2027 Best Value Mining Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools
[Mining Engineering](/majors/engineering/mining-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find the best return on investment for mining engineering students.
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2027 Best Value Mining Engineering Schools in the United States
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in mining engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Mining Engineering Schools
For return on investment in mining engineering, no school beat Missouri University Of Science And Technology this year. Located in the town of Rolla, Missouri University Of Science And Technology is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $14,984, with out-of-state students paying around $33,248. Students borrow a median of $28,000 to complete the mining engineering program here. Soon after graduation, mining engineering degree recipients from Missouri University Of Science And Technology generally make around $74,532. Set against $28,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Arizona earned it the #2 place for mining engineering. Set in the city of Tucson, University Of Arizona is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,573, compared with $39,903 for out-of-state students. Mining Engineering graduates carry a median of $11,500 in student loans. Early-career mining engineering graduates make about $86,924. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Arizona admits about 86% of applicants.
University Of Kentucky is a great value for students pursuing a degree in mining engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of Kentucky is a very large public school located in the city of Lexington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,502, with out-of-state students paying around $34,140. Students borrow a median of $24,094 to complete the mining engineering program here. Early-career mining engineering graduates make about $49,568. That is a strong return on a $24,094 median debt. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value mining engineering schools. Set in the city of Rapid City, South Dakota School Of Mines And Technology is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,500, with out-of-state students paying around $14,900. Mining Engineering graduates carry a median of $27,914 in student loans. Early-career mining engineering graduates make about $90,514. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Students looking for strong value in mining engineering will find it at Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, which ranked #5. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,948, while out-of-state students pay about $37,764. Students borrow a median of $20,907 to complete the mining engineering program here. Soon after graduation, mining engineering degree recipients from Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University generally make around $74,793. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 55% of applicants are accepted.
Colorado School Of Mines earned the #6 position for value in mining engineering this year. Set in the suburb of Golden, Colorado School Of Mines is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $21,914, while out-of-state students pay about $45,824. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the mining engineering program here. Mining Engineering graduates of Colorado School Of Mines earn a median of $83,309 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Colorado School Of Mines admits about 61% of applicants.
Other Mining Engineering Degree Levels
Explore the best-value mining engineering schools at other degree levels:
View All Mining Engineering Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.
