Computer Software and Media Applications at National American University-Rapid City

A debt load approaching $49,000—estimated from similar for-profit institutions—puts this program's graduates in a challenging position even if they land tech jobs quickly. That estimated first-year salary of $38,000, derived from national peers in software and media programs, yields a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.28. That's manageable in theory, but it assumes steady employment in a field where entry-level positions increasingly expect specialized skills beyond a general software degree.

The South Dakota context makes this picture more complicated. Dakota State University, the state's public tech-focused institution, reports median earnings of just $26,000 for comparable programs—substantially below the national figure this estimate draws from. If local market conditions push outcomes closer to that $26,000 benchmark, suddenly you're looking at nearly two years of gross income devoted to debt, making this a much riskier proposition for someone planning to stay in the region.

For a family considering this program, the core question is whether the actual outcomes will track closer to national software program averages or South Dakota realities. Given that 57% of students here receive Pell grants, many families don't have room for a bet that doesn't pay off. Without actual graduate data from this specific program, you're essentially wagering that National American's approach produces better results than the one reported South Dakota program—a bet that comes with $50,000 in loans attached.