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South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

Rapid City, SD, USA

The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is a university located in the Mount Rushmore region. The institution was founded in 1885 to train students in the skilled trade of mining, and now offers a variety disciplines in the sciences. SD Mines features various research programs that focus on clean energy production, one of which explores the impacts of sustainable fracking. SD Mines is also home to the Museum of Geology, which exhibits paleontology and mineralogy artifacts like rare fossils and crystals. The campus also has the 33,000 square foot James E. Martin Paleontology Research Laboratory, which houses more than 500,000 specimens. The collections include mineralogy/petrology, paleobotany, invertebrate paleontology, micropaleontology, biology, and vertebrate paleontology.

Admissions

Key Admissions Stats

Institution Type
Public
  • Not for Profit
  • Coed

Need Blind

This school does not consider an applicant’s financial situation when deciding admission

Level of Institution
4 Year
Campus Setting
Small city
0
100
80%
Acceptance Rate

Admissions Requirements

SAT
SAT is not checked
No
ACT
ACT is not checked
No
Transcript
Transcript is checked
Yes

Important Deadlines

Application TypeApplication DeadlineReply Deadline
Fall Regular DecisionFebruary 15

Rolling Admissions

The college has rolling admissions, which means applications are accepted any time throughout the year.

Admitted Student Stats

In-State Students
37%
Out-Of-State Students
53%
84%
Submitting ACT
26%
Submitting SAT
Average ACT Composite: 26
0
36
Average SAT Composite: 1266
0
1600

Academics

Key Academic Stats

Highest Degree Offered
Doctorate
Total Number of Students
2,416
Total Number of Undergrads
2,083
Academic Calendar

Semester

See your fit
Classroom Sizes

2-19 Students
31%
20-39 Students
51%
40-99 Students
15%
0
100
16%
Graduate in 4 Years US National: 28%
0
100
49%
Graduate in 6 Years US National: 52%
Student:Faculty Ratio
11:1
US National: 21:1

Tuition, Cost & Aid

Key Financial Stats

Average Net Price
$19,815
Calculate your net cost
Tuition
In-State Tuition In-state tuition is the tuition charged by institutions to those students who meet the state's or institution's residency requirements. In-district tuition is the tuition charged by the institution to those students residing in the locality in which they attend school and may be a lower rate than in-state tuition if offered by the institution.
$10,440
Out-of-State Tuition Out-of-state tuition is the tuition charged by institutions to those students who do not meet the state’s or institution’s residency requirements. Out-of-district tuition is the tuition charged by the institution to those students not residing in the locality in which they attend school.
$14,860
Additional Costs
Room and Board The weighted average for room and board and other expenses is generated as follows:
  • (amount for on-campus room, board and other expenses * # of students living on-campus.
  • + amount for off-campus (with family) room, board and other expenses * # of students living off-campus with family
  • + amount for off-campus (not with family) room, board and other expenses * # of students living off-campus not with family)
divided by the total # of students. Students whose living arrangements are unknown are excluded from the calculation. For some institutions the # of students by living arrangement will be known, but dollar amounts will not be known. In this case the # of students with no corresponding dollar amount will be excluded from the denominator.
$8,020
Books and Supplies
$2060

Aid & Grants

0
100
71%
Need Met
Students Receiving Gift Aid Percent of undergraduate students awarded federal gift aid. Federal gift aid includes any grant or scholarship aid awarded, from the federal government, a state or local government, the institution, and other sources known by the institution.
20%
Average Aid Per Year
$5,743
Students Receiving Grants Percent of undergraduate students awarded grant aid. Grant aid includes any grant or scholarship aid awarded, from the federal government, a state or local government, the institution, and other sources known by the institution.
20%
Average Federal Grant Aid Per Year
$3,654
Average Institution Grant Aid Per Year
$4,264

Student Loans

Students Borrowing Loans Loans to students - Any monies that must be repaid to the lending institution for which the student is the designated borrower. Includes all Title IV subsidized and unsubsidized loans and all institutionally- and privately-sponsored loans. Does not include PLUS and other loans made directly to parents.
55%
Average Loan Amount Per Year
$8,038
Average Debt at Graduation The median federal debt of undergraduate borrowers who graduated. This figure includes only federal loans; it excludes private student loans and Parent PLUS loans.
$19,500
Median Monthly Loan Payment The median monthly loan payment for student borrowers who completed, if it were repaid over 10 years at a 5.05% interest rate.
$258

Campus Life

Key Campus Stats

Student Gender
Male
Female
76%
24%
Student Organizations
105
Size of Town
Small city
LGBTQIA Student Resource Groups
LGBTQIA Student Resource Groups is checked
Yes
On Campus Women's Center
On Campus Women's Center is not checked
No

Housing

0
100
40%
Undergrads Living on Campus
On-campus living required of freshman
No

Athletics

Divisional Sports Nickname
Grubby
School Colors
old gold and navy blue
Varsity Athletics Association
NCAA
Varsity Athletics Conference Primary
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference

Campus Safety

24-HR security patrol
24-HR security patrol is checked
Yes
Campus emergency phones
Campus emergency phones is checked
Yes

After Graduation

Post Grad Stats

Top 5 Cities
Rapid City
Denver
Minneapolis
Sioux Falls
Houston
Employed
6 mos. after graduation
76%
Average Salary
6 years after graduation
$62,400

What Students Are Saying

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is a competitive and nurturing school. Anyone who wants to not only learn but also be mentally challenged by their peers and professors should apply to this school. Class sizes are easily manageable, the professors are genuine, and the student body is unlike anything I've ever been introduced to.
Cora from Rapid City, SD
This college can provide an excellent education in math, science, or engineering for a great price. However, you have to want that degree, as some of the classes are extremely challenging. Most professors go above and beyond at SDSMT, and help is always available through many different sources.
Beth from Colorado Springs, CO
Smaller school/class size creates a great opportunity to receive personalized education.
Excellent high-paying job opportunities while in school and after graduation.
Excellent opportunity to meet other high performing individuals and faculty.
John from Evergreen, CO
This school is almost a guaranteed way of learning everything you need to and more concerning your major, getting a great job with a great starting salary, and meeting new and interesting people. The people are generally all concerned about doing their best and learning everything they can to assist them in their future. Most of the staff share in the interest of their students' futures and are sure to help you to understand and do well, figure out exactly which major/area of study is right for you, and even get through all the new social situations that come along with starting college.
Anonymous