Best Online Accounting Programs in Rapid City, SD (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Rapid City, South Dakota has 3 accredited schools offering accounting programs. Rapid City has a population of about 76,836. Median household income is $65,712 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Rapid City, SD metro area, the top-earning accounting-related role is Financial Manager at a median $160,280 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Accounting Schools to Rapid City

The 3 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 3 schools in our directory that offer accounting programs near Rapid City. Distances are calculated from Rapid City city center.

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:

  • 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.

#1

Western Dakota Technical College

Rapid City, SD 2.1 miles from Rapid City BOC Score60.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

National American University-Rapid City

Rapid City, SD 2.3 miles from Rapid City BOC Score16.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

National American University-Ellsworth

Box Elder, SD 8.8 miles from Rapid City
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all South Dakota schools on the South Dakota accounting page.

Accounting Wages Near Rapid City

Rapid City is part of the Rapid City, SD metro area (BLS area code 39660). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Dakota statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Accountant and Auditor$79,270Rapid City, SD$88,868
Financial Manager$160,280Rapid City, SD$179,686
Financial Analyst$69,690Rapid City, SD$78,128
Budget Analyst$75,360Rapid City, SD$84,484
Tax Preparer$61,100Rapid City, SD$68,498
Tax Examiner and Collector$63,790SD statewide$71,513
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk$46,810Rapid City, SD$52,478

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Rapid City at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population76,836Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$65,712Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+36.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)89.2 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Accounting-related employment in Pennington County394 workers, 100 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited accounting schools are near Rapid City, SD?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering accounting programs near Rapid City. The closest is Western Dakota Technical College in Rapid City, SD (2.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is National American University-Ellsworth (8.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying accounting roles near Rapid City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying accounting-related roles near Rapid City are: Financial Manager ($160,280), Accountant and Auditor ($79,270), Budget Analyst ($75,360). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Dakota statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Is Rapid City an affordable place to study accounting?

Rapid City’s median household income of $65,712 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rapid City while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South Dakota public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Accounting Programs

Other Programs Available in Rapid City

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Rapid City:

Data verified: June 11, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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