Public · School
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Rapid City, South Dakota · Small city
- 79.9%
- Admit rate
- $20,183
- Avg net price
- 53%
- Graduation rate
- $72,257
- Median earnings
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Rapid City, South Dakota (small city setting), enrolling 2,071 undergraduates.
Will you get in?
See where your numbers land against South Dakota School of Mines and Technology's admitted students.
- Admit rate
- 79.9%
- SAT (mid 50%)
- 1140–1340
- Avg GPA (est.)
- 3.52
Enter a test score to see where you land against South Dakota School of Mines and Technology's admitted students.
A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.
About Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City is a city in and the county seat of Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. The public discovery of gold in 1874 by the Black Hills Expedition, led by George Armstrong Custer, brought a mass influx of European-American miners and settlers into Rapid City. Rapid City has invested in public sculptures, notably "The City of Presidents" series of life-sized bronze statues depicting each former President of the United States, located on street corners in the downtown area. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Small city
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 1 mile to Rapid City, SD
- To Great Lakes shore
- 569 miles
- Nearest airport
- 8 miles to Rapid City (RAP)
How South Dakota School of Mines and Technology compares
More selective than 45% · #4 most selective of 11 in South Dakota
Higher than 69%
Higher than 46% · #5 of 11 in South Dakota
Higher than 74%
Higher than 85% · #1 of 11 in South Dakota
Cheaper than 49% · #6 cheapest of 11 in South Dakota
Lower than 11%
Lower than 59%
Larger than 58%
Percentiles compare South Dakota School of Mines and Technology with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in South Dakota.
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology campus
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate2,07185%
- Graduate36015%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women46522%
- Men1,60678%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White82%
- Black1.5%
- Hispanic5.7%
- Asian1.9%
- Other or multiracial9.2%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 2,071
- Graduate enrollment
- 360
- Student–faculty ratio
- 12 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 17%
- First-generation students
- 18%
- Students over 25
- 6%
- Median family income
- $76,508
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $101,205
- Endowment
- $111,334,370
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 496 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From South Dakota38%
- Other U.S. states62%
A national draw — only 38% of first-years come from South Dakota; 61% arrive from other states.
Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 79.9%
- Test scores
- Considered but not required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- 1140–1340
- SAT average
- 1245
- SAT reading
- 560–660
- SAT math
- 580–680
- ACT composite
- 24–30
- Average GPA (estimated)
- 3.52
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $10,500
- Out-of-state tuition
- $14,900
- Room & board
- $9,300
- Books & supplies
- $1,900
- Total cost of attendance
- $25,385
- Average net price
- $20,183
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 53%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 24%
- First-year retention
- 84%
- Transferred to another college
- 1%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $62,863
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $72,257
- Median debt at graduation
- $27,000
- Students with federal loans
- 40%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 77%
About 29% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 1,083
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 52%
- Housing charge (year)
- $4,150
- Meal plan (year)
- $4,116
- Application fee
- $20
- Athletics
- NCAA Division II with football
- Football conference
- Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
- Varsity athletes
- 439 (335 men · 104 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (6)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.4 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 2
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 1
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,576 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$18,366/year × about 4.8 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 77% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $3,565. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 523 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $72,257
- Typical debt at graduation
- $27,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 37%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 80%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $11,802 (19%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 84°F
- Winter low
- 16°F
- Annual rain
- 20″
- Annual snow
- 53.7″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Rapid City Wfo, SD US station (0.3 mi from campus).
What South Dakota School of Mines and Technology graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare South Dakota School of Mines and Technology side by side →
Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, Virginia · Distant town · 45 mi to Roanoke
- Students
- 1,527
- Admission
- 71%
- Net price
- $17k
- SAT
- 1244
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $77k
University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, Virginia · Midsize suburb · 48 mi to Washington
- Students
- 3,566
- Admission
- 80%
- Net price
- $21k
- SAT
- 1272
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $61k
SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, New York · Midsize suburb · 47 mi to Syracuse
- Students
- 1,849
- Admission
- 81%
- Net price
- $14k
- SAT
- 1201
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $64k
Ramapo College of New Jersey
Mahwah, New Jersey · Large suburb · 27 mi to New York
- Students
- 4,898
- Admission
- 71%
- Net price
- $18k
- SAT
- 1211
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $68k
SUNY College at Geneseo
Geneseo, New York · Distant town · 27 mi to Rochester
- Students
- 3,869
- Admission
- 66%
- Net price
- $18k
- SAT
- 1286
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $67k
St. Mary's College of Maryland
St. Mary's City, Maryland · Fringe rural · 60 mi to Washington
- Students
- 1,603
- Admission
- 69%
- Net price
- $18k
- SAT
- 1261
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $60k
Colleges near South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
The Salon Professional Academy
Rapid City, SD · Private for-profit · Certificate · 80 students
Paul Mitchell the School-Rapid City
Rapid City, SD · Private for-profit · Certificate · 66 students
Western Dakota Technical College
Rapid City, SD · Public · Associate · 753 students
Black Hills State University
Spearfish, SD · Public · Bachelor's · 1,928 students
Oglala Lakota College
Kyle, SD · Public · Associate · 1,097 students
Chadron State College
Chadron, NE · Public · Bachelor's · 1,540 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.












