Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Southeast Technical College

Southeast Technical College's nursing program sits squarely in the middle of South Dakota's options but lags behind national standards. At $62,601 first-year earnings, graduates earn about $6,000 less than both the national and state medians for associate nursing programs. That 40th percentile ranking within South Dakota means more than half of the state's nursing programs deliver better outcomes, including National American University-Rapid City, where new nurses earn $73,942—nearly $11,000 more annually.

The debt picture offers some relief: at $28,239, it's slightly below South Dakota's typical $31,082 and results in a manageable 0.45 debt-to-earnings ratio. Nursing remains one of the most reliable pathways to stable employment, and these earnings do cover the debt burden comfortably. However, the combination of below-average starting pay and middle-of-the-pack state performance raises questions about whether this represents the best use of two years and $28,000 in borrowed funds.

If your child has already been admitted and starting immediately is the priority, this program will get them licensed and employed. But if timing allows, compare carefully with Lake Area Technical College (matching state median earnings at lower cost) or explore whether the premium for National American's stronger outcomes justifies any difference in accessibility or location. In nursing, where your license matters more than your school's name, that first-year salary gap compounds over time.