Mines News

Release Date Wednesday, September 23, 2020

South Dakota Mines Enrollment Holds Steady Despite Pandemic Challenges

Tanvi Govil, a Ph.D. student in chemical and biological engineering at South Dakota Mines, is shown here working in a lab. 

Enrollment at South Dakota Mines is down slightly this year with a headcount of 2,477 undergraduate students compared to 2,529 in fall 2019, a decrease of 52 students. The full time-time equivalent number of students also decreased 5.4% from 2156.4 in 2019 to 2039.9 in 2020. See more from the South Dakota Board of Regents

Many institutions of higher education across the nation are struggling to maintain enrollment amidst the global pandemic. The relatively steady numbers at South Dakota Mines are a testament to the value of a Mines degree. The affordable tuition, high job placement rate for graduates, and an average starting salary of $66,500 ranks Mines as the best engineering school in the nation for return on investment. The demand for highly qualified Mines graduates is projected to continue.

“The future scientists and engineers at South Dakota Mines are the problem solvers of tomorrow. These students will help our nation overcome the types of challenges we’re facing now,” says Mines President Jim Rankin. 

South Dakota Mines is a central part of technology-based economic growth in the Black Hills region. The university is working alongside Elevate Rapid City, the Sanford Underground Research Facility and Ellsworth Air Force Base to build an economic ecosystem that is increasing the number of high-paying STEM jobs in the area. Our fall 2020 Career Fair included 33 in-state companies,14 came from the Black Hills area.

The South Dakota Board of Regents, the governing body for state universities, reports that enrollment numbers are down about 2.8% across the state’s six public universities.

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About South Dakota Mines  

Founded in 1885, South Dakota Mines is one of the nation’s leading engineering, science and technology universities. South Dakota Mines offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees and a best-in-class education at an affordable price. The university enrolls 2,493 students with an average class size of 24. The South Dakota Mines placement rate for graduates is 98 percent, with an average starting salary of more than $70,036. For these reasons  South Dakota Mines is ranked among the best engineering schools in the country for return on investment. Find us online at www.sdsmt.edu and on FacebookTwitter, LinkedInInstagram, and Snapchat.

Contact: Mike Ray, 605-394-6082, mike.ray@sdsmt.edu

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