<p>What is the best school for mining engineering? I have been trying to research the different programs, but there are not any rankings and not a lot of information on the different programs.</p>
<p>What school has the best facilities? </p>
<p>Which school has the best professors?</p>
<p>Which school has the best industry connections? </p>
<p>I am interested in gold/copper/iron mining, not so much coal mining.</p>
<p>I’ve visited the geological facilities of both the University of Arizona and New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and have a very close friend whose parent used to be a professor at UNR’s mining engineering program. </p>
<p>UNR is excellent for gold mining since so much of their funding comes from a few companies. However, the rest of the university is mediocre at best, and the volatility in the gold market raises some concerns about the program’s long term funding. It is pretty cheap though, especially if you’re a resident of the Western states and qualify for WUE.</p>
<p>University of Arizona has an outstanding geology program and seems to have a well recruited mining engineering program. Geologists and collectors from across America come to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show (a club I’m in went last week and picked up some amazing specimens), and UG geology majors often visit active mining sites. I’d imagine the same is true, but to a greater extent, for mining engineering majors. If you’re looking for a more well rounded college experience, UA would be my choice IMO since it does have strong programs in other fields and is much larger and more intellectually diverse than some of the mines schools. </p>
<p>NMIMT is well connected, but its geology facilities seemed a bit run down, certainly not at the level I’d expect of a heavy geology focused institution. However, recruiting is strong, and for someone interested in a small, rural school environment, it could be an ideal place to go. </p>
<p>CSM supposedly is a power house with outstanding career services and excellent outdoors opportunities. </p>
<p>I know very little about the Eastern schools. I think PSU is a powerhouse,although I know little about the school. </p>
<p>What’s your price limit? Are you looking for any type of schools in particular (eg, small, tech focused, or larger with a range of options)? Also keep in mind that geological engineering grads often have the same job opportunities as their mining engineering counter parts, and there are a few schools which offer GE, but not mining engineering (Michigan Tech stands out as the most prominent example, primarily due to its past relationship with copper mining corps).</p>
<p>I can afford New Mexico Tech (in-state) and Nevada (WUE); all the other mining engineering programs are twice as much at a minimum according to my research. I really want to do accredited mining engineering.</p>
<p>I got the sense that NMT’s facilities were a bit rundown, but it seems they are building a new geology building. I know it’s not entirely for students, but I imagine the upper-level classes will be able to use the facilities.</p>
<p><a href=“http://geoinfo.nmt.edu/about/newbuilding/home.html”>http://geoinfo.nmt.edu/about/newbuilding/home.html</a></p>
<p>Both schools are accredited, and UNR is noted for its mining engineering program (of course this may just be due to the fact that there’s little else to recommend about Nevada-Reno!). Go where you’re most comfortable. One school is a small, rural college about an hour from any area of note, while the other is a much larger university with decent on campus life in an area with some off campus options. </p>
<p>I’ve been to both a small rural school and a large suburban state flagship. IMO the differences between the two in terms of social life, professor-student interaction, trump any differences in academics, or recruiting. </p>
<p>I am content with either school’s setting, and I think the departments are small enough that I will be able to build relationships with professors at both programs.</p>
<p>I am using recruiting and to lesser extent academics to determine which school I should go to (NMT or Nevada). I am also trying to determine if it is worth it to go to a more prestigious school like Colorado School of Mines or Arizona. </p>
<p>I would like a mining engineering job with either a major (BHP Billiton or Rio Tinto) or a premier gold miner (Barrick, Newmont or Kinross). None of those companies recruit at NMT, but the gold miners recruit at Nevada.</p>
<p>I am trying to figure out if I can work for a gold miner coming from NMT with a reasonable degree of certainty, or is the industry like investment banking were it’s considerably harder to land a job if you don’t go to the top schools and do not have industry connections.</p>
<p>If you can handle the climate, the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, has a pretty strong mining engineering program. Since gold mining still goes on in Alaska, there are classes that focus on that. And the school itself is pretty small, so you get to know your professors.</p>
<p>I took a gold mining class when I was at UAF, and thought it was pretty interesting. We had all kinds of good field trips, and the guy who owned the largest gold nugget in the world came in to talk to our class.</p>
<p>One of my classmates now runs Rio Tinto.</p>
<p>What companies recruit on campus at UAF?</p>