Western Dakota Technical College
Western Dakota Technical College provides hands-on training in nearly 40 career-focused programs, with a strong emphasis on fields like allied health, precision metal working, and electrical trades. The college prioritizes practical experience through simulations, internships, and industry partnerships. WDTC also boasts a 99% placement rate for recent graduates who are working, continuing their education, or in the military, and offers resources like job listings and career services to help students transition into employment.
Programs Analyzed
Avg Grad Earnings
Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score
Tuition
All Programs at Western Dakota Technical College
11 trade programs at Western Dakota Tech, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score (combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size). Use the “compare” links to see how this school’s programs stack up against others nationally.
| Program | Score | Earnings | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Practical Nursing
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants Compare nationwide → Compare in SD → |
72 | $43,884/yr | $12,720 |
|
Welding & Metalworking
Precision Metal Working Compare nationwide → |
63 | $44,614/yr | $8,250 |
|
Allied Health Professions
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Compare nationwide → Compare in SD → |
62 | $54,737/yr | $15,176 |
|
Electrical Installation
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers Compare nationwide → |
60 | $41,303/yr | $12,000 |
|
Computer Networking
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications Compare nationwide → |
60 | $40,418/yr | $14,750 |
|
Vehicle Repair Technology
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies Compare nationwide → Compare in SD → |
59 | $38,031/yr | $12,483 |
|
Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice and Corrections Compare nationwide → Compare in SD → |
58 | $27,459/yr | $15,750 |
|
Business Administration
Business Administration, Management and Operations Compare nationwide → |
58 | $24,503/yr | $20,000 |
|
Clinical Laboratory Science
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions Compare nationwide → |
55 | $46,378/yr | $20,000 |
|
Medical Assisting
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services Compare nationwide → Compare in SD → |
53 | $22,074/yr | — |
|
Dental Assisting
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions Compare nationwide → |
52 | $32,951/yr | $6,500 |
Reading the table: Score combines earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size on a 0–100 scale. Earnings = median first-year salary from College Scorecard. Debt = median federal debt at graduation (blank where Scorecard suppresses small samples). 10yr ROI = projected 10-year earnings ÷ in-state tuition. AI Risk reflects task-level AI exposure across mapped occupations. Job Market = annual openings nationwide for connected occupations.
More Trade Schools in South Dakota
Top-scored trade schools elsewhere in South Dakota, ranked by average TradeSchoolOutlook Score across their programs.
Apprenticeship Pathways in South Dakota
Earn-while-you-learn alternatives in South Dakota. Registered apprenticeships skip tuition and pay you during training, though training periods are typically longer.
About This Data
TradeSchoolOutlook analyzes 11 trade and vocational programs at Western Dakota Technical College using earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024–2034).
The TradeSchoolOutlook Score (0–100) combines graduate earnings, return on investment, AI resilience, and job market size. AI Risk reflects task-level exposure for the occupations each program feeds into. Job Market shows the size of the national hiring pool. Programs without published debt figures had small reporting samples that the College Scorecard suppresses for privacy.