Mining and Mineral Engineering Degree

5 schools compared · Average earnings $84,287/yr
Schools Offering
5
Avg Grad Earnings
$84,287/yr
Avg DegreeWorth Score
58/100
AI Automation Risk
High
53% task exposure

Best Schools for Mining and Mineral Engineering

Top 5 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

# School DW Score Earnings AI Risk ROI
1 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Rapid City, SD
73
67–74
$90,514/yr High 20.8x
2 West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV
73
67–74
$85,897/yr High 22.9x
3 University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ
71
66–71
$86,924/yr High 17.9x
4 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA
67
61–68
$74,793/yr High 14.6x
5 Colorado School of Mines
Golden, CO
66
60–68
$83,309/yr High 13.3x

Highest Earning Mining and Mineral Engineering Programs

Schools where Mining and Mineral Engineering graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School 1-Year Earnings DW Score AI Risk
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology $90,514/yr 73 High
University of Arizona $86,924/yr 71 High
West Virginia University $85,897/yr 73 High
Colorado School of Mines $83,309/yr 66 High
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University $74,793/yr 67 High

Best ROI for Mining and Mineral Engineering

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Mining and Mineral Engineering.

School ROI Multiple Earnings DW Score
West Virginia University 22.9x $85,897/yr 73
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology 20.8x $90,514/yr 73
University of Arizona 17.9x $86,924/yr 71
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 14.6x $74,793/yr 67
Colorado School of Mines 13.3x $83,309/yr 66

Related Majors

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Mining and Mineral Engineering graduates earn?
Across 5 schools, Mining and Mineral Engineering graduates earn an average of $84,287 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $74,793 to $90,514 depending on the school.
What is the AI automation risk for Mining and Mineral Engineering?
Mining and Mineral Engineering is rated "High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 53% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
Which school has the best Mining and Mineral Engineering program?
Based on our DegreeWorth Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), South Dakota School of Mines and Technology ranks #1 for Mining and Mineral Engineering with a score of 73/100 and graduate earnings of $90,514/yr.
Is a Mining and Mineral Engineering degree worth it?
On average, Mining and Mineral Engineering graduates earn 17.9x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a strong return on investment.

About This Data

This page aggregates Mining and Mineral Engineering programs across 5 schools using earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024–2034), and AI automation risk research from OpenAI and academic institutions.

The DegreeWorth Score (0–100) combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and return on investment. Each school's program page includes three AI scenarios (optimistic, base case, pessimistic) showing how automation could affect 10-year earnings.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Last updated 2025.