Home > Online Colleges > Military-Friendly > South Dakota > Rapid City
Key takeaway: 5 accredited institutions within 100 miles of Rapid City offer fully online programs and report both credit for military training and a dedicated point of contact for veterans, servicemembers, and their families (IPEDS IC 2024); 3 report all four services the federal survey tracks. The nearest installation recorded by the Census Bureau is National Guard West Camp, about 4 miles away, and 2 installations sit within 100 miles (1 Air Force, 1 National Guard). 3 of the 5 schools have a campus within 30 miles; the closest is South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, SD, about 1 miles from city center. The highest-ranked by BOC Score is South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Rapid City has a population of about 76,836 and a median household income of $65,712; 36.4 percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year estimates).
Military-friendly online colleges near Rapid City
Schools based in South Dakota that report credit for military training and a dedicated military contact, ordered by distance from Rapid City city center, with BOC Score on each card. The tags on each card are the school’s own IPEDS answers for the four military services. The distance table further down covers the nearest qualifying schools regardless of state line.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Rapid City.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$72,257
Avg net price
$20,183/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 31
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$40,240
Avg net price
$12,670/yr
TuitionIn‑state$8,294
Out‑of‑state$8,294
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$37,325
Avg net price
$31,062/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 37%
- Programs offered: 28
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Nearest qualifying schools within 100 miles (any state)
South Dakota has 14 military-friendly online colleges by this definition; the South Dakota page lists them all.
Military installations near Rapid City
| Installation (as recorded by the Census Bureau) |
Branch (from the name) |
Distance from Rapid City |
| National Guard West Camp |
National Guard |
4 mi |
| Ellsworth AFB |
Air Force |
8 mi |
Common post-service careers near Rapid City
Median wages for occupations that veterans commonly move into after an online degree (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), shown for the Rapid City, SD metro area where BLS publishes it.
| Occupation |
Median annual wage |
Scope |
Cost-of-living adjusted (US=100) |
| Information Security Analysts |
$108,030 |
Rapid City, SD metro |
$121,110 |
| Logisticians |
$79,510 |
Rapid City, SD metro |
$89,137 |
| Emergency Management Directors |
$67,180 |
SD statewide |
$75,314 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers |
$65,620 |
Rapid City, SD metro |
$73,565 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers |
$122,930 |
Rapid City, SD metro |
$137,814 |
| Project Management Specialists |
$74,700 |
Rapid City, SD metro |
$83,744 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators |
$76,120 |
Rapid City, SD metro |
$85,336 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers |
$94,540 |
Rapid City, SD metro |
$105,987 |
BLS publishes wages for metro areas and states, not individual cities; rows marked with the metro name are metro medians, the rest are statewide.
Campuses within 30 miles of Rapid City
- South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (Rapid City, SD), 1 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
- Western Dakota Technical College (Rapid City, SD), 2 mi, 4 of 4 services reported
- National American University-Rapid City (Rapid City, SD), 3 mi, 3 of 4 services reported
Nearby cities
Benefit eligibility is determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and your service’s education office. Nothing on this page guarantees education benefits, credit transfer, admission, or a particular cost. Confirm every detail with the school’s military or veteran services office before you enroll.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (IC 2024): veteran and military services indicators (VET2 through VET5), distance-education program flag (DISTPGS); BOC Score from College Scorecard and IPEDS outcome data; U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 Military Installations layer (installation names as recorded there); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities; Census ACS 5-year estimates. Directory counts as of the September 2026 refresh.
