Best Online Public Health Programs in Watertown, SD (2026)

Watertown, South Dakota has 2 accredited schools offering public health programs, with tuition ranging from $7,650 to $20,272 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 public health-related role is Medical and Health Services Manager at a median $122,050 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Public Health Schools to Watertown

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public health 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.

#1

Lake Area Technical College

Watertown, SD 2.9 miles from Watertown BOC Score 74.7
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,473
Avg net price $15,979/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Public Health Wages Near Watertown

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (South Dakota, statewide)
EpidemiologistN/A
Health Education Specialist$57,370
Medical and Health Services Manager$122,050
Community Health Worker$45,700

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 Public Health Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public health schools are near Watertown, SD?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering public health programs near Watertown. The closest is South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD (44.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southeast Technical College (94.5 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public health roles in South Dakota?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying public health-related roles in South Dakota are: Medical and Health Services Manager ($122,050), Health Education Specialist ($57,370), Community Health Worker ($45,700). 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 public health 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 public health?

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 Public Health Programs

Other Programs Available in Watertown

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

Data verified: July 30, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.