LATI vs. Southeast Technical College

Comparable Facts

Compare Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, SD with Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls, SD on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Southeast Technical College is larger than LATI based on total student enrollment (2,659 students vs. 2,312 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• Lake Area Technical College is located in Watertown, SD (Remote Town setting); Southeast Technical College is in Sioux Falls, SD (Rural Fringe setting).
• Lake Area Technical College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Southeast Technical College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: Lake Area Technical College 16:1; Southeast Technical College 13:1.

LATI vs. Southeast Technical College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, LATI or Southeast Technical College? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Lake Area Technical College than Southeast Technical College ($13,551 vs. $15,635).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Southeast Technical College are 6.6% lower than at Lake Area Technical College ($8,404 vs. $9,000).
• Southeast Technical College is 13.9% more expensive for in-state tuition than LATI (about $932 more per year; $7,650.00 vs. $6,718.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 13.9% higher at Southeast Technical College than at Lake Area Technical College (about $932 more per year; $7,650.00 vs. $6,718.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Southeast Technical College than at Lake Area Technical College (76% vs. 57%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Lake Area Technical College students is 29.7% larger than aid received by Southeast Technical College students ($6,014 vs. $4,637).

LATI vs. Southeast Technical College Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, LATI or Southeast Technical College? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Southeast Technical College and LATI.

• Southeast Technical College reports an open admissions policy.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: LATI - Not reported; Southeast Technical College - Open admission.
• Accepted freshman LATI students have a 0.66 point higher average high school GPA (3.06) than students at Southeast Technical College (2.4).

LATI vs. Southeast Technical College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for LATI and Southeast Technical College? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

• Graduates from Southeast Technical College earn a median of about $1,500 more per year than LATI graduates about ten years after starting college ($39,300 vs. $37,800), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Southeast Technical College and LATI graduates have the same median loan debt ($12,000 vs. $12,000).
• Among borrowers in the federal data, Southeast Technical College and LATI graduates have the same median monthly federal student loan payment ($124 vs. $124).
• More LATI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Southeast Technical College students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 60%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.