South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Rapid City, South Dakota · Also known as South Dakota Mines · Website
$72,257
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$72,257
median earnings, 10 years after starting
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is a public 4-year college in Rapid City, South Dakota with 2,071 undergraduates and 360 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $20,183 a year (tuition and fees $10,500 in-state, $14,900 out-of-state). It admits 80% of applicants and 53% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $72,257 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $27,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$20,183
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$10,500
Out-of-state $14,900
Admission rate
80%
US median 78%
Completion rate
53%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$27,000
About $286 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$72,257
Rank 329 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $20,183
- Tuition in-state
- $10,500
- Tuition out-of-state
- $14,900
- Cost of attendance
- $25,385
- Students with a need-based grant
- 17%
- Students with federal loans
- 40%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $15,348
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $17,909
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $18,366
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $21,176
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $21,993
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $11,170 in 2015-16 to $10,500 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 80%
- Average SAT
- 1,245
- SAT reading, middle
- 615
- SAT math, middle
- 640
- ACT, middle
- 27
- Undergraduates
- 2,071
- Graduate students
- 360
- Part-time students
- 13%
- Women
- 21%
- Students per teacher
- 12
- Completion rate
- 53%
- Retention rate
- 84%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 58
- Endowment
- $111.3M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 329 of 5,094 US colleges and 1 of 21 in South Dakota (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | SD median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $20,183 | $18,146 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $10,500 | $8,845 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 80% | 85% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 53% | 54% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 84% | 78% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $27,000 | $23,250 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $62,863 | $43,427 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $72,257 | $46,709 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 79% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 85% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
58 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 76 | $25,500 | $69,667 | $85,350 | $92,135 |
| Chemical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 42 | $27,000 | $72,785 | $90,845 | $98,158 |
| Civil EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 39 | $27,000 | $68,755 | $80,613 | $86,517 |
| Industrial EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 30 | $25,000 | $70,216 | $92,815 | $98,442 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 28 | $22,020 | $73,551 | $94,201 | $100,647 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 27 | $27,000 | $78,193 | $95,639 | $92,374 |
| Engineering-Related FieldsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 23 | Withheld | $91,138 | $126,787 | $125,651 |
| Biomedical/Medical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 21 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Metallurgical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 20 | $27,500 | $71,985 | Withheld | $92,722 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $133,654 |
| Industrial EngineeringGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Civil EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 16 | Withheld | $74,777 | $83,155 | $98,323 |
| Mining and Mineral EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 13 | $27,164 | $90,514 | $88,904 | $101,390 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/GeosciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | $48,069 | $60,190 |
| Geological/Geophysical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | $75,779 | $77,880 |
| Materials EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $112,282 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherBachelor's | Bachelor's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $55,693 |
| Public HealthGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Mining and Mineral EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $113,005 |
| MathematicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Computer EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | Withheld | $72,639 | Withheld | $109,015 |
| Mechanical EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $115,974 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralMaster's | Master's | 7 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| ChemistryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $65,120 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Rapid City and South Dakota on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in South Dakota
- Homes: Homes for sale in South Dakota
Questions and answers
How much does South Dakota School of Mines and Technology cost?
$20,183 a year is the average net price at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $10,500 for in-state students and $14,900 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $25,385. Families earning under $30,000 pay $15,348 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology?
80% of applicants are admitted to South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,245 and the middle ACT score is 27. The median admission rate of colleges in South Dakota is 85%.
How much do South Dakota School of Mines and Technology graduates earn?
$72,257 a year is the median pay of former South Dakota School of Mines and Technology students who work, 10 years after they started ($62,863 after 6 years). That ranks 329 of 5,094 US colleges and 1 of 21 in South Dakota. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Engineering-Related Fields (Master's) at $91,138.
How much student debt do South Dakota School of Mines and Technology graduates have?
$27,000 is the median federal student loan debt of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology graduates, about $286 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 40% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology?
53% of first-time, full-time students at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology finish within 6 years. 84% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology?
Mechanical Engineering (76 bachelor's graduates), Chemical Engineering (42 bachelor's graduates), Civil Engineering (39 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 58 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.