Costs for International Students

International students are not eligible for South Dakota Mines or federal loan programs and should not apply for this type of financial assistance. An ESTIMATE of annual costs is below. Students are responsible for these costs each year. 

This estimate is based on an average number of credit hours for undergraduate (15) and graduate students (9). All international students must pay an international student fee of $200 per semester which is included in the tuition and fees section.
  Undergraduate Graduate
Tuition & Fees $17,400 $15,780
Living Expenses (on campus) $11,630 $14,280
Books, Supplies, etc. $700 $700
Total Expenses (for 2025-26) $29,730 $30,760

Please see below for the estimated breakdown of costs.

Estimated breakdown of Costs for 2025-26

Tuition Costs:

For more information, check out SDBOR Policy 5.5.4. The breakdown provided is derived from FY26 Tuition and Fees.

Flat Fees (Per Semester)
Per-Credit-Hour Fees

  1. Base Tuition & Fees:

    • Undergraduate: $428.45

    • Graduate: $714.24

    • Includes Tuition + University Support Fee

  2. General Activities Fee: $50.60

  3. Discipline Fees (if applicable):

    • Engineering/Physics/Chemistry/Geology/Nanoscience/Paleontology: $89.05

    • Atmospheric & Environmental Science: $86.35

    • Computer Science: $74.10

    • Mathematics/Statistics/Biology/Microbiology/Anatomy: $44.45

Total Cost Per Credit Hour =
(Base Tuition) + (General Activities Fee) + (Discipline Fee)

Living Expenses Estimated Costs:

Living expenses vary depending on choice of living accommodations and/or meal plans. The living expenses listed below are based on very modest accommodations, food, and health insurance (this is mandatory for international students). This does not include personal and transportation expenses. 

Expense

Cost
Mandatory Health Insurance (per year) *

$1,224
Residence Hall + Mandatory Meal Plan ** $10,406
Living off campus (for 9 months) *** $7,650
Food costs (for 9 months) $5,400

* This can be payed in 2 installments: Fall only: $510 & Spring + Summer only: $714

** The highest cost for both were taken into account; does not include holiday stay

** Includes utilities, deposit; does NOT include other expenses or transportation

For more information on Residence Hall & Mandatory Meal Plan Rates, visit 2025-2026 Housing & Dining Rates.

The institution estimates that you will spend approximately $3,450 per academic year on personal and transportation expenses, so please be prepared for these expenses.

Additional estimated costs for students with dependents

Spouse $12,000
First Child $10,000
Second Child $9,000
Third Child $7,000

The United States Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS) requires that US colleges or universities must establish that a student is able to pay all educational and incidental expenses BEFORE issuing the I-20 form.

Financial Document Requirement 

Federal regulations require all new F1 and J1 students to show that they have the financial ability to pay for at least one full academic year of tuition, fees, insurance, books and living expenses before SDM can issue a Form I-20 or DS-2019. More details are included on SDM's Financial Support Certification form

Ready to Begin?  Gather your documents – Do NOT send these to us. You will receive information on where to upload.

We accept these types of financial documentation

Financial documents must include:

A financial statement must NOT:

Scholarship awards outside SDM must be sent directly from the scholarship entity and include: (send to international@sdsmt.edu)