Mines physics major Serenity Engel is on an internship at the Sanford
Underground Research Facility this summer. Mines students, who completed at
least one internship during their college career earned a 100% job placement rate
in their field of study in 2019-2020.
South Dakota Mines 2019-2020 graduates are enjoying
a 97% placement rate in their field of study or in graduate school. This is up
from numbers reported in 2020. This cohort is also receiving an average
starting salary of $66,156. The high placement rate and starting salary speaks
to South Dakota Mines’ excellent return on investment. The earnings of
graduates in science and engineering fields outpace other professions, and the
cost of attending South Dakota Mines is lower than many schools across the
country.
An increasing number of Mines students are staying
in the state after they graduate, 36% of the 2019-2020 graduates are remaining
in South Dakota to enter the workforce or to complete graduate school. This
crop of graduates went to work for 50 different South Dakota based companies.
These high-earning graduates play a vital role in the continuing economic
growth of South Dakota’s high-tech sector. In the last five years, 351
graduates have accepted jobs with 172 employers in 37 South Dakota communities.
Overall Mines’ 2019-2020 graduates went to work for 177 different employers in
35 different states and Japan.
“This data highlights the important role our
students play in building the tech-sector economy in South Dakota,” says South
Dakota Mines president Jim Rankin. “Our country needs scientists and engineers
more than ever. Mines graduates lead the way in creating new technologies that
offer solutions to our toughest challenges.”
Real-world experience is one advantage many South
Dakota Mines graduates bring to their first job. Seventy-seven percent of
students graduated with a paid internship or research experience with companies
such as Microsoft, Garmin, Kiewit, Cargill, Black Hills Energy and many other
companies and governmental agencies. Mines students who completed at least one
internship during their time as students enjoyed a 100% placement rate and an
above average starting salary of $68,533.
These numbers show the value of an education at
South Dakota Mines. In its 2021 rankings, the organization College Factual
names South Dakota
Mines as the best engineering school for the money out of 319 similar
institutions across the United States. The university routinely receives top rankings
in the state and nation from multiple college ranking organizations.