Watertown, South Dakota
Lake Area Technical College Medical Assistant Diploma
What Medical Assistant Programs Does Lake Area Technical College Offer?
Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, South Dakota offers one medical assisting program: Medical Assisting (diploma), taught on campus and hybrid. It is CAAHEP-accredited, so graduates are eligible for the CMA (AAMA) exam. It comes to $12,034 total. It runs 48 weeks.
Medical Assisting (Diploma) at Lake Area Technical College
- DiplomaCAAHEPCMA (AAMA) eligible
- Cost
- $12,034published total, 2026
- Length
- 48 wk11 months of instruction plus externship
- Externship
- 255 hours
Inside Lake Area Technical College's Diploma
- Length
- 11 months of instruction plus externship
- Externship
- 255-hour supervised, non-paid externship (MA 240)
- Tuition (school's wording)
- Total estimated program cost $12,034 (accurate as of 2026): tuition $5,160, state fees $1,733, departmental fee $1,757, campus support fee $1,194, course fees $300, books $500, uniform $200, laptop $1,1902026. Source: lakeareatech.edu, reviewed October 12, 2026.
- Published total
- $12,034The school's own program total.
- Outcomes the school publishes
- 100% placement rate (employed within 6 months of graduation)
Medical Assisting (diploma) at Lake Area Technical College: full program profileLake Area Technical College diploma page on lakeareatech.edu ↗
From Lake Area Technical College's own program, admissions and tuition pages, reviewed October 12, 2026. Tuition changes each year; confirm fees with the school.
How Lake Area Technical College Compares
- Medical Assisting (diploma) costs $12,034, against a median of $17,215 across 304 priced diploma programs on this site.
- Medical Assisting (diploma) runs 48 weeks; the median for diploma programs is 40 weeks.
Medical assistants in South Dakota earn a median of $41,870 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), against $45,690 nationally.
Work out what Lake Area Technical College's diploma costs you after aid
Is Lake Area Technical College's Medical Assistant Program Accredited?
Yes. Medical Assisting (diploma) is listed by CAAHEP (directory captured October 12, 2026). Accredited by CAAHEP on the recommendation of MAERB (CAAHEP directory, October 12, 2026), so graduates meet the standard education route for the CMA (AAMA) exam.
Medical Assisting Awards at Lake Area Technical College
| Award level | Awards, 2022-23 |
|---|---|
| Associate degrees | 4 |
Federal completions data (IPEDS, CIP 51.0801) count 4 medical assisting awards conferred by Lake Area Technical College in 2022-23, 898th of 951 schools on this site. These are credentials awarded, not graduates or job outcomes, and chains report each campus separately.
More Medical Assistant Schools in South Dakota and Nearby States
- Mitchell Technical CollegeMitchell · diploma · accredited
- Southeast Technical CollegeSioux Falls · diploma · accredited
- Des Moines Area Community CollegeAnkeny, IA · certificate
- Eastern Iowa Community College DistrictDavenport, IA · diploma
- Ellsworth Community CollegeIowa Falls, IA · diploma
- Hawkeye Community CollegeWaterloo, IA · diploma
- Iowa Central Community CollegeFort Dodge, IA · diploma and associate degree
- Kirkwood Community CollegeCedar Rapids, IA · diploma and associate degree
- Medical assistant programs in South DakotaEvery local program, plus online options for residents
Lake Area Technical College Medical Assisting: Common Questions
Is Lake Area Technical College's Medical Assistant Program Accredited?
Yes. Medical Assisting (diploma) is listed by CAAHEP (directory captured October 12, 2026). Accredited by CAAHEP on the recommendation of MAERB (CAAHEP directory, October 12, 2026), so graduates meet the standard education route for the CMA (AAMA) exam.
How Much Does Lake Area Technical College's Medical Assistant Diploma Cost?
Medical Assisting (diploma): Total estimated program cost $12,034 (accurate as of 2026): tuition $5,160, state fees $1,733, departmental fee $1,757, campus support fee $1,194, course fees $300, books $500, uniform $200, laptop $1,190.
How Long Is Lake Area Technical College's Medical Assistant Diploma?
Medical Assisting (diploma): 11 months of instruction plus externship.
Does Lake Area Technical College Include an Externship?
Yes. Medical Assisting (diploma): 255-hour supervised, non-paid externship (MA 240).
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Sources
- lakeareatech.edu: Medical Assisting (diploma) program page, reviewed October 12, 2026
- CAAHEP, accredited medical assisting programs, captured October 12, 2026
- U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS completions 2022-23, CIP 51.0801 (medical/clinical assistant)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Medical Assistants, South Dakota