EMT classes in South Dakota

4 EMT and paramedic programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

3 schools offer these EMT and paramedic programs, and South Dakota has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

EMTs and paramedics assess injuries and illnesses, give emergency medical care and may take patients to hospital. A basic EMT course usually takes less than a year and the intermediate level up to two, and every state requires a license.¹ In South Dakota, 1 of the 4 programs take students without a high school diploma, and 2 are taught partly or fully online.

See the 4 programs

How much do EMT classes cost in South Dakota?

$765 to $18,018

is what the 4 programs with a price cost if you pay yourself

Finished the program: Not reported
Working 6 months later: Not reported
Earned a year, estimated: Not reported
Length: Not reported for most programs

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 EMT classes. How these figures are made

Are there free EMT classes in South Dakota?

Yes, if you qualify. Workforce funding can pay for any program on this page.²³
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁴
Or pay yourself. These programs cost $765 to $18,018.

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

EMT classes in Sioux Falls, Rapid City and other South Dakota cities

Choosing an area filters the list below. 1 program is online.

All 4 EMT and paramedic programs in South Dakota approved for funding

4 programs

Paramedic or EMS (associate degree)HybridHigh school diploma or equivalent
Paramedic | AAS | Hybrid (63 credits)
Western Dakota Technical College, Rapid City
High school diploma or equivalent
Western Dakota Technical College, Rapid City · Paramedic or EMS (associate degree) · Hybrid · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$18,018
Program website, Paramedic | AAS | Hybrid (63 credits) at Western Dakota Technical College
More details about Paramedic | AAS | Hybrid (63 credits) at Western Dakota Technical College
Finished
13%
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
76 weeks, 19 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$7,734
Students counted
97
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$18,018
Paramedic or EMS (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Paramedic Science | AAS | In-person
Southeast Technical College, Sioux Falls
High school diploma or equivalent
Southeast Technical College, Sioux Falls · Paramedic or EMS (associate degree) · In person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$15,810
Program website, Paramedic Science | AAS | In-person at Southeast Technical College
More details about Paramedic Science | AAS | In-person at Southeast Technical College
Finished
43%
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
72 weeks, 20 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$5,120
Students counted
34
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$15,810
EMTIn personNo diploma needed
Emergency Medical Technician Course | In-Person
Southeast Technical College, Sioux Falls
No diploma needed
Southeast Technical College, Sioux Falls · EMT · In person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$765
Program website, Emergency Medical Technician Course | In-Person at Southeast Technical College
More details about Emergency Medical Technician Course | In-Person at Southeast Technical College
Finished
80%
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
16 weeks, 4 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$300
Students counted
11
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$765
EMTOnlineHigh school diploma or equivalent
EMT Basic (Emergency Medical Technician) | Upskill | Online
Lake Area Technical College, Online, based in Watertown, SD
High school diploma or equivalent
Lake Area Technical College, Online, based in Watertown, SD · EMT · Online · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$4,320
Program website, EMT Basic (Emergency Medical Technician) | Upskill | Online at Lake Area Technical College
More details about EMT Basic (Emergency Medical Technician) | Upskill | Online at Lake Area Technical College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
36 weeks, 24 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
Not reported
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$4,320

How to pay for EMT classes in South Dakota

Workforce funding can pay for EMT classes in South Dakota

Every program on this page is approved for public workforce funding, 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.³

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).⁴

Financial aid and grants for EMT classes

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.⁵⁶

GI Bill for EMT classes

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁷

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

Where the South Dakota EMT and paramedic program numbers come from

Which South Dakota EMT and paramedic programs are on this list?

These are the EMT and paramedic programs South Dakota approved for public workforce funding (the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). The list 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 South Dakota EMT and paramedic program prices are reported

The price is tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported it. Prices under $100 are treated as not reported, because the file holds many blanks entered as $0. Check the current price with the school.

What the graduate results of these programs measure

The figures at the top of this page are the middle program among those that report results: half did better, half did worse. Results describe students who left each program in recent years: the share who finished, the share working in the second quarter after leaving, and the middle earnings of those working in that quarter. States report earnings for that one quarter because they take them from the wage reports employers file every three months. The yearly figure here is that quarter times four, rounded to the nearest $100: an estimate, and an early one, since it is measured about half a year after training. The quarter as reported is under "More details" on each program. Results are withheld for small programs, and they describe past students, so they are no guarantee.

Why do some EMT and paramedic programs say "Not reported"?

Where a school or the state left a field empty, or the Department of Labor withheld it, the page says "Not reported". Nothing here is estimated to fill a gap.

Why the kind of school is left off each program

The file also records whether a school is public, private or nonprofit, but those entries are wrong too often to print next to a school's name, so this page leaves them out.

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 EMT classes in South Dakota

Show the 7 sourcesHide the sources