Wall Street Journal Ranks South Dakota Mines Number Two Recommended University in the Midwest

January 03, 2024
Wall Street Journal Ranks South Dakota Mines Number Two Recommended University in the Midwest
Students at South Dakota Mines working together on a 3D printing project.

The Wall Street Journal has ranked South Dakota Mines as the number two recommended university in the Midwest, according to surveyed students and alumni.

This ranking, published in December, follows the Wall Street Journal's previous announcement that listed South Dakota Mines as the number nine most recommended university nationwide in September.

  “Just like our fall ranking, for those who know South Dakota Mines, this comes as no surprise,” says Mines President Jim Rankin, Ph.D., P.E. “This distinction shows once again that our students and alumni are highly satisfied with their experience at the university.”

South Dakota Mines is the highest-recommended university in the state and ranks ahead of other Midwestern universities such as Notre Dame. The Wall Street Journal has South Dakota Mines tied with the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor for the number two recommended university in the Midwest.

This is just one in a series of exciting recent rankings for the university. Last fall, the Wall Street Journal also named South Dakota Mines as the number 31 overall university in the nation for return on investment. Forbes named the university as one of its top universities in the nation, and Niche ranked South Dakota Mines in the top 6% of best small colleges in the nation.

South Dakota Mines was granted accreditation in 12 science and engineering programs through ABET, the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing and engineering technology,. The university's ABET-accredited programs parallel the curriculum at other leading STEM universities in the nation, including those in the Ivy League.

Additionally, the South Dakota Mines graduating class of 2022 saw a 98% placement rate in their field of study and an average starting salary of over $70,000.

“Our track record has proven time and time again that our students and graduates are among the best in the nation,” says Rankin. “Our rigorous, hands-on education, coupled with our tight-knit community, are the leading reasons why our graduates are so highly sought after.”