Best Mining and Mineral Engineering Programs by Earnings
Updated
Part of Best Engineering Colleges in the United States
This page ranks the 9 Mining and Mineral Engineering programs in the United States by the median earnings of Mining and Mineral Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. University of Arizona ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $120,031 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $120,031 to $71,015, with a median of $94,397.
All 9 programs are at 9 public institutions. University of Arizona ranks 75th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. West Virginia University posts the lowest average net price on the page, at $15,634.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Arizona · Tucson, AZ | $120,031 | $16,674 | $13,353 | 86.1% |
| University of Arizona reports $120,031 in median earnings for its Mining and Mineral Engineering graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. | |||||
| 2 | Colorado School of Mines · Golden, CO | $109,695 | $28,690 | $16,849 | 60.7% |
| Colorado School of Mines admits 61% of applicants and its Mining and Mineral Engineering graduates earn a median of $109,695 four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | West Virginia University · Morgantown, WV | $109,619 | $15,634 | $9,450 | 89.0% |
| With an average net price of $15,634, West Virginia University is the lowest on the page, and its graduates earn a median of $109,619 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Missouri University of Science and Technology · Rolla, MO | $95,707 | $16,298 | $10,912 | 72.6% |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology reports median earnings of $95,707 for its Mining and Mineral Engineering graduates four years after completing and ranks 136th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 5 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA | $94,397 | $24,953 | $11,689 | 54.8% |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University has the lowest admission rate on the list at 55% and its Mining and Mineral Engineering graduates earn a median of $94,397 four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · University Park, PA | $91,411 | $32,875 | $19,845 | 60.6% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus with a median of $25,000 in federal loans, and its Mining and Mineral Engineering graduates earn a median of $91,411 four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · Rapid City, SD | $88,904 | $20,183 | $15,348 | 79.9% |
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology reports median federal debt of $27,164 among Mining and Mineral Engineering completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $88,904 four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Montana Technological University · Butte, MT | $84,653 | $16,481 | $11,914 | 91.1% |
| Montana Technological University admits 91% of applicants and its Mining and Mineral Engineering graduates earn a median of $84,653 four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | University of Kentucky · Lexington, KY | $71,015 | $18,851 | $12,182 | 92.9% |
| University of Kentucky ranks 220th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $71,015 for its Mining and Mineral Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Mining and Mineral Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the United States appear. The figures are medians for federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled. For 2 of the 9 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap from University of Arizona to Colorado School of Mines is $10,336, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom is $49,016.
Job market context in the United States
Graduates of Mining and Mineral Engineering programs in the United States enter a labor market that includes occupations such as Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary and Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers. The median annual wage across those occupations is $107,561, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $79,244. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 19,000 openings a year, or roughly 11,446 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 4.4% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses the median earnings of graduates four years after completing, which is a different measure from the occupational wage figures described here.
Related rankings
- Best Engineering Colleges in the United States
- Engineering Colleges for Social Mobility