Best Software Engineering 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 the Rapid City, SD metro area, the top-earning software engineering-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $163,860 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Software Engineering Schools to Rapid City

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

Software 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.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $91,840 Rapid City, SD $102,960
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $68,120 SD statewide $76,368
Computer Programmers $58,240 SD statewide $65,291
Web Developers $52,600 Rapid City, SD $58,969
Computer and Information Systems Managers $163,860 Rapid City, SD $183,700
Computer Occupations, All Other $100,420 Rapid City, SD $112,578
Computer Network Architects $153,390 SD statewide $171,962
Computer Systems Analysts $104,350 Rapid 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

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 software engineering roles near Rapid City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying software engineering-related roles near Rapid City are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($163,860), Computer Network Architects ($153,390), Computer Systems Analysts ($104,350). 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 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 Software Engineering 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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