Best Colleges in Minnesota (2026)
85 colleges ranked by graduate earnings, acceptance rates, and outcomes — powered by federal data from the U.S. Department of Education.
85
Colleges
$49,280
Avg Earnings (10yr)
$17,963
Avg Net Price
74%
Avg Admit Rate
58%
Avg Grad Rate
State Overview
Minnesota is home to 85 colleges and universities, ranging from research universities to community colleges. Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science leads the state in graduate earnings, with state alumni earning $49,280 on average ten years after enrollment. Whether you're looking for a flagship research university, a liberal arts college, or a career-focused program, Minnesota offers diverse options across all price points.
Quick Facts — Minnesota Colleges
Top 10 Colleges in Minnesota by Graduate Earnings
Ranked by median earnings 10 years after enrollment. Public and private nonprofit only.
1
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
Rochester·Private Nonprofit
Admit
39%
Net Price
N/A
Grad Rate
N/A
Earnings
$79,652
2
Saint Johns University
Collegeville·Private Nonprofit
Admit
91%
Net Price
$25,672
Grad Rate
75%
Earnings
$76,786
4
University of St Thomas
Saint Paul·Private Nonprofit
Admit
85%
Net Price
$29,155
Grad Rate
76%
Earnings
$73,739
5
University of Minnesota-Rochester
Rochester·Public
Admit
71%
Net Price
$13,744
Grad Rate
57%
Earnings
$69,020
6
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis·Public
Admit
80%
Net Price
$16,778
Grad Rate
85%
Earnings
$69,020
7
The College of Saint Scholastica
Duluth·Private Nonprofit
Admit
93%
Net Price
$27,846
Grad Rate
71%
Earnings
$65,934
8
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter·Private Nonprofit
Admit
61%
Net Price
$22,900
Grad Rate
77%
Earnings
$65,607
Most Affordable Colleges in Minnesota
Lowest average net price after grants and scholarships. Public and private nonprofit only.
#1 Most AffordablePrivate Nonprofit
White Earth Tribal and Community CollegeMahnomen, MN
$1,811/ yr avg net
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Find my Minnesota collegeAll Colleges in Minnesota
All 85 accredited institutions. Click column headers to sort.
| School | City | Type | Admit Rate | Net Price | Grad Rate | Earnings (10yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy College | Bloomington | Private For-Profit | N/A | $29,093 | 36% | $48,300 |
| Alexandria Technical & Community College | Alexandria | Public | N/A | $13,691 | N/A | $49,393 |
| Anoka Technical College | Anoka | Public | N/A | $16,953 | N/A | $47,746 |
| Anoka-Ramsey Community College | Coon Rapids | Public | N/A | $16,434 | N/A | $48,342 |
| Augsburg University | Minneapolis | Private Nonprofit | 82% | $23,873 | 52% | $58,829 |
| Avalon School of Cosmetology | Worthington | Private For-Profit | N/A | $6,507 | N/A | $28,336 |
| Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Minneapolis | Minneapolis | Private For-Profit | N/A | $18,345 | N/A | $34,659 |
| Bemidji State University | Bemidji | Public | 56% | $15,261 | 48% | $53,755 |
| Bethany Global University | Bloomington | Private Nonprofit | 93% | $37,790 | 56% | N/A |
| Bethany Lutheran College | Mankato | Private Nonprofit | 39% | $20,148 | 55% | $46,110 |
| Bethel University | Saint Paul | Private Nonprofit | 88% | $28,556 | 71% | $63,764 |
| Bethlehem College & Seminary | Minneapolis | Private Nonprofit | N/A | N/A | 70% | N/A |
| Capella University | Minneapolis | Private For-Profit | N/A | $17,956 | 20% | $42,189 |
| Carleton College | Northfield | Private Nonprofit | 20% | $25,407 | 90% | $75,525 |
| Central Lakes College-Brainerd | Brainerd | Public | N/A | $13,869 | N/A | $42,162 |
| Century College | White Bear Lake | Public | N/A | $10,906 | N/A | $46,424 |
| College of Saint Benedict | Saint Joseph | Private Nonprofit | 92% | $26,640 | 77% | $63,260 |
| Concordia College at Moorhead | Moorhead | Private Nonprofit | 63% | $24,902 | 61% | $59,317 |
| Concordia University-Saint Paul | Saint Paul | Private Nonprofit | 79% | $18,462 | 46% | $59,871 |
| Crown College | Saint Bonifacius | Private Nonprofit | 23% | $26,672 | 45% | $48,057 |
| Dakota County Technical College | Rosemount | Public | N/A | $13,548 | N/A | $51,938 |
| Diverse Media Institute | St. Paul | Private Nonprofit | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Dunwoody College of Technology | Minneapolis | Private Nonprofit | 99% | $26,939 | 66% | $61,511 |
| Empire Beauty School-Bloomington | Bloomington | Private For-Profit | N/A | $18,315 | N/A | $23,589 |
| Empire Beauty School-Spring Lake Park | Spring Lake Park | Private For-Profit | N/A | $17,814 | N/A | $23,925 |
| Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College | Cloquet | Public | N/A | $12,677 | 26% | $45,665 |
| Gustavus Adolphus College | Saint Peter | Private Nonprofit | 61% | $22,900 | 77% | $65,607 |
| Hamline University | Saint Paul | Private Nonprofit | 88% | $20,744 | 60% | $61,106 |
| Hastings Beauty School | Hastings | Private For-Profit | N/A | $14,099 | N/A | $26,258 |
| Hennepin Technical College | Brooklyn Park | Public | N/A | $10,272 | N/A | $49,460 |
| Herzing University-Minneapolis | St. Louis Park | Private Nonprofit | 94% | $16,670 | 47% | $36,909 |
| Inver Hills Community College | Inver Grove Heights | Public | N/A | $11,636 | N/A | $49,898 |
| Lake Superior College | Duluth | Public | N/A | $15,492 | N/A | $46,449 |
| Leech Lake Tribal College | Cass Lake | Public | N/A | $13,115 | N/A | N/A |
| Macalester College | Saint Paul | Private Nonprofit | 29% | $32,149 | 87% | $63,878 |
| Martin Luther College | New Ulm | Private Nonprofit | 87% | $18,463 | 72% | $47,491 |
| Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science | Rochester | Private Nonprofit | 39% | N/A | N/A | $79,652 |
| Metropolitan State University | Saint Paul | Public | 99% | $16,863 | 44% | $64,705 |
| Minneapolis College of Art and Design | Minneapolis | Private Nonprofit | 48% | $29,926 | 51% | $40,873 |
| Minneapolis Community and Technical College | Minneapolis | Public | N/A | $13,812 | N/A | $40,086 |
| Minnesota North College | Hibbing | Public | N/A | $10,432 | N/A | $45,570 |
| Minnesota State College Southeast | Winona | Public | N/A | $16,140 | N/A | $43,613 |
| Minnesota State Community and Technical College | Fergus Falls | Public | N/A | $12,556 | N/A | $45,591 |
| Minnesota State University Moorhead | Moorhead | Public | 59% | $17,997 | 57% | $50,527 |
| Minnesota State University-Mankato | Mankato | Public | 88% | $19,139 | 54% | $56,922 |
| Minnesota West Community and Technical College | Granite Falls | Public | N/A | $11,191 | N/A | $45,285 |
| Model College of Hair Design | Saint Cloud | Private For-Profit | N/A | $10,946 | N/A | $25,410 |
| Normandale Community College | Bloomington | Public | N/A | $12,972 | N/A | $50,207 |
| North Central University | Minneapolis | Private Nonprofit | 99% | $25,817 | 66% | $45,064 |
| North Hennepin Community College | Brooklyn Park | Public | N/A | $12,186 | N/A | $51,142 |
| Northland Community and Technical College | Thief River Falls | Public | N/A | $13,975 | N/A | $44,425 |
| Northwest Technical College | Bemidji | Public | N/A | $10,996 | N/A | $42,930 |
| Northwestern Health Sciences University | Bloomington | Private Nonprofit | N/A | $35,887 | 0% | $48,666 |
| Nova Academy of Cosmetology | Rochester | Private For-Profit | N/A | $21,473 | N/A | $32,156 |
| Oak Hills Christian College | Bemidji | Private Nonprofit | N/A | $20,227 | 23% | $35,983 |
| PCI Academy-Plymouth | Plymouth | Private For-Profit | N/A | $20,037 | N/A | $31,330 |
| Pine Technical & Community College | Pine City | Public | N/A | $12,798 | N/A | $41,232 |
| Rasmussen University-Minnesota | St. Cloud | Private For-Profit | N/A | $17,962 | 53% | $39,080 |
| Red Lake Nation College | Red Lake | Public | N/A | $5,672 | N/A | N/A |
| Ridgewater College | Willmar | Public | N/A | $10,046 | N/A | $43,827 |
| Riverland Community College | Austin | Public | N/A | $7,427 | N/A | $45,247 |
| Rochester Community and Technical College | Rochester | Public | N/A | $14,435 | N/A | $45,287 |
| Saint Cloud State University | Saint Cloud | Public | 95% | $13,529 | 40% | $55,813 |
| Saint Johns University | Collegeville | Private Nonprofit | 91% | $25,672 | 75% | $76,786 |
| Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | Winona | Private Nonprofit | 93% | $11,704 | 66% | $58,170 |
| Saint Paul College | Saint Paul | Public | N/A | $11,495 | N/A | $38,399 |
| South Central College | North Mankato | Public | N/A | $9,082 | N/A | $45,068 |
| Southwest Minnesota State University | Marshall | Public | 62% | $15,291 | 45% | $51,342 |
| St Catherine University | Saint Paul | Private Nonprofit | 92% | $19,764 | 61% | $59,282 |
| St Cloud Technical and Community College | Saint Cloud | Public | N/A | $9,635 | N/A | $46,874 |
| St Olaf College | Northfield | Private Nonprofit | 48% | $23,874 | 84% | $65,543 |
| Summit Academy Opportunities Industrialization Center | Minneapolis | Private Nonprofit | N/A | $17,649 | N/A | $22,606 |
| The College of Saint Scholastica | Duluth | Private Nonprofit | 93% | $27,846 | 71% | $65,934 |
| The Salon Professional Academy Maplewood | Maplewood | Private For-Profit | N/A | $22,283 | N/A | N/A |
| Townsend Barber Institute | Roseville | Private For-Profit | N/A | $27,667 | N/A | N/A |
| University of Minnesota-Crookston | Crookston | Public | 88% | $12,212 | 50% | $58,056 |
| University of Minnesota-Duluth | Duluth | Public | 89% | $18,743 | 65% | $62,616 |
| University of Minnesota-Morris | Morris | Public | 75% | $8,837 | 63% | $50,919 |
| University of Minnesota-Rochester | Rochester | Public | 71% | $13,744 | 57% | $69,020 |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | Minneapolis | Public | 80% | $16,778 | 85% | $69,020 |
| University of Northwestern-St Paul | Saint Paul | Private Nonprofit | 93% | $27,705 | 68% | $50,755 |
| University of St Thomas | Saint Paul | Private Nonprofit | 85% | $29,155 | 76% | $73,739 |
| Walden University | Minneapolis | Private For-Profit | N/A | $33,817 | N/A | $42,810 |
| White Earth Tribal and Community College | Mahnomen | Private Nonprofit | N/A | $1,811 | N/A | $18,044 |
| Winona State University | Winona | Public | 75% | $17,503 | 57% | $58,532 |
Showing 85 of 85 schools