First responder training in South Dakota
10 first responder programs in 2 fields of public safety, with costs, results and funding that can make them free
5 schools offer these programs, and South Dakota has approved every one for workforce funding. Compare the 2 fields below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.
First responder training covers the people who come when you call 911: EMT and paramedic classes, police and corrections academies and fire academies, along with criminal justice and fire science certificates and degrees. It also takes in security guard training.
All job training programs in South Dakota, every line of work
First responder training by state, to compare South Dakota with other states
Compare first responder programs in South Dakota: cost, pay and results
6 programs at 4 schools
- Most cost
- $1,654 to $13,144
- Earned a year, estimated
- Not enough data
- Working 6 months later
- Left out
- Finished
- 80%
4 programs at 4 schools
- Most cost
- Not enough data
- Earned a year, estimated
- Not enough data
- Working 6 months later
- Left out
- Finished
- Not enough data
Each figure is the middle program of that field. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are counted; other schools in South Dakota may offer more. How these figures are made
Other job training in South Dakota, by line of work
- Trade school programs69
- Business and office training30
- Medical certification programs26
- IT certification programs22
- Nursing and patient care programs15
- Allied health programs12
- Child care and social services training4
- Beauty school4
- Culinary and hospitality programs3
- All job training in South Dakota208
Programs approved in South Dakota in each line of work.
Where the South Dakota first responder numbers come from
Which South Dakota programs are counted?
Programs South Dakota approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) in the fields listed above. Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).5 They come from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what South Dakota offers.
What the figures for each field mean
Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where a figure is missing, the table says why: "Not reported", "Left out" or "Not enough data" (what each means).
How reliable are the South Dakota figures?
We leave out the share working 6 months later for South Dakota: its rates sit far below every other state's.
Sources for the funding facts about first responder programs in South Dakota
Show the 5 sourcesHide the sources
- US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
- US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
- Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
- US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
- US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List