Best Entrepreneurship Schools Near Watertown, SD (2026)

Updated August 25, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Watertown, South Dakota has 5 accredited schools offering entrepreneurship programs, with tuition ranging from $6,491 to $17,408 per year for indexed programs. Watertown has a population of about 22,859. Median household income is $62,721 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In South Dakota, the top-earning entrepreneurship-related role is Marketing Manager at a median $167,750 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Entrepreneurship Schools to Watertown

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer entrepreneurship programs near Watertown, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Watertown city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

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:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

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.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD 44.9 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
59.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,070
Avg net price $19,841/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Dakota Wesleyan University

Mitchell, SD 94.2 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
53.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,728
Avg net price $19,735/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

California Intercontinental University

Sioux Falls, SD 96.5 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 31%
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls, SD 97.4 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
55.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,521
Avg net price $21,383/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, SD 146.8 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
52.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 99%
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,926
Avg net price $19,858/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,432
Out‑of‑state$12,942
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Sinte Gleska University

Mission, SD 204.9 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
30.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 12%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $20,948
Avg net price $12,768/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

National American University-Rapid City

Rapid City, SD 306.1 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
16.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,325
Avg net price $31,062/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 37%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Black Hills State University

Spearfish, SD 331.1 miles from Watertown
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
43.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,674
Avg net price $15,911/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all South Dakota schools on the South Dakota entrepreneurship page.

Entrepreneurship Wages Near Watertown

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (South Dakota, statewide)
General and Operations Manager$137,400
Management Analyst$83,620
Marketing Manager$167,750
Market Research Analyst$63,490

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Watertown at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population22,859Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$62,721Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+21.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Watertown-Area Cities With Entrepreneurship Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited entrepreneurship schools are near Watertown, SD?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering entrepreneurship programs near Watertown. The closest is South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD (44.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Mitchell Technical College (94.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying entrepreneurship roles in South Dakota?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying entrepreneurship-related roles in South Dakota are: Marketing Manager ($167,750), General and Operations Manager ($137,400), Management Analyst ($83,620). Wages for Watertown workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Brookings instead of Watertown?

Brookings, SD is 45.7 miles from Watertown and has its own set of local entrepreneurship programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Watertown an affordable place to study entrepreneurship?

Watertown’s median household income of $62,721 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Watertown while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South Dakota public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Entrepreneurship Programs

Other Programs Available in Watertown

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Watertown:

Data verified: August 25, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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