Home / Worth-It Scores / South Dakota / National American University-Rapid City
Is National American University-Rapid City worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for National American University-Rapid City, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Heavy lift
National American University-Rapid City lands in the heavy lift band for a typical family. The combination of $31,654 in yearly net price and $27,615 in median debt asks a lot relative to median earnings of $38,663. For context, National American University-Rapid City's net price is about 14% below the typical 4-year, private for-profit school. This does not make the school wrong for every student, but it does mean the price deserves a closer test.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 186 similar 4-year, private for-profit schools
This school
$22,086
/yrAverage school like this
$25,582
/yrThis helps your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $3,496 less per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $14,000 in savings.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price is doing real work against the score and raises the financing burden quickly.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$31,654
Median earnings 10 years out
$38,663
Median debt at graduation
$27,615
Graduation rate
27%
At National American University-Rapid City, a typical graduate carries about $27,615 in student debt and earns roughly $38,663 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $314 per month, or 10% of pre-tax income. That sits at the tighter end of a workable borrower range.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $7,278 more than the typical working high school graduate in South Dakota ($31,385) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties each undergraduate program's federal loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
The national figure is $31,269. The Department of Education uses it instead of the state figure when fewer than half of a school's students come from its state.
56% of former students here earned more than the typical high school graduate ten years after entry, by College Scorecard's own measure.
Context, not a federal determination. The benchmarks are the Department of Education's published thresholds (2024 notice, based on 2022 Census data); thresholds under the 2026 rule have not been released yet. The official test looks at each program's graduates four years after completion; our figure is College Scorecard's median for the whole school, ten years after entry. How this works
Program earnings vs. the federal benchmark
Median earnings of working graduates four years after finishing each undergraduate program, next to the benchmark the federal earnings test uses: the typical working high school graduate aged 25–34 in South Dakota ($31,385).
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Associate degree · 95 working graduates counted
$35,072
$3,687 above the benchmark
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
Associate degree · 17 working graduates counted
$36,166
$4,781 above the benchmark
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Certificate · 46 working graduates counted
$36,555
$5,170 above the benchmark
Accounting and Related Services
Associate degree · 43 working graduates counted
$37,062
$5,677 above the benchmark
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
Certificate · 24 working graduates counted
$38,605
$7,220 above the benchmark
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
Associate degree · 110 working graduates counted
$40,052
$8,667 above the benchmark
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Associate degree · 43 working graduates counted
$41,000
$9,615 above the benchmark
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Associate degree · 167 working graduates counted
$43,113
$11,728 above the benchmark
Legal Support Services
Associate degree · 17 working graduates counted
$43,288
$11,903 above the benchmark
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
Associate degree · 45 working graduates counted
$47,334
$15,949 above the benchmark
40 other undergraduate programs here have no four-year earnings figure, usually because too few graduates were counted to publish one. That says nothing about how those programs do. See every program on College Scorecard
An estimate, not an official determination. Under a federal rule taking effect July 1, 2027, programs below this benchmark in official results may face limits on federal student loans; Pell Grants are not affected. The official test uses finer program categories, different graduating classes and the Department's own records; its first results are expected in 2027. Programs that train for tipped jobs, such as cosmetology and massage, won't be rated on 2025 earnings, and the Department decides which programs qualify. Earnings: College Scorecard field-of-study data (released Oct 15, 2026). Benchmark: Department of Education published thresholds (2024 notice).
Represent National American University-Rapid City and think a figure here is wrong? Request a correction and we'll check it against the latest College Scorecard release.
What this means for your family
National American University-Rapid City is a private for-profit school in Rapid City, SD. In this category, families usually need to look especially hard at debt, repayment room, and whether the long-run earnings picture justifies the price.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private for-profit 4-year
Berkeley College-New York
New York, NY
Worth-It Score: 29/100
Median net price: $32,052
Private for-profit 4-year
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Tempe, AZ
Worth-It Score: 26/100
Median net price: $32,411
Private for-profit 4-year
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
Lakewood, CO
Worth-It Score: 20/100
Median net price: $32,562
Private for-profit 4-year
University of Silicon Valley
San Jose, CA
Worth-It Score: 35/100
Median net price: $34,100
Private for-profit 4-year
Nightingale
Salt Lake City, UT
Worth-It Score: 51/100
Median net price: $35,059
Common questions about National American University-Rapid City
The median net price at National American University-Rapid City is $31,654 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at for-profit colleges options in South Dakota? See the most affordable for-profit colleges in South Dakota →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
What families actually paid
The published price is rarely what anyone pays. Pick a household income range to see what students at National American University-Rapid City in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
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All students who received aid
$31,654a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024-25. It does not include transfer or part-time students, and it is an average rather than a quote — what you pay depends on your own circumstances and the aid this school offers you. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS.
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →