South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

Rapid City, South Dakota · Public · 4-year · City

At a glance

Average net price: $20,183What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate: 80%
Graduation rate: 56%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates: 2,071
In-state tuition: $10,500Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition: $14,900
SAT midpoint: 1,255
Median earnings, 10 yrs: $72,257Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against public 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$20,183

1/5

Better than 12% of public 4-year colleges (565 compared).

Completion

56%

3/5

Better than 58% of public 4-year colleges (566 compared).

Earnings

$72,257

5/5

Better than 89% of public 4-year colleges (590 compared).

Debt at graduation

$27,000

1/5

Better than 3% of public 4-year colleges (588 compared).

What these ratings are based on

Affordability: Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion: Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings: Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation: Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity: A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$25,385

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$20,183

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

What would this cost me?

Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time	56%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return	84%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed	$27,000
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled	$72,257

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology by graduate earnings
Major	Earnings, 1 yr	Degrees awarded
Mining and Mineral Engineering	$90,514	13
Computer and Information Sciences, General	$78,193	27
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering	$73,551	28
Chemical Engineering	$72,785	42
Computer Engineering	$72,639	8
Metallurgical Engineering	$71,985	20
Industrial Engineering	$70,216	30
Mechanical Engineering	$69,667	76
Civil Engineering	$68,755	39
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	Not reported	21
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences	Not reported	13
Geological/Geophysical Engineering	Not reported	12
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other	Not reported	11
Mathematics	Not reported	10
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General	Not reported	9
Chemistry	Not reported	7
Physics	Not reported	4
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology	Not reported	4
Biology, General	Not reported	3
Applied Mathematics	Not reported	3
Biotechnology	Not reported	1
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Not reported	Not reported
Engineering, General	Not reported	Not reported

All 23 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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