2026 Best Value Mining & Mineral Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
[Mining & Mineral Engineering](/majors/engineering/mining-engineering/mining-mineral-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for mining & mineral engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Mining & Mineral Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in mining & mineral engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Mining & Mineral Engineering Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Utah the best value for a degree in mining & mineral engineering in the Rocky Mountains Region. University Of Utah is a very large public school located in the city of Salt Lake City. In-state tuition and fees average $9,620, with out-of-state students paying around $30,860. Typical student debt for mining & mineral engineering graduates is $20,798. Soon after graduation, mining & mineral engineering degree recipients from University Of Utah generally make around $60,527. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Montana Tech Of The University Of Montana one of the best values for mining & mineral engineering. Located in the town of Butte, Montana Tech Of The University Of Montana is a small public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,289, compared with $26,094 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $23,962 to complete the mining & mineral engineering program here. Soon after graduation, mining & mineral engineering degree recipients from Montana Tech Of The University Of Montana generally make around $68,773. Set against $23,962 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in mining & mineral engineering will find it at Colorado School Of Mines, which ranked #3. Colorado School Of Mines is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Golden. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,914, while out-of-state students pay about $45,824. Mining & Mineral Engineering graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Mining & Mineral Engineering graduates of Colorado School Of Mines earn a median of $83,309 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 61% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
