How much do Cosmetology schools cost in South Dakota?

The median annual net price (what students actually pay after aid) across 4 cosmetology schools in South Dakota is $17,063. Individual schools range widely — the table above shows each school's real cost, not sticker price.

Can you get paid to train as a cosmetology in South Dakota?

Yes — South Dakota has 1 registered apprenticeship program where you earn wages while you train instead of paying tuition. See the cosmetology apprenticeships page for the current list.

What does a cosmetology earn in South Dakota?

Working cosmetology professionals in South Dakota earn a median of $49,800 per year, ranging from about $32,090 to $61,900 (U.S. Department of Labor). This is what people in the job earn, which differs from a school's reported graduate-earnings figure.

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Cosmetology Schools in South Dakota

4 schools in South Dakota offer cosmetology-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Prefer to earn while you learn? 1 registered apprenticeship program in South Dakota trains cosmetology apprentices — see apprenticeships. Federal program data groups cosmetology with barbering — schools below may offer any of these.

Schools in South Dakota

Median net price / yr (South Dakota)

$17,063

national: $15,216

Median earnings (South Dakota)

$30,695

national: $28,378

Apprenticeship sponsors

earn while training

Cosmetology pay in South Dakota (all workers)

$49,800

range $32,090–$61,900 · U.S. DOL occupation wage

Occupation pay is what working cosmetology professionals in South Dakota earn (all experience levels) — school "earnings" figures above are medians for each school's recent federally-aided students across all its programs, which read lower.

Official license records related to cosmetology in South Dakota

From the U.S. Department of Labor's License Finder — these may include contractor, specialty, or related licenses beyond entry-level requirements:

Cosmetologist — South Dakota Cosmetology Commission
Cosmetologist Instructor — South Dakota Cosmetology Commission
Barber — South Dakota Board of Barber Examiners

Wage and license data provided by CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) and Minnesota DEED.

Schools, ranked by earnings per tuition dollar

School	City	Type	Net price / yr	Completion	Earnings (10 yr)
Lake Area Technical College	Watertown	public	$15,979	72.7%	$45,473
Stewart School	Sioux Falls	private for-profit	$14,221	87%	$31,843
Paul Mitchell the School-Rapid City	Rapid City	private for-profit	$19,694	82.9%	$29,547
The Salon Professional Academy	Rapid City	private for-profit	$18,146	79.2%	$23,641

Ranking = median earnings 10 years after entry per $1,000 of average yearly net price (methodology). Figures are institution-wide federal medians for each school as a whole — not cosmetology graduates specifically. Schools without both figures sort last — "not reported" means the federal dataset lacks the value, not that the school is bad.

Common questions: Cosmetology school in South Dakota

How much do Cosmetology schools cost in South Dakota?: The median annual net price (what students actually pay after aid) across 4 cosmetology schools in South Dakota is $17,063. Individual schools range widely — the table above shows each school's real cost, not sticker price.
Can you get paid to train as a cosmetology in South Dakota?: Yes — South Dakota has 1 registered apprenticeship program where you earn wages while you train instead of paying tuition. See the cosmetology apprenticeships page for the current list.
What does a cosmetology earn in South Dakota?: Working cosmetology professionals in South Dakota earn a median of $49,800 per year, ranging from about $32,090 to $61,900 (U.S. Department of Labor). This is what people in the job earn, which differs from a school's reported graduate-earnings figure.

Aid deadlines for cosmetology programs in South Dakota

Federal and state aid programs have windows and deadlines. Get them for your trade and state, plus program matches.

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Cosmetology schools in nearby states

See all states & the full cosmetology guide →

Data: U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard (most recent release, pulled July 2026) + U.S. Dept of Labor apprenticeship.gov. Methodology & provenance. Independent site — not affiliated with any government agency.