Public Associate Good 65/100

Southeast Technical College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Sioux Falls, South Dakota

About Southeast Technical College

Thinking about Southeast Technical College, a college in South Dakota where more students graduate in Health than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Southeast Technical College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It enrolls 2,310 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
Open
Graduation
46.3%
Net Price
$17,400
Median Earnings (10yr)
$46,709
Enrollment
2,310
Student : Faculty
11:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (2-Year), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
65/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes 65
Value 36
Affordability 38
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, Southeast Technical College admits essentially everyone who qualifies, so plan around cost and completion instead of your odds of getting in.

Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $17,400 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$17,400
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
34%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
54%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$7,650
Room & Board (off-campus)
$8,404
Books & Supplies
$2,400
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,506
Total Cost of Attendance
$20,272

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $14,418
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $15,221
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $17,079
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $19,425
  • Over $110,000
    $20,254

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$2,750
10% percentile
$4,750
25% percentile
$12,000
Median percentile
$15,250
75% percentile
$23,750
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $9,661 ↓ $2,339
No Pell $8,250 ↓ $3,750
Dependent students $6,521 ↓ $5,479
Independent students $13,719 ↑ $1,719
Female students $9,500 ↓ $2,500
Male students $9,500 ↓ $2,500
Pell recipients: 16.9% (2,029 students)No Pell: 14.4% (1,732 students)Dependent students: 11.4% (1,369 students)Independent students: 24.0% (2,881 students)Female students: 16.6% (1,995 students)Male students: 16.6% (1,995 students)Overall Median$12,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($12,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

46% of students who start here finish within six years, and 70% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
46%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
70%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $46,709 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$46,709
Earning > $25K
76%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$43,000$44,000$45,000$46,000$47,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$34,500

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$45,500

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$35,900

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$41,700

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$44,900

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $11,000, about 24% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 20.5 pts across 6 years
70.9%1yr73.9%3yr83%5yr91.4%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 91% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,310 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 33% are the first in their family to go to college, and 43% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
2,310
Part-Time
43%
First-Generation
33%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 80.8% 1,866
Black 7.3% 169
Other 7.1% 165
Hispanic 2.7% 62
Asian 2.1% 48
White: 80.8% (1,866 students)Black: 7.3% (169 students)Other: 7.1% (165 students)Hispanic: 2.7% (62 students)Asian: 2.1% (48 students)Total2,310

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Southeast Technical College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Midsize City Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Housing
Limited on-campus housing 202 beds
Adult Learners
25% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Business graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Southeast Technical College offers a varied set of programs: 37 distinct programs across 12 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

8 Programs
8 Programs
3 Programs
3 Programs
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 11 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$5,444
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$1.4M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$64,465
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

89 instructional faculty across 1 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Instructors 89 100% $65,311

Pros & Cons of Southeast Technical College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Southeast Technical College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Open admissions
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Low typical debt at graduation
CONS
  • Below-average completion rate
  • Modest first-year retention
Best for: Based on the data, Southeast Technical College is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Southeast Technical College

The questions families ask most about Southeast Technical College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Southeast Technical College hard to get into?
Not especially. Southeast Technical College admits most qualified applicants, and reports no competitive acceptance rate. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Southeast Technical College?
No acceptance rate is reported, which for a college like this normally means admission is open to anyone meeting the basic requirements. Confirm with the admissions office rather than assuming it.
How much does Southeast Technical College cost?
Budget around $17,400 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Southeast Technical College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $46,709 a year against a net price of $17,400, about 2.7 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Southeast Technical College known for?
Mostly Practical Nursing, Computer/Info Sciences, Other, Allied Health Diagnostic. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Southeast Technical College graduates earn?
About $46,709 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Southeast Technical College accredited?
Yes. Southeast Technical College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Southeast Technical College?
2,310 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Southeast Technical College?
46% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Southeast Technical College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Southeast Technical College located?
Southeast Technical College is located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
What programs does Southeast Technical College offer?
37 different programs, most commonly Practical Nursing, Computer/Info Sciences, Other, Allied Health Diagnostic. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Southeast Technical College?
11 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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