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

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

Rapid City, South Dakota has 2 accredited schools offering engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $9,000 to $21,343 per year for indexed 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 engineering-related role is Architectural and Engineering Manager at a median $196,800 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Engineering Schools to Rapid City

The 2 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 2 schools in our directory that offer engineering 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

Visit website

#2

Black Hills State University

Spearfish, SD 43.8 miles from Rapid City BOC Score43.0
Published tuition$9,000 - $21,343
Online programsYes

Visit website

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

Engineering 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)
Civil Engineer$100,300Rapid City, SD$112,444
Electrical Engineer$105,330Rapid City, SD$118,083
Mechanical Engineer$94,180Rapid City, SD$105,583
Chemical EngineerN/ASD statewide–
Aerospace EngineerN/ASD statewide–
Biomedical EngineerN/ASD statewide–
Environmental Engineer$94,370Rapid City, SD$105,796
Architectural and Engineering Manager$196,800Rapid City, SD$220,628

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
Engineering-related employment in Pennington County795 workers, 169 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering engineering 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 Black Hills State University (43.8 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying engineering-related roles near Rapid City are: Architectural and Engineering Manager ($196,800), Electrical Engineer ($105,330), Civil Engineer ($100,300). 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 engineering?

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 Engineering 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.

Back to Best Online Engineering Programs in South Dakota (2026)

Return to Best Online Engineering Programs in South Dakota (2026)