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Best Schools in Rapid City, SD
Rapid City, SD has 51 public schools (9 high, 9 middle, 30 elementary) serving 20,231 students. On average they score 42% on state proficiency tests against a projected 40%, so schools in Rapid City meet expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Rapid City, SD
The top high schools in Rapid City, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Hill City High School - 01
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Hill City School District 51-2 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 152 Students
2. Custer High School - 01
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Custer School District 16-1 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 284 Students
3. Stevens High School - 42
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1686 Students
4. Sturgis Brown High School - 01
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Meade School District 46-1 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 842 Students
5. Douglas High School - 03
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Douglas School District 51-1 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 749 Students
6. Central High School - 41
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1768 Students
7. Rapid City Online High School - 92
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 53 Students
8. Lincoln Building - 44
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades 12 • 32 Students
9. Rapid City High School - 45
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 356 Students
Best Middle Schools in Rapid City, SD
The top middle schools in Rapid City, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Custer Jr. High - 05
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Custer School District 16-1 • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 101 Students
2. Southwest Middle School - 38
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 660 Students
3. Hill City Middle School - 04
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Hill City School District 51-2 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 120 Students
4. Sturgis Williams Middle School - 02
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Meade School District 46-1 • Public • Grades 5 - 8 • 489 Students
5. West Middle School - 37
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 612 Students
6. East Middle School - 30
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 600 Students
7. Douglas Middle School - 01
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Douglas School District 51-1 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 670 Students
8. South Middle School - 36
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 553 Students
9. North Middle School - 35
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 513 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Rapid City, SD
The top elementary schools in Rapid City, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Whitewood Elementary - 04
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Meade School District 46-1 • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 109 Students
2. Piedmont Valley Elementary - 05
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Meade School District 46-1 • Public • Grades KG - 4 • 523 Students
3. Corral Drive Elementary - 21
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 461 Students
4. Pinedale Elementary - 11
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 365 Students
5. Meadowbrook Elementary - 10
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 464 Students
6. Hill City Elementary - 02
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Hill City School District 51-2 • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 221 Students
7. Patriot Elementary -06
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Douglas School District 51-1 • Public • Grades Pre K - 3 • 890 Students
8. Hermosa Elementary - 04
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Custer School District 16-1 • Public • Grades Pre K - 6 • 222 Students
9. Vandenberg Elementary - 02
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Douglas School District 51-1 • Public • Grades 4 - 5 • 441 Students
10. Grandview Elementary - 06
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Rapid City Area School District 51-4 • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 406 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Rapid City, SD
City-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Rapid City, SD has a total population of 83,404 with 23% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 95%, and 36% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Rapid City, SD
K-12 Students
High School Graduates
Adults 25+ with HS diplomas
College Graduates
Adults 25+ with a Bachelor’s degree or higher
Demographics statistics provided by Best Neighborhood Rapid City, SD.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
19.83 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
3.88 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
15.95 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Rapid City, SD.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Rapid City, SD.
ISP Report Card
Internet Infrastructure Grade
Average Download Speed
Speed Most Residents Can Get
Digital Connectivity Index
ISP Connectivity Demand Report
To read more about these statistics, please visit Rapid City, SD Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Rapid City, SD
How many schools are in Rapid City, SD?
Rapid City, SD has 51 public schools: 9 high schools, 9 middle schools and 30 elementary schools, serving 20,231 students in total.
How do schools in Rapid City perform on state tests?
On average, 51 schools in Rapid City score 42% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 40%, so on average schools in Rapid City meet expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Rapid City?
Every public school gets a SchoolGrade from A+ to F based on the share of students at or above the state proficiency bar. The Impact Grade compares that result with what we would expect given the school’s student and community context, so schools that outperform their circumstances stand out. Schools cannot pay to change a grade. Read the full methodology.
Best Schools in Cities Near Rapid City, SD
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 35%
- Projected: 36%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 38%
- Projected: 40%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 33%
- Projected: 34%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 52%
- Projected: 48%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 38%
- Projected: 39%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 56%
- Projected: 49%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 51%
- Projected: 47%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 38%
- Projected: 38%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 57%
- Projected: 46%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 51%
- Projected: 42%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
Every school in Rapid City
21 of 26 schools in Rapid City carry a SchoolGrade (5 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:
A: 1B: 4C: 5D: 8F: 3
All 26 public schools we grade in Rapid City. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.
High schools (4)
- Central High School 41
- Rapid City High School 45
- Rapid City Online High School 92
- Stevens High School 42
Middle and junior high schools (5)
- East Middle School 30
- North Middle School 35
- South Middle School 36
- Southwest Middle School 38
- West Middle School 37
Elementary and primary schools (14)
- Canyon Lake Elementary 04
- Corral Drive Elementary 21
- General Beadle Elementary 01
- Grandview Elementary 06
- Horace Mann Elementary 07
- Knollwood Heights Elementary 08
- Meadowbrook Elementary 10
- Pinedale Elementary 11
- Rapid Valley Elementary 12
- Robbinsdale Elementary 14
- South Canyon Elementary 15
- South Park Elementary 16
- Valley View Elementary 13
- Woodrow Wilson Elementary 17
Other schools and academies (3)
Private schools (10)
Private schools have a SchoolGrade only where their state publishes their test results.