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Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > South Dakota > Watertown
Key takeaway: 10 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Watertown offer fully online programs and report both credit for military training and a dedicated point of contact for veterans, servicemembers, and their families (IPEDS IC 2024); 6 report all four services the federal survey tracks. The nearest installation recorded by the Census Bureau is National Guard Mitchell Training Site, about 91 miles away, and 3 installations sit within 100 miles (2 National Guard, 1 Other). 1 of the 10 schools has a campus within 30 miles; the closest is Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, SD, about 3 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is Mitchell Technical College. Watertown has a population of about 22,859 and a median household income of $62,721; 21.2 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).
Schools based in South Dakota that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Watertown city center, with BOC Score on each card. The tags on each card are the school’s own IPEDS answers for the four military services. The distance table further down covers the nearest qualifying schools regardless of state line.
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Watertown. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard
| School | Location | Credit for military training | Dedicated military contact | DoD MOU member | Student veteran org | BOC Score | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Technical College | Mitchell, SD | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 78.9 | 94 mi |
| Lake Area Technical College | Watertown, SD | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 74.7 | 3 mi |
| North Dakota State College of Science | Wahpeton, ND | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 72.6 | 98 mi |
| Southeast Technical College | Sioux Falls, SD | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 69.7 | 94 mi |
| Augustana University | Sioux Falls, SD | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 68.3 | 98 mi |
| South Dakota State University | Brookings, SD | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 59.4 | 45 mi |
| Minnesota West Community and Technical College | Granite Falls, MN | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 58.5 | 78 mi |
| Northern State University | Aberdeen, SD | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 48.7 | 75 mi |
| Southwest Minnesota State University | Marshall, MN | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 48.1 | 75 mi |
| Dakota State University | Madison, SD | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 43.5 | 62 mi |
South Dakota has 14 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the South Dakota page lists them all.
| Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) | Branch (from the name) | Distance from Watertown |
|---|---|---|
| National Guard Mitchell Training Site | National Guard | 91 mi |
| Joe Foss Fld | Other | 93 mi |
| National Guard Sioux Falls Utes | National Guard | 94 mi |
Median wages for occupations that veterans commonly move into after an online degree (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS).
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $116,640 | SD statewide |
| Logisticians | $80,020 | SD statewide |
| Emergency Management Directors | $67,180 | SD statewide |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers | $60,740 | SD statewide |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | $122,050 | SD statewide |
| Project Management Specialists | $82,250 | SD statewide |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | $75,010 | SD statewide |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $107,410 | SD statewide |
BLS publishes wages for metro areas and states, not individual cities; these are statewide medians.
Benefit eligibility is determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and your service’s education office. Nothing on this page guarantees education benefits, credit transfer, admission, or a particular cost. Confirm every detail with the school’s military or veteran services office before you enroll.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (IC 2024): veteran and military services indicators (VET2 through VET5), distance-education program flag (DISTPGS); BOC Score from College Scorecard and IPEDS outcome data; U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 Military Installations layer (installation names as recorded there); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities; Census ACS 5-year estimates. Directory counts as of the September 2026 refresh.
