Lake Area Technical Institute
Encyclopedia
Lake Area Technical Institute is a technical school located in Watertown
, South Dakota
. The campus covers 37 acres (149,733.8 m²) and serves an area of 18,000 square miles. Founded in 1965, Lake Area Tech was the first technical school to be established in South Dakota, followed by schools in Mitchell
, Sioux Falls
and Rapid City
.
Today, Lake Area Tech has 27 programs, 7 E-Degrees and serves more than 1600 full-time, part-time and online students. Some of the school's longstanding programs include: Agriculture, Welding, Cosmetology, Diesel, Aviation Maintenance, and Nursing. Currently, the school boasts a 16:1 student/faculty ratio, small class sizes, low tuition cost and a 98% graduate placement rate.
On Sept 13, 2011, LATI was ranked one of the top ten community colleges in the nation by the Aspen Institute's Community College Excellence Program. Lake Area Tech was initially selected among the top 120 colleges in the nation, and now enters the final stage of the competition, when a grand-prize winner and runners up will receive a $1 million dollar prize fund to be awarded in December in Washington, D.C.
"Lake Area Technical Institute has one of the best graduation rates in American," said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute's College Excellence Program. "LATI deserves credit for helping so many of its students complete degrees that employers value. We are very impressed with this small, highly-effective college."
LATI stands out among technical colleges, in part, for connecting its graduates to jobs. In fact, 98% of its graduates secure jobs or pursue further education. That achievement is reflected in the strong partnerships the college has with South Dakota employers as it strives to produce graduates in high-demand career fields. Of over 16,000 Lake Area Tech graduates, a large percentage have stayed to live and work in South Dakota, filling employment gaps in high-skilled professions and bolstering the region's economy.
LATI has also been recognized as "Fastest Growing 2 Year College" (2007), and a "Great College to Work For" for the past three years in a row by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
The fall of 2011 marks eight consecutive years of enrollment growth for Lake Area Technical Institute. Due to the increasing number of students, Lake Area Tech began a four-phase campus expansion project in the fall of 2008. The project includes: a new Diesel, Energy, and Welding facility, a new Automotive and Health Science Facility, a centralized Student Center, and a new Agriculture facility. In addition, the school has developed new programs to meet local and regional industry needs. These programs include the unique Energy Operations program, Custom Paint and Fabrication, Entrepreneurship, and new options within the Business Associates program including Hospitality & Tourism, Photography/Media, and Interior Business Design. Lake Area Tech has also added a new "Security Specialist" option to Computer Information Systems, as well as a Med/Fire Rescue program.
Lake Area Technical Institute is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, which is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Watertown, South Dakota
Watertown is a city in and the county seat of Codington County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 21,482 at the 2010 census. It is also the principal city of the Watertown Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Codington and Hamlin counties...
, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
. The campus covers 37 acres (149,733.8 m²) and serves an area of 18,000 square miles. Founded in 1965, Lake Area Tech was the first technical school to be established in South Dakota, followed by schools in Mitchell
Mitchell, South Dakota
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 14,558 people, 6,121 households, and 3,599 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,475.7 people per square mile . There were 6,555 housing units at an average density of 664.4 per square mile...
, Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south...
and Rapid City
Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid...
.
Today, Lake Area Tech has 27 programs, 7 E-Degrees and serves more than 1600 full-time, part-time and online students. Some of the school's longstanding programs include: Agriculture, Welding, Cosmetology, Diesel, Aviation Maintenance, and Nursing. Currently, the school boasts a 16:1 student/faculty ratio, small class sizes, low tuition cost and a 98% graduate placement rate.
On Sept 13, 2011, LATI was ranked one of the top ten community colleges in the nation by the Aspen Institute's Community College Excellence Program. Lake Area Tech was initially selected among the top 120 colleges in the nation, and now enters the final stage of the competition, when a grand-prize winner and runners up will receive a $1 million dollar prize fund to be awarded in December in Washington, D.C.
"Lake Area Technical Institute has one of the best graduation rates in American," said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute's College Excellence Program. "LATI deserves credit for helping so many of its students complete degrees that employers value. We are very impressed with this small, highly-effective college."
LATI stands out among technical colleges, in part, for connecting its graduates to jobs. In fact, 98% of its graduates secure jobs or pursue further education. That achievement is reflected in the strong partnerships the college has with South Dakota employers as it strives to produce graduates in high-demand career fields. Of over 16,000 Lake Area Tech graduates, a large percentage have stayed to live and work in South Dakota, filling employment gaps in high-skilled professions and bolstering the region's economy.
LATI has also been recognized as "Fastest Growing 2 Year College" (2007), and a "Great College to Work For" for the past three years in a row by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
The fall of 2011 marks eight consecutive years of enrollment growth for Lake Area Technical Institute. Due to the increasing number of students, Lake Area Tech began a four-phase campus expansion project in the fall of 2008. The project includes: a new Diesel, Energy, and Welding facility, a new Automotive and Health Science Facility, a centralized Student Center, and a new Agriculture facility. In addition, the school has developed new programs to meet local and regional industry needs. These programs include the unique Energy Operations program, Custom Paint and Fabrication, Entrepreneurship, and new options within the Business Associates program including Hospitality & Tourism, Photography/Media, and Interior Business Design. Lake Area Tech has also added a new "Security Specialist" option to Computer Information Systems, as well as a Med/Fire Rescue program.
Lake Area Technical Institute is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, which is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.