National American University-Rapid City
Rapid City, South Dakota · Private For-Profit
ROI Score: 7/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
National American University-Rapid City is a private for-profit institution scoring 7 out of 100 on the CampusROI scale. The inputs are: completion rate reported as 0 (sub-score 0; a small-cohort figure that swings between 0% and 60% in our own series), the payback period is 113.7 years (sub-score 9), the debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.93 (sub-score 7), the earnings premium over high-school grads is just 1.9% (sub-score 9), and only 49% of borrowers are reducing principal at three years (sub-score 8). The cost picture is the most damning element: while sticker tuition is a moderate $16,065, the average net price is $31,062 - nearly double sticker, an unusual pattern that suggests living-cost components and modest institutional aid. The four-year total cost works out to about $124,248. Median debt at graduation is $29,020 against just $37,325 of 10-year median earnings. The bottom line is that this is a school where, on the published data, the financial math is not workable for nearly any student profile.
How National American University-Rapid City scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score7/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate0.0% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
National American University-Rapid City
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $16,065/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $16,065/yr |
| Average net price | $31,062/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $124,248 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $37,325 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $31,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $29,020 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $308 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 0.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 764 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $16,065/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $31,062/year, or roughly $124,248 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $31,062/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $29,020, which works out to about $308 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($31,200) and comes to 0.93, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $31,062 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | N/A |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | N/A |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $31,062 net annually - the only income bracket with reported data, suggesting the student body is overwhelmingly low-income. Over four years that is roughly $124,000 of cost, which against $37,325 of 10-year median earnings produces math that is essentially unworkable.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Net price data for the $30,001-$110,000 income brackets is not reported, suggesting either too few students in those tiers to publish or aid policies that do not vary materially by income. The implication is that middle-income families considering NAU-Rapid City should expect to pay close to the published $31,062 figure with limited additional aid.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Net price for the $110,001-plus bracket is unreported, again suggesting negligible enrollment from this tier.
Earnings by Major
Top 8 most popular majors at National American University-Rapid City with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $57,756 | D |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $52,803 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $47,907 | F |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $64,936 | F |
| Accounting | $52,215 | F |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration | $58,897 | - |
| Human Resources Management | $67,025 | - |
| Registered Nursing | $83,078 | D |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business is the largest program at 47 graduates per year. Graduates earn $48,827 at one year and $57,756 at four years against $46,575 of debt - a 0.95 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade. The four-year earnings are reasonable in absolute terms, but the debt load is extraordinarily high (well above the campus-wide $29,020 median) and consumes nearly the entire annual earnings figure.
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Health and Medical Administration is the second-largest cohort at 21 graduates per year. Graduates earn $45,392 at one year and $52,803 at four years against $52,058 of debt - a 1.15 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F grade. Debt exceeds annual earnings, which is structurally unsustainable on a 10-year repayment plan and forces graduates into income-driven plans where principal grows.
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer and Information Sciences graduates earn $52,129 at one year and $64,936 at four years - the strongest earnings on campus - but carry $53,229 of debt, producing a 1.02 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F grade. Even the best earnings outcomes at NAU-Rapid City are wiped out by debt loads, which is a structural problem with the for-profit cost model rather than a labor-market issue.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice graduates earn $45,720 at one year and $47,907 at four years against $51,547 of debt - a 1.13 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F grade. With 12 graduates per year, this cohort exits with debt that exceeds annual earnings. Public criminal justice careers (police, corrections) are notoriously credit-flexible.
Accounting
Accounting graduates earn $35,820 at one year and $52,215 at four years against $41,344 of debt - a 1.15 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F grade.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 39.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 49.0% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 33.3% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 41.9% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How National American University-Rapid City’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 764 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 57.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,111 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are likewise unreported. That is consistent with open enrollment rather than selective admission. The Scorecard's 0% completion figure should not be read as a graduation rate on its own: our own series reads 11% for 2021, 60% for 2023 and 0% for 2024, a swing that tracks cohort size more than teaching.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| National American University-Rapid City (this school) | 7 | $31,062 | $37,325 |
| South University-Montgomery | 7 | $27,807 | $34,421 |
| American InterContinental University-Atlanta | 7 | $16,482 | $36,144 |
| South University-Virginia Beach | 7 | $27,843 | $34,421 |
| South University-Savannah Online | 7 | $28,049 | $34,421 |
| South University-Austin | 7 | $25,680 | $34,421 |
Who Thrives Here
With 764 students and a 57.1% Pell rate, NAU-Rapid City serves a heavily Pell-eligible adult-learner population. Outcomes suggest the strongest path is the institution's nursing track ($83,078 four-year earnings, but with $52,969 of debt and zero graduates reported in the most recent year). Most other programs post F-grade ROI metrics.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, National American University-Rapid City scores 7/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $31,062 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $37,325 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 0.0% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.93 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 49.0% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $29,020 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $31,200 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.93. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
National American University-Rapid City: Common Questions
Is National American University-Rapid City worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. National American University-Rapid City scores 7/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $31,062 a year after aid against $37,325 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does National American University-Rapid City cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $31,062 a year, or roughly $124,248 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do National American University-Rapid City graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $37,325 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off National American University-Rapid City?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for National American University-Rapid City. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do National American University-Rapid City graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $29,020, against average earnings of $31,200 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.93. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.