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CNA Classes in South Dakota: 104 State-Approved Programs

South Dakota approves 104 CNA training programs, listed below from the state's official approved-program list, current as of September 2026. The most are in Rapid City (8), Sioux Falls (5), Yankton (3). About 12 run at colleges, technical schools, and adult-education programs, and about 40 at nursing facilities and care centers, where training is often free for employees under federal rules.

South Dakota requires 75 training hours (16 clinical), the federal minimum, so full-time programs commonly finish in about 4 weeks. Once certified, a typical CNA in South Dakota earns $38,800 a year ($18.65 an hour), 8% below the national figure, per BLS wage data (May 2025).

CNA classes in South Dakota at a glance

  • •104 approved programs on the official state list, across 57 cities.
  • •Required training: 75 hours, 16 of them clinical.
  • •Free training: nursing facilities cannot charge employees for training under federal rule 42 CFR 483.152(c); 40 programs here run at facilities.
  • •Typical pay once certified: $38,800 a year in South Dakota.
  • •After the exam, certification is listed on the South Dakota Nurse Aide Registry.

State-Approved CNA Programs in South Dakota

Every program below appears on South Dakota's official approved list. Programs open and close during the year, so confirm current approval and start dates with the program before enrolling.

Showing 104 of 104 state-approved CNA programs in South Dakota.

Other 26 programs

  • Aberdeen Health & Rehabnursing facility

  • Alcester Care & Rehabnursing facility

  • Avera

  • Bethesda Home of Aberdeen

  • Bethesda Home (Webster)

  • Bethesda of Beresford

  • Bowdle Healthcare

  • Brookings High School CTE Center

  • Custer Care and Rehab Centernursing facility

  • Estelline Nursing & Care Centernursing facility

  • Faulkton Senior Livingnursing facility

  • Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribal Care Centernursing facility

  • Highmore Health

  • Kadoka Nursing Homenursing facility

  • Lake Andes Senior Livingnursing facility

  • Philip Health Services

  • Platte Care Center Averanursing facility

  • Sanford Health N ursing Assistant Training program

  • Sioux Falls School District CTE Academy

  • Sisseton Wahpeton College

  • Spearfish Canyon Healthcare

  • Wakonda Heritage Manornursing facility

  • White River Healthcare Centernursing facility

  • Willow Lake School CTE

  • Winner Regional Healthcare Centernursing facility

  • Yankton High School

Rapid City 8 programs

  • Avantara Arrowhead

  • Avantara Mountain View

  • Avantara North

  • Avantara St. Cloud

  • Evergreen Fountain Springs Healthcare

  • M onument Health CNA Program

  • Peaceful Pines Senior Livingnursing facility

  • Sanford Health N ursing Assistant Training program GSS St. Martin’s Village–Rapid City

Sioux Falls 5 programs

  • Avera Prince of Peace–Sioux Falls

  • Bethany Home Sioux Falls

  • Dow Rummel Villagenursing facility

  • Sanford Health N ursing Assistant Training program Luther Manor–Sioux Falls

  • Sanford Health N ursing Assistant Training program Stevens Center–Sioux Falls

Yankton 3 programs

  • Avera Avera Education Staffing Solutions (AESS)

  • Avera Sr. James Care Centernursing facility

  • SD Human Services Center

Aberdeen 2 programs

  • Avera Mother Joseph Manornursing facility

  • Prairie Heights Healthcare

Britton 2 programs

  • Evergreen Wheatcrest Hills Healthcare Centernursing facility

  • Marshall County Healthcare Centernursing facility

Brookings 2 programs

  • The Neighborhoods at Brookview

  • United Living Communitynursing facility

Hot Springs 2 programs

  • Fall River Health Services

  • Michael J. Fitzmaurice SD State Veterans Homenursing facility

Milbank 2 programs

  • Avantara Milbank

  • St. William's Care Centernursing facility

Pierre 2 programs

  • Avantara Pierre

  • Avera Maryhouse

Redfield 2 programs

  • Avantara Redfield

  • Eastern Star Homenursing facility

Watertown 2 programs

  • Avantara Watertown

  • Jenkins Living Centernursing facility

Belle Fourche 1 program

  • Belle Estate

Brandon 1 program

  • Bethany Home Brandon

Brandon Valley Hs 1 program

  • Southeast Technical College – Sioux Falls Brandon Valley HS

Bridgewater 1 program

  • Diamond Care Centernursing facility

Bristol 1 program

  • Sun Dial Manornursing facility

C Anton 1 program

  • Sanford Health N ursing Assistant Training program C anton

Chamberlain Care Center 1 program

  • Sanford Health N ursing Assistant Training program Chamberlain Care Center

Clark 1 program

  • Avantara Clark

Eagle Butte 1 program

  • Medicine Wheel Villagenursing facility

Eureka Healthcare Center 1 program

  • Avera Eureka Healthcare Centernursing facility

Fort Meade 1 program

  • VA Black Hills Healthcare System

Freeman 1 program

  • Oakview Terrace

Gettysburg 1 program

  • Avera Oahe Manornursing facility

Good Samaritan Society (Gss) Canistota 1 program

  • Sanford Health N ursing Assistant Training program Good Samaritan Society (GSS) Canistota

Gregory 1 program

  • Avera Rosebud Country Care Centernursing facility

Groton 1 program

  • Avantara Groton

Gss Miller 1 program

  • Sanford Health N ursing Assistant Training program GSS Miller

Gss New Underwood 1 program

  • Sanford Health N ursing Assistant Training program GSS New Underwood

Gss Scotland 1 program

  • Sanford Health N ursing Assistant Training program GSS Scotland

Gss Sioux Falls Center 1 program

  • Sanford Health N ursing Assistant Training program GSS Sioux Falls Center

Gss Sioux Falls Village 1 program

  • Sanford Health N ursing Assistant Training program GSS Sioux Falls Village

Gss Tyndall 1 program

  • Sanford Health N ursing Assistant Training program GSS Tyndall

Gss Wagner 1 program

  • Sanford Health N ursing Assistant Training program GSS Wagner

Harrisburg Highschool (Hs) 1 program

  • Southeast Technical College – Sioux Falls Harrisburg Highschool (HS)

Howard 1 program

  • Sanford Health N ursing Assistant Training program Howard

Huron 1 program

  • Avantara Huron

Huron Community Campus 1 program

  • Southeast Technical College – Sioux Falls Huron Community Campus

Lake Norden 1 program

  • Avantara Lake Norden

Lennox Hs 1 program

  • Southeast Technical College – Sioux Falls Lennox HS

Madison 1 program

  • Bethel Lutheran Homenursing facility

Marion 1 program

  • Tieszen Memorial Homenursing facility

Martin 1 program

  • Bennett County Hospital and Rural Health Clinic

Mission 1 program

  • Sinte Gleska University

Mitchell 1 program

  • Avera Brady Health & Rehabnursing facility

Olivet Care Center 1 program

  • Menno-Olivet Care Centernursing facility

Parkston 1 program

  • Avera St. Benedict Health Center

Rapid City And Clarkson Healthcare - Rapid City 1 program

  • Westhills Village: Westhills Villagenursing facility

Selby 1 program

  • Walworth County Care Centernursing facility

Sioux Falls Christian Hs 1 program

  • Southeast Technical College – Sioux Falls Sioux Falls Christian HS

Spearfish 1 program

  • Heartland Senior Livingnursing facility

Tea Hs 1 program

  • Southeast Technical College – Sioux Falls Tea HS

Vermillion Care Center 1 program

  • Sanford Health N ursing Assistant Training program Vermillion Care Center

Viborg 1 program

  • Pioneer Memorial Assisted Livingnursing facility

Wessington Springs 1 program

  • Weskota Manor Averanursing facility

White Lake 1 program

  • Aurora Brule Nursing Homenursing facility

Woonsocket 1 program

  • Evergreen Prairie View Healthcare Centernursing facility

Source: South Dakota approved-program list, mirrored September 2026. 104 programs.

Where the Programs Are

Rapid City 8Sioux Falls 5Yankton 3Aberdeen 2Britton 2Brookings 2Hot Springs 2Milbank 2Pierre 2Redfield 2Watertown 2Belle Fourche 1Brandon 1Brandon Valley Hs 1Bridgewater 1Bristol 1C Anton 1Chamberlain Care Center 1Clark 1Eagle Butte 1Eureka Healthcare Center 1Fort Meade 1Freeman 1Gettysburg 1Good Samaritan Society (Gss) Canistota 1Gregory 1Groton 1Gss Miller 1Gss New Underwood 1Gss Scotland 1Gss Sioux Falls Center 1Gss Sioux Falls Village 1Gss Tyndall 1Gss Wagner 1Harrisburg Highschool (Hs) 1Howard 1Huron 1Huron Community Campus 1Lake Norden 1Lennox Hs 1Madison 1Marion 1Martin 1Mission 1Mitchell 1Olivet Care Center 1Parkston 1Rapid City And Clarkson Healthcare - Rapid City 1Selby 1Sioux Falls Christian Hs 1Spearfish 1Tea Hs 1Vermillion Care Center 1Viborg 1Wessington Springs 1White Lake 1Woonsocket 1

Frequently Asked Questions

How many CNA classes are there in South Dakota?

South Dakota's official approved-program list names 104 state-approved CNA training programs, with the most in Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Yankton. The list is published by the state and this page mirrors it as of September 2026.

How long is CNA training in South Dakota?

South Dakota requires 75 total training hours, including 16 clinical hours, against the federal minimum of 75. Full-time programs commonly finish in about 4 weeks; part-time tracks take longer.

Are there free CNA classes in South Dakota?

Under federal rule 42 CFR 483.152(c), a nursing facility cannot charge a nurse aide it employs for training and must reimburse a new hire's training cost within 12 months of certification. 40 of the 104 approved programs in South Dakota run at nursing facilities or care centers, which are the usual source of free or paid-while-training tracks.

How do I check that a CNA program in South Dakota is state-approved?

Every program on this page comes from South Dakota's official approved list. Before enrolling anywhere, confirm the program still appears on the current state list and ask the South Dakota Nurse Aide Registry if you are unsure.

Explore More

South Dakota CNA Registry

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CNA Salary in South Dakota

Pay by city, the decade trend

CNA Classes by State

Every state, free and online options

CNA Training

Hours by state, curriculum, free vs paid

How to Become a CNA

Steps and how long it takes

About this list

Programs are mirrored from South Dakota's official approved nurse aide training program list (September 2026); fields shown are the fields the state publishes. Training hours from state regulations against the federal floor in 42 CFR 483.152; wages from BLS OES May 2025. Confirm approval, schedules, and cost directly with the program.