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Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall precision metal working education in South Dakota.
Leading the list is Lake Area Technical Institute, our #1 school for precision metal working. Lake Area Technical Institute is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Watertown. There were roughly 64 precision metal working students who graduated with this degree at Lake Area Technical Institute in the most recent data year. Students who receive their precision metal working degree from Lake Area Technical Institute earn around $43,436 in the first couple years of their career. Lake Area Technical Institute graduates carry a median of $11,001 in student loans.
More information about a degree in precision metal working from Lake Area Technical Institute
Southeast Technical Institute came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best precision metal working schools. Southeast Technical Institute is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Sioux Falls. Southeast Technical Institute awarded about 45 precision metal working degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the precision metal working program make about $48,654 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $18,442.
Read more about the precision metal working program at Southeast Technical Institute
Western Dakota Technical Institute came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best precision metal working schools. This small public university is located in the city of Rapid City. Western Dakota Technical Institute awarded about 32 precision metal working degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their precision metal working degree from Western Dakota Technical Institute earn around $41,166 in the first couple years of their career. Western Dakota Technical Institute graduates carry a median of $10,563 in student loans.
More information about a degree in precision metal working from Western Dakota Technical Institute
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 4 schools evaluated.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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