South Dakota · Verified October 2026
Medical Assistant Programs in South Dakota
Where Can You Train as a Medical Assistant in South Dakota?
3 schools in South Dakota run 3 medical assisting programs, with the most in Watertown, Mitchell and Sioux Falls. 3 are certificates or diplomas. 3 are CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited, making graduates eligible for the CMA (AAMA) exam. The lowest cost we found is $4,000 at Mitchell Technical College. Medical assistants in South Dakota earn a median of $41,870 a year (BLS, May 2025).
- schools in South Dakota
- 3
- programs
- 3
- CAAHEP or ABHES accredited
- 3
- median cost
- $4,000
- median MA pay (BLS May 2025)
- $41,870
Standout Medical Assistant Programs in South Dakota
| Standout | Program | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest cost | Mitchell Technical College diploma: Medical Assistant (Diploma)Best for keeping costs down near Mitchell · Mitchell | $4,000 published total |
| Shortest | Southeast Technical College diploma: Medical Assistant 1-Year Diploma ProgramBest for starting work fast near Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls | 40 weeks |
| Most awards | Southeast Technical College diploma: Medical Assistant 1-Year Diploma ProgramBest for an established program with a track record · Sioux Falls | 18 MA awards, 2022-23 |
Lowest cost: the published total or published rate x credits (estimated). Shortest: the stated length in weeks. Most awards: IPEDS 2022-23 medical assisting awards at the school. Paused and bridge programs are left out.
South Dakota Medical Assistant Schools Compared
| School | Credentials | Accreditation | Shortest | Lowest cost | MA awards, 2022-23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Technical CollegeSioux Falls · Public | Diploma | CAAHEP | 40 wk | 18 | |
| Mitchell Technical CollegeMitchell · Public | Diploma | CAAHEP | 48 wk | $4,000 | 8 |
| Lake Area Technical CollegeWatertown · Public | Diploma | CAAHEP | 48 wk | $12,034 | 4 |
From each school's own pages, reviewed October 2026. Accreditation from the CAAHEP and ABHES directories, captured October 12, 2026. Awards from IPEDS 2022-23 (CIP 51.0801) count credentials conferred, not graduates. Blank cells: the school's pages don't give that figure.
Every Medical Assistant Program in South Dakota
- DiplomaCAAHEPCMA (AAMA) eligible
Medical Assistant 1-Year Diploma Program at Southeast Technical College: Schedule, Cost and Skills Taught
Southeast Technical College school profile and campuses · Sioux Falls
- Cost
- $282per credit
- Length
- 40 wk1 year
- Billing and coding
- Pharmacology
- CMAAAMA
- DiplomaCAAHEPCMA (AAMA) eligible
Medical Assistant (Diploma) at Mitchell Technical College: Length, Externship and Exams
Mitchell Technical College school facts and programs · Mitchell
- Cost
- $4,000published total
- Length
- 48 wk3 semesters
- Credits
- 6
- Externship
- Included
- Billing and coding
- Pharmacology
- CMAAAMA
- RMAAMT
- DiplomaCAAHEPCMA (AAMA) eligible
Medical Assisting (Diploma) at Lake Area Technical College: Length, Externship and Exams
Lake Area Technical College school profile and campuses · Watertown
- Cost
- $12,034published total, 2026
- Length
- 48 wk11 months of instruction plus externship
- Externship
- 255 hours
Online Medical Assistant Programs Open to South Dakota Residents
These 11 programs put all coursework online and arrange the externship at a clinic near you. Each is listed once, lowest cost first. Confirm the school can place you in South Dakota before you apply.
Medical Assistant Pay in South Dakota
- bottom tenth
- $35,980
- median
- $41,870
- top tenth
- $48,960
- employed
- 1,340
South Dakota's median of $41,870 is below the national median of $45,690. Figures are annual wages for medical assistants (SOC 31-9092), BLS OEWS May 2025.
Medical Assistant Schools in States Near South Dakota
- Kirkwood Community CollegeCedar Rapids, IA · diploma and associate degree · accredited
- Mercy College of Health Sciences (now Mercy Health Sciences University)Des Moines, IA · certificate and associate degree · accredited
- Southeastern Community CollegeWest Burlington, IA · diploma · accredited
- Eastern Iowa Community College DistrictDavenport, IA · diploma
- Rasmussen University-MinnesotaSt. Cloud, MN · diploma and associate degree · accredited
- Century CollegeWhite Bear Lake, MN · diploma · accredited
- Dakota County Technical CollegeRosemount, MN · diploma and associate degree · accredited
- Anoka Technical CollegeAnoka, MN · diploma and associate degree · accredited
- Montana State University (Gallatin College MSU)Bozeman, MT · certificate
- Flathead Valley Community CollegeKalispell, MT · certificate
- Salish Kootenai CollegePablo, MT · certificate
- University of Montana (Missoula College)Missoula, MT · certificate and associate degree
- Southeast Community College AreaLincoln, NE · diploma · accredited
- Central Community CollegeGrand Island, NE · associate degree · accredited
- Metropolitan Community College AreaOmaha, NE · certificate and associate degree · accredited
- Dakota College at BottineauBottineau, ND · certificate and associate degree
- Central Wyoming CollegeRiverton, WY · certificate
Medical Assistant Programs in South Dakota: Common Questions
How Many Medical Assistant Programs Are in South Dakota?
3 at 3 schools, verified on each school's own site in October 2026. Watertown (1), Mitchell (1) and Sioux Falls (1) have the most.
Are There Accredited Medical Assistant Programs in South Dakota?
Yes. Lake Area Technical College, Mitchell Technical College and Southeast Technical College run CAAHEP- or ABHES-accredited programs (directories captured October 12, 2026). Graduates meet the standard route to the CMA (AAMA) exam. Every accredited program.
How Much Does Medical Assistant School Cost in South Dakota?
Among the 2 South Dakota programs that publish a total or a per-credit rate with their credits, cost runs from $4,000 to $12,034, with a median of $4,000.
How Much Do Medical Assistants Make in South Dakota?
The median is $41,870 a year ($20.13 an hour), with the middle half earning $37,730 to $45,870, across 1,340 medical assistants (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $45,690. Medical assistant pay in every state.
Can South Dakota Residents Train as a Medical Assistant Online?
Partly. 11 programs put all coursework online, and 1 South Dakota programs are hybrid, but every program ends in an in-person externship. Check that an online school can place you at a clinic in South Dakota before you enroll. Online medical assistant programs.
Compare Programs Beyond Your State
- Accredited Medical Assistant ProgramsCAAHEP and ABHES programs nationwide
- Online Medical Assistant ProgramsHybrid and fully online programs
- Accelerated Medical Assistant ProgramsPrograms of 32 weeks or less
- Affordable Medical Assistant ProgramsRanked by cost
- Medical Assistant CertificationCMA, RMA, CCMA and NCMA compared
- Medical Assistant Programs in Iowa13 schools
- Medical Assistant Programs in Minnesota7 schools
- Medical Assistant Programs in Montana4 schools
- Medical Assistant Programs in Nebraska3 schools
- All StatesEvery state's programs
Sources
- Official program pages of the 3 South Dakota schools listed, reviewed October 2026
- CAAHEP, accredited medical assisting programs, captured October 12, 2026
- ABHES, directory of programmatically accredited programs, captured October 12, 2026
- U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS completions 2022-23, CIP 51.0801
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Medical Assistants, state estimates