South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

What are the graduation rates for students at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology?

Reported completion figures show that about 24% of the relevant first-time, full-time undergraduate cohort graduated within four years, while about 52% graduated within six years. The longer measurement period captures students who finish after the standard four-year schedule; neither figure predicts what will happen to an individual student.

The reported overall graduation rate is 53%, and first-year retention is 84%. Retention measures how many eligible first-year students returned for the following fall; it is not a graduation rate. Federal graduation-rate cohorts also do not represent every student, particularly transfers and students who began part time.

For someone planning a tightly sequenced major, the gap between four- and six-year completion is financially relevant. An extra semester can add tuition and living expenses even when a student ultimately earns the degree. Applicants can use a department's sample course plan to identify courses offered in sequence and ask how missed prerequisites affect the expected time to completion.

What is the earning potential for graduates at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology?

College Scorecard program figures offer a limited view of earnings approximately one year after completion for graduates in federally aided reporting groups. They are program-level measures, not salary offers or a prediction of what any South Dakota Mines graduate will earn.

Reported one-year figures include $64,319 for industrial engineering and $64,157 for electrical, electronics, and communications engineering. The corresponding figures are $63,634 for mechanical engineering, $62,408 for civil engineering, $57,674 for chemical engineering, and $55,327 for geological or geophysical engineering. These measures should be read as reported earnings statistics for the specified programs and period, rather than as a university-wide starting salary.

Earnings data can be affected by who is included in a federal dataset, where graduates work, whether they continue their education, and the size of a program's reporting group. They do not show the full distribution of pay or account for each graduate's debt and living costs. Students comparing majors should consider internships, career interests, program costs, and longer-term options alongside a one-year earnings figure.