Abdoul Sore, an electrical engineer, is among the graduating class of
2022 included in the most recent data showing Mines graduates topped $70,000 in
average starting salary with a 98% placement rate in their field of study.
The average starting salary for recent graduates of
South Dakota Mines is now $70,036. Mines graduates also enjoy a 98% placement
rate in their field of study or graduate school. These most recent numbers are
based on the graduating class of 2022, reflecting their job status one year
after competing their degree.
The 2022 cohort of Mines graduates were hired by 186
different companies with an average starting bonus offer of $5,229.
“These numbers point to the outstanding value of a
Mines degree and reflect the importance of our mission,” says Mines President
Jim Rankin. “There is a critical need to meet the increasing industry demand
for highly trained STEM professionals; this includes the jobs being created by
the booming high-tech industry right here in South Dakota.”
Thirty-nine percent of the 2022 Mines cohort stayed
in South Dakota, either attending graduate school or working at 58 different
companies located in 15 cities. This includes 47 graduates working for 39
companies in the Black Hills region.
Mines began tracking the average starting salary for
male and female graduates three years ago. Women’s starting salary has outpaced
men’s all three years. Female Mines graduates in 2022 landed an average salary
of $71,848 compared to $69,379 for men. These numbers reflect the ongoing
industry demand for women in STEM.
Students with internship experience during their
college career also fared better than those without. Graduates who completed at
least one internship while in school landed an average starting salary of $72,458
compared to those without an internship of $62,558.
A study by Georgetown University in 2022 that ranks
4,500 colleges in the country on return on investment showed South Dakota Mines is the top
four-year public university in the state with 40-year lifetime average earnings
of over $1.52 million. This number is nearly half a million dollars more
than the second South Dakota school on the list. The Georgetown study also
ranks Mines in the top 27 four-year public colleges in the nation for a
lifetime return on investment. South Dakota Mines topped other schools on the
list such as Rutgers, Purdue, Texas A&M and the University of Minnesota.