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# Best Mining and Mineral Engineering Programs by Earnings

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Engineering Colleges in the United States](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges/)

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](/school/university-of-arizona/majors/) 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](/school/west-virginia-university/majors/) posts the lowest average net price on the page, at $15,634.

## The ranked list

9 schools in list order

| 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](/school/university-of-arizona/majors/) reports [$120,031 in median earnings](/school/university-of-arizona/outcomes/) 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](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/majors/) [admits 61% of applicants](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/admissions/) 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,](/school/west-virginia-university/cost/) [West Virginia University](/school/west-virginia-university/majors/) 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](/school/missouri-university-of-science-and-technology/majors/) reports [median earnings of $95,707](/school/missouri-university-of-science-and-technology/outcomes/) 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](/school/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/majors/) has the lowest admission rate on the list at 55% and its Mining and Mineral Engineering graduates earn a [median of $94,397](/school/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus/majors/) with a [median of $25,000](/school/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-kentucky/majors/) [ranks 220th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/university-of-kentucky/) 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](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges/)
-   Engineering Colleges for Social Mobility