Schools of every type and size are available in the state of Minnesota. Traditional not-for-profit college options include 2-year public community colleges, 4-year public schools and private colleges and universities. Discover more about the 90 traditional not-for-profit schools in Minnesota and see how they stack up in five important categories using information from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
Minnesota Schools Near Large Cities
Minnesota is the 12th biggest state in the country and has a high concentration of urban areas, making it home to many schools that may interest students looking to live in and around larger cities. You may choose to study in Minneapolis, the state's biggest city, or Saint Paul, the state capital. Here are five schools located in the two largest cities in Minnesota:
- The University of Minnesota - Twin Cities (Minneapolis)
- Augsburg College (Minneapolis)
- University of Northwestern (Saint Paul)
- St. Paul College (Saint Paul)
- Macalester College (Saint Paul)
Largest Schools in Minnesota
Many students prefer to study at institutions with large student populations, as this often means there is a lively campus with many things to offer. The school with the most students in Minnesota is the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities in Minneapolis, which has over 50,000 students. There are five other colleges in the state with approximately 8,000 or more students, which are:
- Minnesota State University - Mankato (14,576 students)
- Saint Cloud State University (10,774 students)
- The University of Minnesota - Duluth (9,884 students)
- The University of St Thomas (9,336 students)
- Normandale Community College (8,842 students)
Lowest Net Price
Selecting a school with a low net price can enable students to graduate without a lot of debt. The NCES defines net price as a school's total cost of attendance minus the average amount of financial aid first-year beginning students receive. Although the net price at some Minnesota institutions was over $30,000 per year in 2021-2022 there are several community colleges that have a net cost lower than $11,000. The five schools with the lowest net price are:
- St Cloud Technical and Community College ($5,874)
- Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College ($5,815)
- Hibbing Community College ($5,773)
- Mesabi Range College ($5,788)
- Century College ($5,907)
Highest Graduation Rate
A school's overall graduation rate is calculated by looking at the percentage of students who complete their programs within 150% of 'normal time' (e.g. a maximum of 6 years for a bachelor's degree). The following five schools have the highest graduation rates in Minnesota, all of which are above 75% according to 2021 ata from the NCES.
- Carleton College (91%)
- Macalester College (90%)
- St. Olaf College (85%)
- College of Saint Benedict (77%)
- Gustavus Adolphus College (78%)
As you've seen, Minnesota has a great number of options available for students looking for 2- and 4-year colleges, and these schools range in location, size, cost, and graduation rates.
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