Mining and Mineral Engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

South Dakota School of Mines graduates in mining engineering earn $90,514 their first year out—$4,600 above the national median and landing in the 95th percentile nationally. That's impressive performance for a program at a school with an 85% admission rate. The debt burden sits well below average at $27,914, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.31 that suggests graduates can manage their loans comfortably on a mining engineer's salary.

The catch? This program's data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, which means a few outliers could be skewing the picture. The 60th percentile ranking within South Dakota sounds concerning until you realize this is the only mining program in the state—that percentile reflects variation across cohorts, not competition from other schools. With only 16 schools nationally offering this degree, you're looking at a specialized field where South Dakota Mines holds its own against much more selective institutions.

For parents worried about employability, mining engineering solves that problem decisively. The real question is whether your student genuinely wants this career path, because the small graduating classes and specialized curriculum mean switching majors or career direction later becomes complicated. If your child is committed to the extractive industries, this program delivers strong earnings at manageable debt—just recognize the numbers represent a small sample that may not perfectly predict your student's individual outcome.