The Salon Professional Academy
Rapid City, SD 57701
About The Salon Professional Academy
The Salon Professional Academy is a private for-profit trade school in Rapid City, South Dakota, enrolling about 80 students. Programs focus on certificates and workforce credentials that prepare students for skilled trades and technical careers. The published completion rate is about 79.31% at 150% of normal time. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $23,641 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $23,641.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at The Salon Professional Academy is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 226% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Salon Professional Academy | — | $18,146 | 1 |
| Private For-profit (national median) | $16,637 | — | 477 |
| South Dakota (state median) | $8,845 | $15,911 | 19 |
| Town (locale median) | $9,600 | $14,971 | 1,517 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
How expensive is The Salon Professional Academy really?
Evidence: average net price at The Salon Professional Academy versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at The Salon Professional Academy is $18,146.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $18,146 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $2,235 above the South Dakota median net price. Versus town campuses, net price runs $3,175 above the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
The Salon Professional Academy: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for The Salon Professional Academy—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
Avg. net price
$18,146
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $14,704 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $18,512 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $22,275 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $21,295 |
| $110,001+ | $23,508 |
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What The Salon Professional Academy is known for
Top program completions
- Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist21
- Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General20
- Real Estate Development7
- Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage4
See earnings & programs for more.
Is The Salon Professional Academy a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
The Salon Professional Academy is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for The Salon Professional Academy.
Campus
Location
Rapid City, SD
City / state
- ZIP
- 57701
- NCES locale
- Town
Compared with Town campuses nationally, net price is 21% above the median for Town campuses ($14,971 median).
Control
Institution type
Private For-profit
Control
- Region
- Plains
Size
Enrollment
80
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 122
- Full-time share
- 89%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$8,500
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 43.27%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Costs include tuition and fees. Room & board, books, and other expenses are additional where not shown.
Tuition vs average net price after aid for The Salon Professional Academy.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at The Salon Professional Academy was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for The Salon Professional Academy in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | — | — | $8,363 |
| 2014 | — | — | $8,643 |
| 2015 | — | — | $8,389 |
| 2016 | — | — | $9,860 |
| 2017 | — | — | $10,159 |
| 2018 | — | — | $8,428 |
| 2019 | — | — | $10,947 |
| 2020 | — | — | $13,476 |
| 2021 | — | — | $13,046 |
| 2022 | — | — | $16,019 |
| 2023 | — | — | $15,357 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
Acceptance rate data is not available for this institution.
Admissions funnel data is not available for this institution.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
The Salon Professional Academy reported total enrollment of about 80 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 0% male and 100% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (73.8%), Two or More Races (13.8%), and American Indian or Alaska Native (6.2%). About 43.27% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 46.3% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
88.8% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at The Salon Professional Academy in 2024 is 80 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 122 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
100.0%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
13.79% 100% Completion Time
79.31% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 13.79% of students graduating from The Salon Professional Academy completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care Specialist: 5% male / 95% female
- Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General: 5% male / 95% female
- Real Estate Development: 0% male / 100% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
The Salon Professional Academy graduates earn a median of $23,641 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of The Salon Professional Academy.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $23,641. Median federal loan debt: $8,500. Average net price used in cost models: $18,146.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway The Salon Professional Academy graduates report median earnings of $23,641 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for The Salon Professional Academy.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 4 programs by IPEDS completions (5 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at The Salon Professional Academy.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for The Salon Professional Academy graduates.
Institutional resources
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for The Salon Professional Academy—instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Instructional Resources
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $7,520
- South Dakota median near the median ($7,480)
- Plains median 0.92× the median ($8,150)
- U.S. median near the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Scorecard instructional metrics where reported.
The Salon Professional Academy at a glance
The Salon Professional Academy
The Salon Professional Academy is a private for-profit institution in Rapid City, SD.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Aesthetician/Esthetician and Skin Care SpecialistCosmetology/Cosmetologist, GeneralReal Estate Development
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian73.8%Two or More Races13.8%American Indian or Alaska Native6.2%
Schools near The Salon Professional Academy
Other campuses in Rapid City, SD when available, plus nearby institutions in South Dakota.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade C) within South Dakota, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is The Salon Professional Academy located?
The Salon Professional Academy is located in Rapid City, SD.
How much does The Salon Professional Academy cost?
Reported tuition is N/A and average net price is $18,146 in the latest College Scorecard data.
What explains The Salon Professional Academy's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($18,146), completion (79.3% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($23,641). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at The Salon Professional Academy?
The Salon Professional Academy reports undergraduate enrollment of about 122 students, White (73.8%), Two or More Races (13.8%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend The Salon Professional Academy?
About 46.3% of students at The Salon Professional Academy are first-generation college students.
What do graduates of The Salon Professional Academy earn?
Median earnings are $25,321 six years after entry and $23,641 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at The Salon Professional Academy?
The 150%-time completion rate is 79.3% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do The Salon Professional Academy students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $8,500.
Is The Salon Professional Academy public or private?
The Salon Professional Academy is a private for-profit institution located in Rapid City, SD.
Is The Salon Professional Academy an HBCU?
No. The Salon Professional Academy is not flagged as an HBCU in the IPEDS institutional directory.
Is The Salon Professional Academy a tribal college?
No. The Salon Professional Academy is not flagged as a tribal college in IPEDS.
Is The Salon Professional Academy a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI)?
Using a 25% Hispanic enrollment threshold on College Scorecard demographics, The Salon Professional Academy does not meet that proxy (reported share 3.8%).
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
- South Dakota college profile
- South Dakota college costs
- South Dakota colleges by ROI
- South Dakota trade schools profile
- Rapid City, South Dakota city profile
- Plains regional profile
- Town college profile
- Campus-setting profiles
- All state profiles
- Regional profiles
- National benchmarks
- School directory
- All schools in South Dakota
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.