Top Mining Engineering Schools in 2019

Mineral and mining engineering is a discipline which applies knowledge and skills in science and technology to the process of extracting minerals from the earth, in the safest and most efficient ways.

If you’re interested in studying a mining engineering course at university, the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019 features 50 top schools for the subject worldwide, all ranked based on a methodology which assesses four important indicators.

Read on for a region-by-region breakdown of the world’s top mining engineering schools in 2019 – including an initial overview of the top 20 – or click here for the full ranking table. And if you’re interested in studying a master’s in this subject, you can read our guide here.  

Top mining engineering schools in the US & Canada

Currently, 14 of the world’s top mining engineering schools are based in the US and Canada, with both locations claiming spots in the top 20. A further two US universities make the top 30, both of which climbed a total of four places in the ranking this year: Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech) (from 27^th to 23^rd) and the University of Colorado at Boulder (from 34^th to joint 30^th).

Canada has six entrants in the mining engineering ranking, including four in the top 20, led by McGill University in third place, while Queen’s University isn’t far behind in seventh.

Top mining engineering schools in Europe

In Europe, the UK leads the mining engineering schools ranking with the most representatives (four) this year, including one in the top 20, and the University of Southampton sealing the top 30 list in joint 30^th place, after improving its position by an impressive 12 spots.

Nearby in Ireland, two universities enter the mining engineering schools ranking for the first time this year, both of which are in the top 200 of the QS World University Rankings® 2019: Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and University College Dublin (UCD).

Other participants with two representatives in the ranking also include Germany and Russia – the former claiming one university in the top 20. In Russia, two universities are ranked for mining engineering, with St.Petersburg Mining University in the top 20, while the National University of Science and Technology ‘MISIS’ is 42^nd.

With just one representative each, the Netherlands, France, Italy, and Spain follow; of the four, only the Netherlands is home to a mining engineering school in the top 20, while the rest are all new to the ranking, and include notable entrants such as Université PSL (Paris Sciences & Lettres) (21^st), Politecnico di Torino (24^th), and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (34^th).

Top mining engineering schools in Australia & New Zealand

Australia is currently home to eight top mining engineering schools, with six excellent performers in the global top 20. Other notable Australian representatives in the ranking this year include the University of Adelaide and the University of Newcastle, ranked joint 26^th and joint 40^th respectively for this subject.

Meanwhile, New Zealand enters the ranking for the first time this year, with Victoria University of Wellington ranked 44^th for mining engineering.

Top mining engineering schools in Latin America

In Latin America, Chile is home to the highest-ranked university for mining engineering (Universidad de Chile), as well as Universidad de Concepción, which ranks 29^th. Mexico’s only representative, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), went up a promising eight places this year to rank in the global top 20 for the subject, while Brazil’s only representative, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), maintains its position at 33^rd.

Top mining engineering schools in Asia

Heading east to Asia, China harbors three of the world’s best universities for mining engineering, with Nanjing University and Wuhan University being its best performers, both having shot up from joint 43^rd place to now rank 25^th and joint 26^th, respectively.

Closely following China is Japan, with two entrants in total, led by Kyushu University in 28^th place, while Waseda University is joint 40^th.

India is also home to two top mining engineering schools, one of which – Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) – is a notable new entrant in 38^th place, and also ranks 162^nd in this year’s QS World University Rankings.    

Top mining engineering schools in the Middle East & Africa

And finally, South Africa’s University of the Witwatersrand (in the global top 20), is Africa’s only representative in this year’s mining engineering ranking, while Saudi Arabia is the only Middle Eastern nation featured, with King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) as its representative in 37^th place (up three spots from last year).

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