Cost, debt & salary

Is South Dakota School of Mines and Technology worth it? What it costs, and what graduates earn

You would borrow a median $27,000 — about $307 a month for ten years. Graduates earn a median $72,257 ten years after starting, so the debt clears in roughly 0.8 years of the salary premium.

B

Is it worth the money?

Yes — you clear the borrowing faster than at most US universities.

You borrow $27,000 median federal debt at graduation
You repay $307/mo standard 10-year federal plan
You earn $72,257 median, 10 years after entry · beats 84%
Debt clears in 0.8 yrs ranked 224 of 810

What that feels like each month Repayment against the salary that has to cover it.

Gross monthly pay
$6,021
Loan repayment
$307
Share of your pay
5.1%
0%15% — the comfort line25%

Under roughly 15% of gross pay, repayment is generally considered manageable alongside rent and living costs.

Cut the debt before you borrow it

We do not list an award tied specifically to South Dakota School of Mines and Technology yet — but national, country and subject scholarships still apply to students heading there, and each one cuts the $27,000 above.

Browse scholarships for the USA →

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How South Dakota School of Mines and Technology compares Against the 810 US universities we grade on payback.

The typical graded university clears its debt in 1.3 years on median earnings of $57,146 against $22,500 of debt. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology clears its debt faster than that, and its graduates earn $32,737 a year more than a US worker with only a high-school diploma.

Nearby universityGradeDebtEarningsPayback
Augustana University South Dakota C $25,000 $59,217 1.3 yrs
South Dakota State University South Dakota C $23,250 $55,070 1.5 yrs
University of Sioux Falls South Dakota C $23,249 $54,521 1.6 yrs
Dakota Wesleyan University South Dakota D $27,000 $53,728 1.9 yrs
University of South Dakota South Dakota D $23,592 $51,926 1.9 yrs

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology — the money questions

How much do graduates of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology earn?
Median earnings are $72,257 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled — from tax records, not a survey. That is higher than 84% of the US universities we hold figures for.
How much debt will I have at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology?
The median graduate leaves with $27,000 of federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $307 a month — roughly 5.1% of the median graduate's monthly pay before tax.
How long does a degree from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology take to pay for itself?
About 0.8 years of the salary premium — the amount graduates earn above the $39,520 a US worker with only a high-school diploma makes. That ranks it 224 of 810 US universities we grade on payback.
Can scholarships reduce this debt?
We do not currently list a scholarship tied specifically to South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, but national and subject-based awards still apply — start from our scholarships listing.
Do these numbers apply to my subject?
No. The Department of Education publishes one figure per institution, so nursing, engineering and fine art students at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology all sit inside the same median. Treat it as the size of the financial risk, not a salary forecast for your course.
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology profile Programmes at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology South Dakota School of Mines and Technology scholarships South Dakota School of Mines and Technology review & grade Compare with Augustana University Payback across South Dakota What South Dakota School of Mines and Technology costs Student loan record SAT scores & admission Fastest-paying US degrees Lowest student debt How we calculate this

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard — earnings and debt cover students who received federal financial aid and blend every subject taught at the institution. Figures imported 28 Aug 2026. This page is information, not financial advice.