Home / Worth-It Scores / South Dakota / South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Is South Dakota School of Mines and Technology worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Workable
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology lands in the workable band for a typical family. Median debt of $27,000 can be carried by median long-run earnings of $72,257, but the margin is not huge. For context, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology's net price runs about 54% above the typical 4-year, public school. This is the kind of school where your actual aid offer can move the answer meaningfully.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 774 similar 4-year, public schools
This school
$20,243
/yrAverage school like this
$13,155
/yrThis weighs on your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $7,089 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $28,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$20,183
Median earnings 10 years out
$72,257
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Graduation rate
56%
At South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, a typical graduate carries about $27,000 in student debt and earns roughly $72,257 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $307 per month, or 5% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $30,457 more than the typical high school graduate ($41,800) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties undergraduate student-loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
88% of former students here out-earned that benchmark ten years after entry, per College Scorecard.
Context, not a federal determination: the official test will use earnings measured four years after completion and thresholds the Department of Education has not yet published, which may vary by state. Our figure is College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is a public four year school in Rapid City, SD. For many families, the key question is whether the published value here beats cheaper in state or regional alternatives once your real aid offer arrives.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Public 4-year
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, SD
Worth-It Score: 59/100
Median net price: $19,858
Public 4-year
South Dakota State
Brookings, SD
Worth-It Score: 62/100
Median net price: $19,841
Public 4-year
Dakota State
Madison, SD
Worth-It Score: 52/100
Median net price: $21,057
Public 4-year
Black Hills State
Spearfish, SD
Worth-It Score: 52/100
Median net price: $15,911
Public 4-year
Northern State
Aberdeen, SD
Worth-It Score: 58/100
Median net price: $15,812
Common questions about South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
The median net price at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is $20,183 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at public universities options in South Dakota? See the most affordable public universities in South Dakota →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →