Rapid City sits at the edge of the Black Hills, and South Dakota Mines has trained engineers and geologists there since 1885. The school is small, roughly 2,500 students, and nearly everything it teaches is science or engineering. Mining, geological and mechanical engineering are long-standing strengths. The old Homestake gold mine in Lead, now the Sanford Underground Research Facility, is about an hour away.
Rapid City, South Dakota, United States
Official website: sdsmt.edu
1885
Public engineering and science university
Roughly 2,500 students
Rapid City, beside the Black Hills
$18,000 – $23,000
International undergraduate and graduate students
$11,000 – $14,000
Rent, food and local transport
Approximate figures for 2026-27, please verify. Fees change every year and vary by course, so check the latest amount on sdsmt.edu before you apply.
MS Mechanical Engineering
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 79
MS Geology and Geological Engineering
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 79
BS Mining Engineering
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 68
BS Computer Science
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 68
BS Chemical Engineering
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 68
Mining and geological engineering taught in real mining country.
A small campus where engineering students know their professors by name.
Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park within an hour's drive.
Graduates go into mining, energy, construction and manufacturing firms across the Mountain West.
STEM graduates can apply for up to three years of OPT work in the US.
Some research groups work with the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead.
Undergrad
Rolling
Postgrad
Rolling
Undergrad
Rolling
Postgrad
Rolling
Campus sits on the east side of Rapid City below M Hill, where students keep a big white M on the slope. Most first-year students live in the residence halls.
Rapid City is a small western city of about 80,000. Winters are cold but often sunny and rent is cheap. The Badlands and the Black Hills trails are easy weekend trips.
Form I-20 issued by the institution
Proof of funds for one academic year
SEVIS I-901 fee payment receipt
Completed DS-160 online application
US embassy or consulate interview
Passport valid six months beyond stay
South Dakota Mines admits on a rolling basis. International applicants should aim for about May for a fall start and October for spring, so there is time for the I-20 and the visa interview. Some graduate departments set earlier dates for assistantships.
The main intakes are fall (late August) and spring (January). Most undergraduates start in fall; many graduate programmes take students in both.
You'll need an F-1 visa. Once you accept your offer and send proof of funding, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology issues the Form I-20. After that it's the SEVIS fee, the DS-160 form and an interview at a US embassy or consulate.
Mining, mechanical, chemical and geological engineering draw the most international interest, along with computer science. Undergraduates need a solid maths and science record and IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 68. Master's applicants need a relevant bachelor's degree, and some departments ask for GRE scores.
Undergraduates are considered for merit scholarships when they are admitted. Graduate students usually fund their studies through research or teaching assistantships, which depend on the department and on finding an adviser.
