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Rapid City Skyline (2022)Photo: WeaponizingArchitecture · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Rapid City

Rapid City is home to two colleges, with 3,216 students on campus

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (2,402 students on campus) and Western Dakota Technical College (814) are inside the city. About 5% of Rapid City’s residents are enrolled in college, about the same as South Dakota (5%).

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Rapid City. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
3,216 students on campus
Nearest college
0.7 mi
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Residents in college
5%
About the same as SD (5%)
Nearest community college
1.9 mi
Western Dakota Technical College · $8,294 tuition
Nearest public university
0.7 mi
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · $10,500 in-state
Median household income
$71K
prices below start here

What stands out about college in Rapid City

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college in Rapid CitySouth Dakota School of Mines and Technology has 2,402 students on campus in Rapid City, 53% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyLiving in South Dakota, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology charges $10,500 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $14,900. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 1.9 miles awayWestern Dakota Technical College in Rapid City: tuition and fees $8,294 a year for South Dakota residents.Students are 5% of residentsAbout the same as South Dakota (5%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Rapid City

Both are public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Rapid City.

5 mi10 mi15 miSouth Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyWestern Dakota Technical CollegeRapid City
University or collegeCommunity college
South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyUniversity or college · Public · 2,402 on campus · In Rapid City80%admitted$20knet price53%graduate$72kearningsWestern Dakota Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · 814 on campus · In Rapid City$13knet price54%graduate$40kearningsTuition and fees: $8,294 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Rapid City’s median household income ($70,870) falls.

Western Dakota Technical CollegeIn Rapid City · sticker $18,845 · tuition $8,294$14,003a year
South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyIn Rapid City · sticker $25,385$18,366a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Rapid City: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyWestern Dakota Technical College
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology53% graduate$72k earnings$27k typical debt
Western Dakota Technical College54% graduate$40k earnings$15k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Rapid City

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Rapid City’s 2 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Engineering 50%Health professions 12%Computer science 11%Physical sciences 6%Mechanics & repair 3%Construction trades 3%Everything else 16%

Biggest programs

Mechanical EngineeringSouth Dakota School of Mines and Technology · 76 graduates a year
$85k4 yrs out
Chemical EngineeringSouth Dakota School of Mines and Technology · 42 graduates a year
$91k4 yrs out
Civil EngineeringSouth Dakota School of Mines and Technology · 39 graduates a year
$81k4 yrs out
Industrial EngineeringSouth Dakota School of Mines and Technology · 30 graduates a year
$93k4 yrs out
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringSouth Dakota School of Mines and Technology · 28 graduates a year
$94k4 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralSouth Dakota School of Mines and Technology · 27 graduates a year
$96k4 yrs out
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansWestern Dakota Technical College · 27 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
Precision Metal WorkingWestern Dakota Technical College · 23 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Rapid City

Is Rapid City a college town?

No. About 5 of every 100 Rapid City residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), about the same as South Dakota (5). The largest campus in the city, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, has 2,402 students on campus.

What colleges are in Rapid City?

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and Western Dakota Technical College are inside the city.

What is the closest community college to Rapid City, and what does it cost?

Western Dakota Technical College in Rapid City, 1.9 miles away. Tuition and fees are $8,294 a year for South Dakota residents; the federal net price, $12,670, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does South Dakota School of Mines and Technology cost if we live in South Dakota?

Tuition and fees are $10,500 a year in-state and $14,900 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $15,348 (under $30,000 income) to $21,993 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Rapid City. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →