Mines Ranked Among Best Schools in Country for Veterans

South Dakota Mines continues its legacy of support for its military student population, once again earning a Top 10 Military Friendly school designation.

Mines ranked seventh among the top schools in the nation for exceeding standards of culture and commitment, academia, admissions, financial aid, return on investment and support for military students.

“We are thrilled to be named in the Top 10 for Military Friendly schools," said Derek Flom, director of the Rich and Trudy Wells Veterans Resource Center (VRC) at Mines and a U.S. Air Force veteran. “I think South Dakota Mines does a great job supporting our veteran scholars. Our veterans are truly amazing and bring a lot of diverse views and skills to our campus. With the help of our supporters such as Rich and Trudy Wells, we’re able to provide even greater resources to our military-connected students, and I am excited to continue to grow that support.”

The VRC was recently remodeled, thanks to a $1 million gift from alumni Rich (ChemE 82) and Trudy (ChemE 84) Wells, and subsequently renamed in their honor. Located on the lower level of the Surbeck Center, the updated space provides a welcoming, comfortable environment where student veterans can study, relax and build connections with fellow veterans on campus.

The VRC offers a wide range of support services, including tutoring, job and internship assistance, scholarship guidance, help with resumes and cover letters, and referrals for veterans' benefits and G.I. Bill support. It also connects students with local veterans’ organizations and hosts workshops focused on academic success and essential life skills.

Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2025-2026 survey with 830 earning special awards for going above the standard.