COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES
Civil Engineering bachelor's degree at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Rapid City, SD · Public
What this page covers
Federal data group related majors at the same college and degree level. One record can include several named programs or concentrations.
The short version
Reported earnings are close to similar programs.
$5,904 below the national median for the same field and degree level.
- Debt as a share of earnings
- 34.0% of annual earnings
- Highest price with a positive payoff
- $44,033 / year
- Modeled 10-year payoff
- +37% · Positive payoff
- Available price data
- College-wide context only
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+$176,130
$12,000Annual price+$128,130
$20,000Current college-wide context+$96,130
$24,000Annual price+$80,130
$36,000Annual price+$32,130
$48,000Annual price−$15,870
$60,000Annual price−$63,870
OUTCOME SIGNALS
Graduate outcomes from several angles.
Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT
Size, aid and an earnings floor.
The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$36,067Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$80,613$44,546 above the preliminary benchmark
Additional borrowing reported for this category: 15 Parent PLUS borrowers.
Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student. Completion and employment measures use older cohorts shown above and are not combined into the payoff estimate.
01 · PRICE CONTEXT$20,183
Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.
02 · BORROWING$27,388
Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.
03 · EARNINGS$80,613
Observed median earnings four full years after completion.
04 · REPAYMENT$290/mo
Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.
WHAT WILL IT COST?
Published college costs provide the starting point.
Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.
Enter my price →AVERAGE NET PRICE$20,183Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$25,385Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE79.9%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE52.9%Institution-wide completion rate
WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?
Reported earnings after completion.
Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?
4.3% of gross monthly earnings
Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.
Gross monthly earnings$6,718
Estimated loan payment$290
64borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
$80,613 vs. $86,517
$5,904 below the national median for the same field and credential.
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?
Related occupations, wages and outlook.
Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.
BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.Architectural and Engineering Managers$164,330 median wageSD estimate · 310 jobs · 11-9041$134,150–$196,800 middle 50% of SD wages+5.5% projected U.S. growth · 14,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeCivil Engineers$98,700 median wageSD estimate · 1,440 jobs · 17-2051$80,560–$115,180 middle 50% of SD wages+6.4% projected U.S. growth · 22,700 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEngineering Teachers, Postsecondary$97,700 median wageSD estimate · 120 jobs · 25-1032$86,630–$105,240 middle 50% of SD wages+7.8% projected U.S. growth · 3,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeEngineers, All Other$112,260 median wageSD estimate · 110 jobs · 17-2199$99,300–$129,960 middle 50% of SD wages+3.7% projected U.S. growth · 8,800 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEnvironmental Engineers$98,890 median wageSD estimate · 90 jobs · 17-2081$90,720–$107,520 middle 50% of SD wages+6.3% projected U.S. growth · 2,300 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreePetroleum Engineers$144,910 median wageU.S. estimate · 18,060 jobs · 17-2171+2.0% projected U.S. growth · 1,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeMining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers$106,220 median wageU.S. estimate · 6,080 jobs · 17-2151+3.8% projected U.S. growth · 300 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degree
CENSUS EMPLOYMENT DESTINATIONS
Where graduates work five years later
The leading industries employing graduates in this college, broad field and credential group.
Manufacturing
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Construction
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
Wholesale Trade
Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.
Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.
South Dakota State University
$1,873 higher earnings · $388 less debt · $342 lower annual net price
- Earnings
- $82,486
- Debt
- $27,000
- Annual net price
- $19,841
University of California, Berkeley
$27,935 higher earnings · $12,996 less debt · $6,702 lower annual net price
- Earnings
- $108,548
- Debt
- $14,392
- Annual net price
- $13,481
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
$20,459 higher earnings · $6,964 less debt · $3,518 lower annual net price
- Earnings
- $101,072
- Debt
- $20,424
- Annual net price
- $16,665
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
$17,177 higher earnings · $10,888 less debt · $8,652 lower annual net price
- Earnings
- $97,790
- Debt
- $16,500
- Annual net price
- $11,531
DATA QUALITY
Check the evidence behind the estimate.
25 observations in the earnings cohort
June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release
Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page
Your price and current earnings determine the result.
Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.
Calculate my payoff →