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Communication Disorders Schools Near Rapid City, SD (2026)
Updated August 11, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Rapid City, South Dakota is home to about 76,836 residents. 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 South Dakota, the top-earning communication disorders-related role is Audiologist at a median $91,190 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Communication Disorders Schools to Rapid City
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer communication disorders programs near Rapid City, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Rapid City city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
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.
Occupation
Median Wage
Source
COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Speech-Language Pathologist
$71,690
Rapid City, SD
$80,370
Audiologist
$91,190
SD statewide
$102,231
Healthcare Support Worker, All Other (incl. SLP Assistants)
$44,200
Rapid City, SD
$49,552
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
Metric
Value
Source
Population
76,836
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$65,712
Census 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
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the highest-paying communication disorders roles near Rapid City?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying communication disorders-related roles near Rapid City are: Audiologist ($91,190), Speech-Language Pathologist ($71,690), Healthcare Support Worker, All Other (incl. SLP Assistants) ($44,200). 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 communication disorders?
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.
Data verified: August 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.