School of Mines Hosts Largest Career Fair in Campus History

The 149 registered employers represented 28 states and Canada and included 27 South Dakota employers as well as several others that have operations in South Dakota but are based elsewhere.

The average starting salary offer received by last year's School of Mines graduates was $55,759. The fact that 75 percent of graduates have relevant work experience through co-ops and internships increases their marketability to employers. The School of Mines offers 16 undergraduate degrees in engineering and science. All undergraduate programs emphasize advanced science and math, and all combine classroom instruction with hands-on laboratory work.

"Students here have had hands-on experiences with projects, internships, co-ops...a well-rounded package to offer employers," Darrell Sawyer, director of the Career Center at the School of Mines, said. "The fact that we get so many companies that travel to a small school to recruit students is significant. The companies are competing with each other to get the cream of the crop."