BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Mining and Mineral Engineering worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 7 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff
+$238,323 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
5.3 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+89%Estimated return after 10 years
$95,707Observed earnings · year 4
$81,768Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $59,581 per year below this threshold.
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$327,070
$20,000Annual price+$247,070
$22,000Current college-wide context+$239,070
$40,000Annual price+$167,070
$60,000Annual price+$87,070
$80,000Annual price+$7,070
$100,000Annual price−$72,930
Outcomes at a glance
$95,707Typical earnings four years after completion
$100,403Average earnings five years after completion
$24,952Typical federal student debt
91thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
16Degrees awarded in 2024–25
7College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 3 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Mining and Mineral Engineering
How much do Mining and Mineral Engineering bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $95,707 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $24,952. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Mining and Mineral Engineering?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $91,411 to $109,619 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Mining and Mineral Engineering?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 3 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$91,411National median$95,70775th percentile$109,619
7 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
University of Arizona
$120,031 four years after completionTucson, AZ · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
$20,907 among completer borrowersBlacksburg, VA · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classWest Virginia University
17 reported awards in 2024–25Morgantown, WV · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$109,695Observed year-4 earnings$88,904
University of Arizona$16,674 price · $120,031 earningsColorado School of Mines$28,690 price · $109,695 earningsWest Virginia University$15,634 price · $109,619 earningsMissouri University of Science and Technology$16,298 price · $95,707 earningsVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University$24,953 price · $94,397 earningsPennsylvania State University-Main Campus$32,875 price · $91,411 earningsSouth Dakota School of Mines and Technology$20,183 price · $88,904 earnings
$15,634Annual college-wide average net price$28,690
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
7 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 7 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of Arizona$120,0312Colorado School of Mines$109,6953West Virginia University$109,6194Missouri University of Science and Technology$95,7075Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University$94,3976Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$91,4117South Dakota School of Mines and Technology$88,904Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Architectural and Engineering Managers$171,270 median wage220,260 jobs nationwide+5.5% projected growth through 2035 · 14,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$120,810–$262,760 typical wage rangeEngineering Teachers, Postsecondary$109,270 median wage40,270 jobs nationwide+7.8% projected growth through 2035 · 3,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$61,550–$210,370 typical wage rangeMining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers$106,220 median wage6,080 jobs nationwide+3.8% projected growth through 2035 · 300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$67,490–$169,990 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.