Best Cybersecurity Degree Programs in Rapid City, South Dakota — 2026 Rankings

Rapid City is home to a growing cybersecurity education ecosystem with 3 accredited programs across 1 associate's, 2 bachelor's degree levels within 50 miles. 3 of these institutions are physically located in Rapid City, with the remaining schools accessible via short commutes from surrounding communities in the Rapid City.

1 school near Rapid City holds NSA Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) designation: Western Dakota Technical College. The CAE program, jointly sponsored by the NSA and DHS, certifies schools whose cybersecurity curricula meet rigorous federal standards aligned with the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework. Students at CAE-designated schools may qualify for the CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service program, which covers full tuition plus a $25,000-$34,000 annual stipend in exchange for government service after graduation.

The Rapid City cybersecurity job market is substantial, with an estimated 95 open positions and a median salary of $88,000 for information security analysts (BLS OEWS May 2024). The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +33% job growth for cybersecurity roles through 2033, making it one of the fastest-growing occupations in the U.S. economy. For students in Rapid City, this translates to strong local hiring prospects upon graduation.

Among the top-ranked programs, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (94.8% graduation rate) leads the bachelor's rankings. See our complete rankings below for detailed program comparisons across all degree levels.

Cybersecurity professionals in the Rapid City earn a median salary of $88,000, which is 30% below the national median of $124,910 (BLS OEWS May 2024, SOC 15-1212: Information Security Analysts). This positions Rapid City as a market where cybersecurity salaries are offset by Rapid City's generally lower cost of living compared to coastal tech hubs.

Entry-level security analysts in Rapid City can expect starting salaries around $77,440, making cybersecurity one of the highest-paying entry points in the tech sector. With 2-5 years of experience, penetration testers — who simulate cyberattacks to identify vulnerabilities — earn approximately $83,600. Senior technical roles like security engineers command $95,040, while security architects who design enterprise defense systems earn up to $107,360.

At the management level, cybersecurity managers and CISOs in the Rapid City can earn $127,600 or more — a 65% premium over entry-level positions. This career trajectory from analyst to manager typically spans 8-12 years, with certifications like CISSP (82,494 openings nationally), CompTIA Security+ (70,019 openings), and CISA (52,337 openings) significantly accelerating advancement and salary growth.

Security clearances provide an additional salary boost of approximately $25,000 per year. Professionals with Top Secret/SCI clearances can earn between $104,000 and $185,000 nationally, making this a particularly lucrative path for graduates near Rapid City. For a deeper dive into cybersecurity compensation trends, see our Cybersecurity Analyst Salary Guide. You can also explore related fields like Information Security and Network Administration for adjacent career paths.

The Rapid City cybersecurity job market spans 3 major sectors, with employers actively recruiting for roles ranging from entry-level SOC analysts to senior security architects. Here are the key employers driving cybersecurity hiring locally:

Healthcare

Sanford Health — Rural healthcare provider with cybersecurity operations protecting medical systems and patient information.

Avera Health — Rural health system with information security teams managing legacy medical equipment and modern IT infrastructure.

Finance

Hy-Vee — Regional grocery chain operating payment systems and customer data management with security requirements.

Citibank — Financial services employer with cybersecurity operations in the Rapid City region.

Government

Ellsworth Air Force Base — U.S. Air Force base with significant cybersecurity infrastructure protecting military networks and operations.

These employers represent a cross-section of the Rapid City area's cybersecurity hiring market. Many maintain partnerships with local universities for internships, co-ops, and direct hiring pipelines — making a degree from a Rapid City-area school particularly valuable for breaking into the field.

Cyber threats are not abstract risks for Rapid City — they have directly impacted local organizations, underscoring the urgent need for trained cybersecurity professionals in the Rapid City:

South Dakota healthcare systems (2021) — ransomware. Multiple rural healthcare providers affected by ransomware attacks disrupting patient care operations.

South Dakota state government (2023) — ransomware. State agency cyber incident requiring response coordination and system recovery.

These incidents represent just a fraction of the cyber threats facing Rapid City-area organizations. According to CyberSeek data, the Rapid City metro area has an estimated 95 open cybersecurity positions, and the nationwide supply-to-demand ratio stands at just 74% — meaning roughly one in four cybersecurity roles goes unfilled. For students considering a cybersecurity degree, these real-world incidents demonstrate that the skills learned in programs near Rapid City directly translate to preventing and responding to threats that affect their own community.

The cybersecurity job market in the Rapid City reflects a broader national talent crisis. South Dakota has approximately 1,000 open cybersecurity positions (CyberSeek, January 2026), with an estimated 95 concentrated in the Rapid City metro area. Nationally, there are 514,359 unfilled cybersecurity roles across the United States, and the workforce gap continues to widen — the global shortfall reached 4.8 million positions in 2024, a 41% increase since 2022.

The supply-to-demand ratio for cybersecurity talent nationally is approximately 74% — meaning for every 100 cybersecurity jobs posted, only about 74 qualified candidates are available. This ratio has been declining steadily (from 116% in 2020 to 74% in 2025), which means cybersecurity graduates face increasingly favorable job prospects. For Rapid City students specifically, this translates to strong local hiring demand and competitive starting salaries.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +33% growth in information security analyst employment through 2033, compared to just 4% for all occupations. This makes cybersecurity the 6th fastest-growing occupation in the United States. Within South Dakota, the combination of growing digital transformation across industries is driving sustained demand for cybersecurity talent.

Most in-demand certifications that complement a cybersecurity degree from Rapid City schools include CISSP (82,494 job postings nationally), CompTIA Security+ (70,019 postings), and CISA (52,337 postings). Many of the top-ranked programs near Rapid City integrate certification preparation into their curricula, giving graduates a competitive edge in this seller's market. For statewide job market trends and additional programs, see our South Dakota Cybersecurity Rankings.

Cybersecurity degree programs near Rapid City range from $3,472/year at Western Dakota Technical College to $15,390/year at National American University-Rapid City. Public institutions average $5,636/year (in-state), while private schools average $15,390/year.

Return on investment is compelling: with a median cybersecurity salary of $88,000 in the Rapid City area versus a high school diploma median of $42,000 (BLS 2024), a four-year bachelor's degree at a typical tuition rate (approximately $61,560 total) can be recouped in roughly 1.3 years of the annual salary premium. Community college cybersecurity programs offer an even faster path — a two-year associate's degree for as little as $6,944 provides foundational credentials for entry-level SOC analyst or IT security roles paying $66,000+.

Ways to reduce costs: Federal financial aid (FAFSA), South Dakota state grants, institutional scholarships, and cybersecurity-specific funding like the CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service program (full tuition + $25,000-$34,000 annual stipend). Many employers in the Rapid City area also offer tuition reimbursement for employees pursuing cybersecurity degrees — check with local employers listed in our employer section above.

Last Updated: February 18, 2026. Rankings based on IPEDS 2023 institutional data. Salary data from BLS OEWS May 2024 release. Job market data from CyberSeek (January 2026). NSA CAE designations verified as of February 2026.