criminal Justice
Western Dakota Technical College · Rapid City, SD |
58
51–60 |
$27,459/yr | Resilient | 29.8x |
| 41 |
Dental Assisting
Lake Area Technical College · Watertown, SD |
59
55–59 |
$36,631/yr | Resilient | 59.7x |
| 42 |
Clinical Laboratory Science
Lake Area Technical College · Watertown, SD |
57
56–58 |
$47,512/yr | Resilient | 34.4x |
| 43 |
Environmental Technology
Mitchell Technical College · Mitchell, SD |
56
55–57 |
$50,685/yr | Resilient | 32.7x |
| 44 |
Industrial Production Technology
Mitchell Technical College · Mitchell, SD |
56
55–57 |
$50,348/yr | Resilient | 32.5x |
| 45 |
Computer Programming
Southeast Technical College · Sioux Falls, SD |
61
54–65 |
$53,874/yr | Exposed | 34.2x |
| 46 |
Medical Assisting
Mitchell Technical College · Mitchell, SD |
56
53–57 |
$35,074/yr | Resilient | 20.9x |
| 47 |
Agricultural Production Operations
Mitchell Technical College · Mitchell, SD |
55
51–57 |
$40,871/yr | Moderate | 31.9x |
| 48 |
Electrical Engineering Technology
Mitchell Technical College · Mitchell, SD |
55
51–57 |
$51,832/yr | Moderate | 41.9x |
| 49 |
Computer Networking
Western Dakota Technical College · Rapid City, SD |
60
52–62 |
$40,418/yr | Exposed | 24.2x |
| 50 |
Clinical Laboratory Science
Western Dakota Technical College · Rapid City, SD |
55
53–55 |
$46,378/yr | Resilient | 28.0x |
Methodology
This ranking includes the top 70 trade programs at South Dakota schools, drawn from 70 total programs with earnings data. Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100), which combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and tuition ROI.
Only in-state tuition is used for ROI calculations. Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best trade program in South Dakota?
By TradeSchoolOutlook Score, Nursing at Lake Area Technical College ranks #1 in South Dakota with a score of 78/100 and graduate earnings of $66,233/yr.
How many trade programs are in South Dakota?
Our database includes 70 trade programs across South Dakota schools with reported earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Last updated 2025.