Private for-profit · University
National American University-Rapid City
Rapid City, South Dakota · Small city
- —
- Admit rate
- $31,062
- Avg net price
- 0%
- Graduation rate
- $37,325
- Median earnings
National American University-Rapid City is a private for-profit bachelor's-granting institution in Rapid City, South Dakota (small city setting), enrolling 764 undergraduates. Programs are offered entirely online.
About Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City is a city in and the county seat of Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. The public discovery of gold in 1874 by the Black Hills Expedition, led by George Armstrong Custer, brought a mass influx of European-American miners and settlers into Rapid City. Rapid City has invested in public sculptures, notably "The City of Presidents" series of life-sized bronze statues depicting each former President of the United States, located on street corners in the downtown area. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Small city
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 3 miles to Rapid City, SD
- To Great Lakes shore
- 573 miles
How National American University-Rapid City compares
Higher than 1% · #11 of 11 in South Dakota
Higher than 2%
Higher than 10% · #11 of 11 in South Dakota
Cheaper than 14% · #11 cheapest of 11 in South Dakota
Lower than 5%
Lower than 94%
Larger than 30%
Percentiles compare National American University-Rapid City with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in South Dakota.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate76485%
- Graduate13615%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women57976%
- Men18524%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White37%
- Black29%
- Hispanic16%
- Asian0.9%
- Other or multiracial17%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 764
- Graduate enrollment
- 136
- Student–faculty ratio
- 6 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 57%
- First-generation students
- 54%
- Students over 25
- 85%
- Median family income
- $17,982
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $45,999
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 84 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From South Dakota7.1%
- Other U.S. states89%
- International3.6%
A national draw — only 7% of first-years come from South Dakota; 89% arrive from other states.
4% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $16,065
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $0
- Total cost of attendance
- $34,452
- Average net price
- $31,062
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 0%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 0%
- First-year retention
- 33%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $29,641
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $37,325
- Median debt at graduation
- $29,020
- Students with federal loans
- 54%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 18%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- Free
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $37,325
- Typical debt at graduation
- $29,020
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 78%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 50%
Typical debt would take roughly 7.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
The payoff is less clear-cut here — weigh the debt against the earnings and your intended field before borrowing heavily.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $6,495 (18%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 84°F
- Winter low
- 16°F
- Annual rain
- 20″
- Annual snow
- 53.7″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Rapid City Wfo, SD US station (3.8 mi from campus).
What National American University-Rapid City graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to National American University-Rapid City
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare National American University-Rapid City side by side →
Lionel University
Carpinteria, California · Midsize suburb · 12 mi to Santa Barbara
- Students
- 370
- Admission
- —
- Net price
- $29k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- —
Crestpoint University
Phoenix, Arizona · Large city · 6 mi to Phoenix
- Students
- 385
- Admission
- —
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $42k
South University-Savannah Online
Savannah, Georgia · Midsize city · 6 mi to Savannah
- Students
- 6,433
- Admission
- —
- Net price
- $28k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $34k
Walden University
Minneapolis, Minnesota · Large city · < 1 mi to Minneapolis
- Students
- 9,136
- Admission
- —
- Net price
- $34k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $43k
American InterContinental University System
Chandler, Arizona · Large city · 19 mi to Phoenix
- Students
- 7,111
- Admission
- —
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $36k
Johnson & Wales University-Online
Providence, Rhode Island · Midsize city · < 1 mi to Providence
- Students
- 2,202
- Admission
- 91%
- Net price
- $20k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $43k
Colleges near National American University-Rapid City
Paul Mitchell the School-Rapid City
Rapid City, SD · Private for-profit · Certificate · 66 students
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Rapid City, SD · Public · Bachelor's · 2,071 students
The Salon Professional Academy
Rapid City, SD · Private for-profit · Certificate · 80 students
Western Dakota Technical College
Rapid City, SD · Public · Associate · 753 students
Black Hills State University
Spearfish, SD · Public · Bachelor's · 1,928 students
Oglala Lakota College
Kyle, SD · Public · Associate · 1,097 students
Chadron State College
Chadron, NE · Public · Bachelor's · 1,540 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.