Best Online Psychology 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 psychology 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 South Dakota, the top-earning psychology-related role is School Psychologist at a median $78,370 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Psychology Schools to Rapid City

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

Black Hills State University

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

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#2

Chadron State College

Chadron, NE 87.4 miles from Rapid City BOC Score45.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

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

Psychology 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)
Clinical and Counseling Psychologist$63,720Rapid City, SD$71,435
Industrial-Organizational PsychologistN/ASD statewide–
School Psychologist$78,370SD statewide$87,859
Educational and Career Counselor$56,040Rapid City, SD$62,825
Marriage and Family Therapist$44,690Rapid City, SD$50,101
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Counselor$47,620Rapid City, SD$53,386
Healthcare Social Worker$77,790Rapid City, SD$87,209
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$44,250Rapid City, SD$49,608

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
Psychology-related employment in Pennington County1,138 workers, 276 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering psychology programs near Rapid City. The closest is Black Hills State University in Spearfish, SD (43.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Chadron State College (87.4 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying psychology-related roles near Rapid City are: School Psychologist ($78,370), Healthcare Social Worker ($77,790), Clinical and Counseling Psychologist ($63,720). 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 psychology?

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 Psychology 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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