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2026 Best Value Mining & Mineral Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region

[Mining & Mineral Engineering](/majors/engineering/mining-engineering/mining-mineral-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong mining & mineral engineering education at a price that pays off.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for mining & mineral engineering students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Mining & Mineral Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region

2026 Best Value Mining & Mineral Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in mining & mineral engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Mining & Mineral Engineering Schools

1

New Mexico Institute Of Mining And Technology
Socorro, NM

$9,476 In-State Tuition & Fees

$18,747 Avg Student Debt

$76,489 Median Earnings (10yr)

New Mexico Institute Of Mining And Technology earned the #1 spot for value among mining & mineral engineering schools in the Southwest Region. Located in the town of Socorro, New Mexico Institute Of Mining And Technology is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,476, while out-of-state students pay about $27,247. Typical student debt for mining & mineral engineering graduates is $18,747. Mining & Mineral Engineering graduates of New Mexico Institute Of Mining And Technology earn a median of $64,561 early in their careers. Set against $18,747 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 44% of applicants are accepted.

2

University Of Arizona
Tucson, AZ

$13,573 In-State Tuition & Fees

$11,500 Avg Student Debt

$59,979 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes University Of Arizona one of the best values for mining & mineral engineering. University Of Arizona is a very large public school located in the city of Tucson. In-state tuition and fees average $13,573, compared with $39,903 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for mining & mineral engineering graduates is $11,500. Early-career mining & mineral engineering graduates make about $86,924. That is a strong return on a $11,500 median debt. University Of Arizona admits about 86% of applicants.

View All Mining & Mineral Engineering Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 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.