Points of Excellence - A Great Return on Your Education Dollars
| Average Placement Rate |
96% |
| Average Starting Salary of Graduates |
$62,696 |
Students with
Co-ops/Internships |
76% |
| Number of Research Centers |
13 |
Since 1885, the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology has been a national leader in preparing world-class engineers and scientists. Award-winning undergraduate education is enhanced by graduate education and research and development in areas of critical need to South Dakota, the nation, and the world. Our graduates design, construct, and operate the most modern technology to meet today's complex challenges and are held in the highest regard by their fellow leaders in industry, consulting, government, health, research, and education.
The Value of a School of Mines Education:
|
 |
SDSM&T made headlines in 2012 when it was established that our graduates outearned Harvard graduates, on average, when entering the workforce. Salary potential is very favorable for Mines graduates, as indicated by the PayScale graph below, naming Mines as one of the 2013 Top 10 Midwest Schools by Salary Potential.
 |
Methodology
Annual pay for bachelor’s graduates without higher degrees. Typical starting graduates have two years of experience; mid-career graduates have 15 years. See full methodology. |
The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology was named in the top 25 in Payscale's 2013 College Education ROI Rankings.
Listed right along with some of the USA's top universities, including Princeton, Notre Dame, and Dartmouth, PayScale calculated SDSM&T's 30-year net return on investment to be $1.228 million - or, annualized, 9.7 percent. Mines makes education affordable for families, and provides solid value well into the future.
> For the full list of rankings, see the PayScale website.
> Learn more about the PayScale methodology.
The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology has been named one of America’s 100 Best College Buys for the 14th consecutive year. This year’s America’s 100 Best College Buys is the 16th list published by Institutional Research & Evaluation, an independent research and consulting organization that specializes in the recruiting and retention of students. Each year the organization identifies the 100 colleges and universities in the U.S. that provide students with the highest quality education at the lowest cost.
To be considered for the America’s 100 Best College Buys designation, institutions must offer four-year undergraduate degree programs and have an entering freshman class with an average high school grade point average or college entrance exam score equal to or above the national average. This year, 1,069 accredited U.S. colleges and universities participated in the survey.
The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology has repeatedly made the Military Friendly School list published by G.I. Jobs magazine. The list honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to recruit and support America's veterans.
The university also has earned distinction as a veteran-friendly school with a high ranking nationally in the category of four-year colleges on Military Times Edge magazine’s Best for Vets: Colleges list.
The South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is ranked sixth nationwide by U.S. News & World Report in admissions selectivity for its online graduate engineering programs.
Our exceptional Center of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing and Production (CAMP) is a competitive, nationally-recognized program that brings together students, faculty, and industry leaders to partner on real-world projects. Teams compete nationally on projects like building alternative fuel vehicles, a concrete canoe, an unmanned aerial vehicle, or a mini Indy or Baja car, or working on projects involving robotics or hydrogen fuel cells. Learn more about CAMP.