Best Graphic Design Schools in Rapid City, South Dakota (2026)

Quick answer: Graphic designers in South Dakota earn a median of $48,390 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited graphic designer schools near Rapid City, South Dakota with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Several training options serve graphic designer students near Rapid City, South Dakota, from short certificates to longer hands-on programs. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $48,390 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Rapid City Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$48,390BLS OEWS, May 2025
South Dakota pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$36,290 to $66,620BLS OEWS, May 2025
Rapid City, SD metro median wage$49,990BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+2.1% growth, about 20,000 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment470 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
Pennington County unemployment rate1.8%BLS LAUS, 2024
South Dakota location quotient0.81BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the Graphic designer Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Rapid City. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the Pennington County and South Dakota figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.


Graphic Design Schools near Rapid City

How We Rank Schools

We first gather the schools closest to the city or state page you are viewing, then rank that local group by BOC Score, with the highest at the top. The BOC Score is computed from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data; schools without enough data to score appear last.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
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 federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Chadron State College

Chadron, NE 87.4 miles away BOC Score 45.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 44.0% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 4
  • Annual completions: 29
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,820 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Black Hills State University

Spearfish, SD 43.8 miles away BOC Score 43.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 12
  • Annual completions: 28
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,243 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Sinte Gleska University

Mission, SD 140.3 miles away BOC Score 30.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
  • E. Highway 18, 101 Antelope Lake Circle Mission, SD 57555-0105
  • (605) 856-8100
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 6.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 32
  • Annual completions: 35
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,797 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Oglala Lakota College

Kyle, SD 68.4 miles away BOC Score 26.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 10.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 11
  • Annual completions: 41
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $52,386 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

National American University-Rapid City

Rapid City, SD 2.3 miles away BOC Score 16.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 19.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 26
  • Annual completions: 116
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $53,841 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Graphic Designer Pay and Job Outlook

Graphic Designers annual wage by percentile: $39,520 at the 10th percentile, $62,960 median, $104,910 at the 90th. Source: U.S. BLS OEWS, May 2025 release.
What graphic designers earn across the pay scale
Projected job growth for graphic designers: 265,900 jobs in 2024 to 271,500 in 2034, +2.1% change. Source: U.S. BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034.
Projected job growth for graphic designers
Top-paying states for graphic designers - District of Columbia leads at $87,920. Source: U.S. BLS OEWS, May 2025 release.
Top-paying states for graphic designers

Next Steps

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does graphic designer training take near Rapid City?

Graphic designer certificate programs near Rapid City typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.

How much do graphic designers earn in South Dakota?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), graphic designers in South Dakota earned a median annual wage of approximately $48,390. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $36,290 to $66,620 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many graphic designer schools are near Rapid City?

Pennington County reports approximately 10 graphic designer related establishments (BLS QCEW, 2024). Compare the schools listed above for tuition, duration, and credential alignment with the local employer base.


About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)