South Dakota School of Mines & Technology

The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (SD Mines) is dedicated to excellence in science and engineering academics and research, and to developing the next generation of leaders and problem-solvers. 

The university is committed to a high standard in educating students in a wide array of engineering and science disciplines in bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees. Through stimulating academics, personal attention, paid internships, and an engaged learning approach, we provide an exceptional engineering and science education at a price families can afford.

Personal Attention

We give students the personal attention needed to succeed. SD Mines has a 15-to-1 student to faculty ratio. At SD Mines, all classes are taught by dedicated lecturers and professors. This focus on excellence in face-to-face education is increasingly rare in American universities and is one of the things that makes SD Mines different.  

Great Value

SD Mines has been named one of the best values in higher education for 18 years straight. For the most recent undergraduate class, 96% are going to graduate school or have secured employment at an average starting salary of nearly $63,000 a year at Google, Microsoft, Medtronic, NASA, SpaceX, Keurig, and more.

Internships

Our internship program is a feature of the Mines experience, with 80% of students earning at least one paid internship or research experience before they graduate, giving their career a competitive edge. Last summer alone, students earned internships with over 252 different employers like Microsoft, NASA, Ford, 3M, and ExxonMobil in 44 states at over $18 an hour - or participated in paid research positions before graduation, like the world's flagship neutrino project a mile underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. 

Rushmore Region

Located on a 118-acre campus in the Rushmore Region in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota, we enjoy four distinct and beautiful seasons with moderate precipitation and over 200 sunny days a year. At our doorstep is an outdoor playground for hiking, biking, skiing, snowboarding, or rock-climbing, when we're not enjoying the restaurants and tourist town vibe of Rapid City.

Just a six-hour drive from Denver and with direct flights to Minneapolis, Denver, Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, and Las Vegas, it's closer than you think.   

Campus Life

The university’s campus boasts a vibrant patchwork of concerts, intramurals, lectures and plays, student clubs, impromptu volleyball games, and cheering fans packing the stands on game day. With over 100 clubs and organizations and 13 intercollegiate Division II NCAA athletic teams, there is something for everyone at SD Mines.

Students are just minutes away from a bustling downtown loaded with restaurants, pubs, boutiques and cafes – a slice of big city life with a small town soul. With so much to offer, there’s campus life happening wherever students look.

Residence Life

Residence Life at the School of Mines provides a safe environment that encourages learning and personal growth in an inclusive community that empowers and challenges the students.

Whether students choose the spacious residential halls or apartment living, they will find a close-knit community that best suits their interests and needs. Students have immediate access to services such as laundry, dining, fitness, and cable, among others.

Research

SD Mines is engaged in cutting-edge research in many important areas of science and engineering. These research activities provide graduate and undergraduate students with special opportunities to become involved in discovery and invention, and to participate in the excitement of developing new concepts.