The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology has been named first in the country in the 2015 ranking of the “50 Best Online Master’s in Engineering Programs,” beating out Columbia, Cornell, Purdue, Virginia Tech, and Texas Tech for the top spot.

Released by Best Master’s Programs, an online graduate school guide, the ranking highlights universities doing the best job of balancing cost and quality. The ranking is based on an equal weight of program quality, as measured by U.S. News & World Report, and estimated program cost.

“SD Mines offers exceptional master’s degrees that can be taken by distance at a price people can afford,” said president Heather Wilson.
The university offers three graduate-level distance education programs: construction engineering and management, engineering management, and mining management.

“Adding a graduate degree to your résumé is a solid investment toward landing a higher-level management position within the engineering field. Choosing to complete your engineering degree online offers flexibility on a number of levels, allowing you to get the education to advance in your field, without actually having to leave the field to do it,” Michelle Rindy, editor, Best Master’s Programs, said in a news release.

The investment in higher education in the engineering field typically has a big payoff. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics states that the average pay for an engineering manager in 2012 was nearly $125,000 per year, which was considerably higher than non-management engineering positions.

SD Mines has an impressive average early-career salary of $65,600 for undergraduates as well, according to the 2014-2015 PayScale report, and a placement rate of 98 percent.

SD Mines is followed by Arizona State University in second place and North Carolina State University in third. See the complete ranking

Best Master’s Programs is an online guide that provides information to help prospective graduate students find the best master’s programs. Since every individual has diverse interests and needs, the site provides an array of information to aid students in deciding what and where to study. Best Master’s Programs publishes rankings and information about the top programs in popular fields, as well as career and salary information.

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