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Two-Year Colleges in South Dakota

Kilian Community College: Surrounded by Excellent Opportunities for Growth and Fun



The secret to success may very well lie in one of the many excellent two-year colleges available in South Dakota. Their goals are simply to provide students with the necessary skills to succeed today and the foundation to grow in the future. Just as simple as their aim is their pricing, which tends to be about as cheap as can be found anywhere, yet that’s not all they have to offer. Kilian Community College, for example, features a prime location with everything a young student could want in close proximity, including professional development and entertainment opportunities. On the other hand, a tribal college such as Sisseton Wahpeton College seeks to provide its tribal members with an excellent education amidst the culture of the Dakota peoples. Then there’s Southeast Technical Institute, which offers Applied Science degrees at its cutting edge campus. With so many great options, the perfect two-year college is bound to be somewhere in South Dakota.



Kilian’s location in Downtown Sioux Falls is one of its main draws, as the urban setting there allows students to easily find work-related internships and volunteer opportunities that can help them become better leaders and add to their skill set. The city also has many entertainment options, including a couple of museums, a free trolley through town, a farmer’s market, and numerous eateries all within close proximity. The school’s other major selling points are that it is nationally accredited, it has transferable semester credits, and it represents a great value. It prides itself in the personal attention that it gives to its students, aided by small class sizes and the interactions that occur at their Student Success Center. The following degree programs, some being in partnership with Presentation College, are some of the school’s newest offerings: Business Completion, Social Work Completion, Early Childhood Education, Financial Planning, Life Style Coaching (with Direct Support Professional, Personal Trainer, and Seniors specialties), and Medical Assistant.

Situated in Watertown, Lake Area Technical Institute graduates are in demand, as the school produces graduates who require minimal training to get started in their chosen field. It’s one of the main reasons why so many people choose to attend this school in the first place. Numbers don’t lie, and they say that of the 497 graduates in the class of 2009, around 337 of them were employed, and the vast majority in the field they trained and studied for. Most of the job placements were within South Dakota, making the school a relative hotbed of employment activity for the state. Students can receive their degrees through online programs of study via E-Degree offerings, which include Robotics, Business Associate, Financial Services, Mechanical Drafting, Computer Information Systems, Medical Laboratory Technician, and Practical Nursing. It offers an excellent laptop lease-to-own program where students can choose a laptop for their specific needs and enjoy on-campus tech support, software available through special licensing, a loaner laptop in the event theirs is damaged, and 3 years of accidental damage protection.

MTI, due to being centrally located in the Midwest in the city of Mitchell, offers some unique programs that will prepare its students for careers in the fields of energy, communication, health, construction, green technology, and agriculture. It boasts access to advanced technology, highly qualified instructors, new classroom and lab facilities at its Spruce Street campus, and a friendly student body. It features programs in 5 career divisions: Business and Services Industries, Construction Technologies, Engineering Technologies, Health Sciences, and Energy Production and Transmission. It also has something special for those with young children in its Child Development Center facilities, which takes pride in offering quality child care for full-time enrolled MTI students.

Located in Agency Village, Sisseton Wahpeton College is a tribal school that focuses on student achievement. The school maintains a commitment to the following 4 C’s: Culture, in that the way of life of the Dakota people is woven into every aspect of the school; Community, in that the school judges achievement by how it benefits the community at large; Creativity, where creative thinking and innovation are highly prized and encouraged; and Challenge, which is delivered its strong academic programs. In addition, it provides a variety of student services, including access to counseling, new student orientation, a bookstore and gift shop with unique cultural items, a student senate, library services, and a college cafe. The school truly cares about each students’ current and future prospects, and it aims to adapt to the ever-changing needs of its tribal members.

STI is located in Sioux Falls, which is considered an upbeat and exciting city focused on young adults, with entertainment and restaurants abound. The school itself focuses on its technical Applied Science degree offerings. Student placement rates after they complete their studies are excellent because of the school’s focus on tailoring programs toward market demand. It boasts one of the best deals you’ll find anywhere, even beating out the other stiff competition in the state. It claims to offer a streamlined education amidst cutting edge technology. The wireless campus offers internet connectivity throughout, and a laptop program is included in the tuition for the first two semester.

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