Barber school in South Dakota

2 barber programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

1 school offers these barber programs, and South Dakota has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Barbers shampoo, cut and style hair, mostly for men. Every state requires barbers to be licensed: you finish a state-approved program and then pass a state licensing exam.¹ In South Dakota, 1 of the 2 programs takes students without a high school diploma, and both are taught partly or fully online.

See the 2 programs

How much does barber school cost in South Dakota?

$3,850 to $18,500

from the lowest-priced program to the highest, if you pay yourself

These two programs

Finished the program: 83% to 96%
Working 6 months later: Not reported
Earned a year, estimated: about $21,100
Length: 12 to 38 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in South Dakota may also offer barber school. How these figures are made

Is there free barber school in South Dakota?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.²³⁴In program year 2024 it paid toward the training of at least 17 people at 2 of the 2 programs here.
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁵ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁴
Or pay yourself. These programs cost $3,850 to $18,500.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 2 barber programs in South Dakota approved for WIOA funding

2 programs

Barber license programHybridNo diploma needed
Barber Studies
South Dakota Barber College, LLC
Rapid City
No diploma needed
South Dakota Barber College, LLC, Rapid City · Barber license program · Hybrid · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimated$21,100
Price if you pay yourself$18,500
14 students trained with WIOA funding
Program website, Barber Studies at South Dakota Barber College, LLC
More details about Barber Studies at South Dakota Barber College, LLC
Finished
83%
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
$5,270
Length
38 weeks, 40 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$2,350
Students counted
58
a year, estimated
$21,100
price
$18,500
trained with WIOA funding
14
Crossover, upgrade or short courseHybridEducation and courses
Barber | Cosmetology to Barber Crossover
South Dakota Barber College, LLC
Rapid City
Education and courses
South Dakota Barber College, LLC, Rapid City · Crossover, upgrade or short course · Hybrid · Education and courses
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$3,850
3 students trained with WIOA funding
Program website, Barber | Cosmetology to Barber Crossover at South Dakota Barber College, LLC
More details about Barber | Cosmetology to Barber Crossover at South Dakota Barber College, LLC
Finished
96%
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
12 weeks, 25 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$1,900
Students counted
29
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$3,850
trained with WIOA funding
3

How to pay for barber school in South Dakota

WIOA funding can pay for barber school in South Dakota

Every program on this page is approved for WIOA funding: public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It can pay for training for eligible adults, people who lost their job and young people.²People on public assistance, with a low income or lacking basic skills come first, and veterans have priority.³Your state or local area may limit how much WIOA pays and for how long. If a program costs more, a Pell Grant, a scholarship or severance pay can cover the rest.⁴

Ask at an American Job Center

Eligibility rules apply, and services vary from state to state. Your local American Job Center can tell you whether you qualify. The Department of Labor's page links to the center finder, or call 1-877-US-2JOBS (1-877-872-5627).⁵

Financial aid and grants for barber school

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁶⁷

GI Bill for barber school

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁸

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Does WIOA pay for job training? Who qualifies and how to apply

Where the South Dakota barber program numbers come from

Which South Dakota barber programs are on this list?

These are the barber programs South Dakota approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).⁹ The list here covers 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.

How the prices and results of South Dakota barber programs are measured

The price is tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported it. "Trained with WIOA funding" on a program counts the people whose training there WIOA paid toward through a training account in program year 2024; the file never gives counts under 3, so a program without the line may still take WIOA students. It does not say how much of the price WIOA covered. Results describe students who left the program in recent years, and the yearly earnings figure is the reported quarter times four, an estimate. They describe past students, so they are no guarantee. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported". Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

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 facts about barber school in South Dakota

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