Best Film Schools Near Rapid City, SD (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On 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 film-related role is Writers and Authors at a median $56,700 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Rapid City

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer film 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.

No school data available.

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

Film 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.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Film and Video Editors $39,090 SD statewide $43,823
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $44,160 SD statewide $49,507
Producers and Directors $52,680 Rapid City, SD $59,058
Special Effects Artists and Animators N/A SD statewide –
Audio and Video Technicians N/A SD statewide –
Sound Engineering Technicians N/A SD statewide –
Writers and Authors $56,700 SD statewide $63,565
Graphic Designers $49,990 Rapid City, SD $56,043

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 film roles near Rapid City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Rapid City are: Writers and Authors ($56,700), Producers and Directors ($52,680), Graphic Designers ($49,990). 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 film?

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 Film Programs

Other Programs Available in Rapid City

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

Data verified: September 5, 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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