Metallurgical Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

South Dakota School of Mines graduates start their metallurgical engineering careers earning slightly below the national median—$72,000 versus $75,500—but they're doing so with remarkably low debt. At $27,500, their borrowing sits in just the 5th percentile nationally, meaning 95% of metallurgical engineering students elsewhere graduate owing more. This creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.38, well within manageable territory for an engineering degree that should see salary growth over time.

The earnings gap deserves context: with only 11 schools nationwide offering this specialized program, and South Dakota Mines being the sole option in-state, comparing percentiles becomes less meaningful than the raw numbers. A $3,500 difference in starting salary matters less when you're borrowing thousands less than peers at pricier programs. The school's 85% admission rate and modest SAT scores suggest this isn't a hyper-selective environment, yet graduates still land solidly middle-class engineering jobs right out of school.

The small sample size—fewer than 30 graduates—means these figures could swing considerably year to year. But the fundamentals look sound: reasonable debt for an in-demand technical field with strong earning potential. For South Dakota families, this represents one of the few accessible paths into metallurgical engineering without relocating or paying premium tuition.