Chronicle of Higher Ed Ranks Lake Area Technical College Number One In the Country for Graduation Rate

For immediate release

August 20, 2018

 WATERTOWN, SD – Officials at Lake Area Technical College in Watertown announced this morning the school has been ranked the number one two-year college in the country with the best three-year graduation rate, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. The data was released in the Chronicle’s 2018 Almanac last evening. The table is available at: https://bit.ly/2N05RCF . The Chronicle of Higher Education is one of the most reputable and respected references for higher education across the country.

“This news is a direct reflection of the outstanding support and leadership South Dakota, the State Board of Technical Education, our industry partners, our community, and particularly Governor Daugaard and his administration give Lake Area Technical College,” Lake Area Technical College President Mike Cartney said.

Graduation rates reflect the percentage of first-time, full-time, degree- or certificate-seeking students who entered in the fall of 2013 and completed an associate degree or earned a certificate at the same institution within 150 percent of the normal time to completion for that program. Students pursuing two-year degrees, for example, counted as graduating if they had completed the program in three years (by August 31, 2016).