Best Software Development Schools Near Rapid City, SD (2026)

Rapid City, South Dakota has 1 accredited school offering software development 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 software development-related role is Computer Systems Analyst at a median $104,350 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Software Development Schools to Rapid City

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

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.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

Rapid City, SD 0.8 miles from Rapid City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,257
Avg net price $20,183/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Software Development 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)
Software Developer$91,840Rapid City, SD$102,960
Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester$68,120SD statewide$76,368
Computer Programmer$58,240SD statewide$65,291
Computer Systems Analyst$104,350Rapid City, SD$116,984

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


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited software development schools are near Rapid City, SD?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering software development programs near Rapid City. The closest is South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, SD (0.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (0.8 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying software development roles near Rapid City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying software development-related roles near Rapid City are: Computer Systems Analyst ($104,350), Software Developer ($91,840), Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester ($68,120). 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 software development?

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 Software Development Programs

Other Programs Available in Rapid City

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

Data verified: August 31, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.