The Watertown, SD, area has very few postsecondary options in the immediate vicinity, meaning most students may need to commute or re-locate for a college education. In this article, we look at traditional schools within 80 miles of Watertown and compare them using information found on the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) website.
Closest Schools to Watertown, South Dakota
The closest schools to Watertown are all public institutions. There are 2-year and 4-year school options available in the area.
- Lake Area Technical Institute (located downtown)
- South Dakota State University (44.5 miles from downtown)
- Sisseton Wahpeton College (52.6 miles from downtown)
- Dakota State University (62 miles from downtown)
- Northern State University (77.2 miles from downtown)
Largest Schools Near Watertown, South Dakota
The largest schools near Watertown are 4-year public schools. The three largest institutions offer graduate-level programs in addition to undergraduate programs.
- South Dakota State University (11,465 students)
- Northern State University (3,340 students)
- Dakota State University (3,219 students)
- Lake Area Technical Institute (2,190 students)
- Presentation College (577 students)
Lowest Net Price
To figure out the net price of attendance at a school, the average annual amount of financial aid is subtracted from a resident full-time undergrad student's average total cost of attendance. The net price for the top 5 schools in the area ranged from about $3,400-$17,000 in 2020-2021.
- Sisseton Wahpeton College ($921)
- Lake Area Technical Institute ($13,069)
- Northern State University ($16,821)
- Dakota State University ($17,572)
- South Dakota State University ($17,859)
Highest Graduation Rates
Two schools close to Watertown have graduation rates above 50% for 2021. The NCES determines the graduation rates by counting how many first-time, full-time students finished their programs within the normal time and 150% of the normal time to completion.
- Lake Area Technical Institute (74% graduation rate)
- South Dakota State University (60% graduation rate)
- Northern State University (48% graduation rate)
- Dakota State University (47% graduation rate)
- Presentation College (35% graduation rate)
Although schools near Watertown, SD, are limited, there is some variation among 2-year and 4-year institutions when it comes to location, size, price, and graduation rates.
