2022 best colleges in Minnesota
Read more

Net cost: The median annual cost of all students that receive any aid. This does not refer to the “sticker price”, the price listed by the college.
Earnings: The median earnings of all bachelor-level students 10 years after enrollment. This includes both students that do and do not graduate, across all majors.
Payback: The amount of time in years it takes to pay off the median net cost by the median earnings. For this calculation, the median earning of high school graduates (in the school’s home state) are deducted from the median earnings.
Degree premium: The difference between the school’s median earnings and the median earnings for all schools in the same state. This is called “Vs. state average” in school profiles below.
Ranking: The payback rate is divided by the degree premium (set as a percentage), the lower the number the higher the rank. (i.e. payback=1, degree premium 20% higher than state school median: 1/120% = .883.
Saint Johns University
Collegeville, Minnesota
Admission rate: 82%
Grad rate: 75%
Net cost: $24,271
Payback: 2.4 Years
Earnings: $68,716
Vs. state average: + $13,440
Economic score: 1.93
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Admission rate: 70%
Grad rate: 80%
Net cost: $17,740
Payback: 2.2 Years
Earnings: $61,201
Vs. state average: + $5,925
Economic score: 1.97
University of Minnesota-Rochester
Rochester, Minnesota
Admission rate: 74%
Grad rate: 63%
Net cost: $16,375
Payback: 2.4 Years
Earnings: $61,201
Vs. state average: + $5,925
Economic score: 2.20
University of St Thomas
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Admission rate: 88%
Grad rate: 77%
Net cost: $29,155
Payback: 3.0 Years
Earnings: $67,398
Vs. state average: + $12,122
Economic score: 2.46
Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Admission rate: 62%
Grad rate: 58%
Net cost: $15,225
Payback: 2.6 Years
Earnings: $56,402
Vs. state average: + $1,126
Economic score: 2.58
University of Minnesota-Crookston
Crookston, Minnesota
Admission rate: 73%
Grad rate: 52%
Net cost: $10,952
Payback: 2.3 Years
Earnings: $47,869
Vs. state average: - $7,407
Economic score: 2.62
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota
Admission rate: 51%
Grad rate: 87%
Net cost: $23,543
Payback: 2.9 Years
Earnings: $60,242
Vs. state average: + $4,966
Economic score: 2.63
University of Minnesota-Duluth
Duluth, Minnesota
Admission rate: 79%
Grad rate: 61%
Net cost: $17,067
Payback: 2.7 Years
Earnings: $54,750
Vs. state average: - $526
Economic score: 2.73
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota
Admission rate: 71%
Grad rate: 78%
Net cost: $19,093
Payback: 3.0 Years
Earnings: $59,178
Vs. state average: + $3,902
Economic score: 2.82
University of Minnesota-Morris
Morris, Minnesota
Admission rate: 65%
Grad rate: 65%
Net cost: $11,412
Payback: 2.4 Years
Earnings: $47,373
Vs. state average: - $7,903
Economic score: 2.82
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Winona, Minnesota
Admission rate: 85%
Grad rate: 67%
Net cost: $19,514
Payback: 2.8 Years
Earnings: $54,950
Vs. state average: - $326
Economic score: 2.86
The College of Saint Scholastica
Duluth, Minnesota
Admission rate: 74%
Grad rate: 73%
Net cost: $24,066
Payback: 3.2 Years
Earnings: $58,748
Vs. state average: + $3,472
Economic score: 2.97
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota
Admission rate: 74%
Grad rate: 50%
Net cost: $14,267
Payback: 2.8 Years
Earnings: $51,372
Vs. state average: - $3,904
Economic score: 3.02
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Mankato, Minnesota
Admission rate: 68%
Grad rate: 55%
Net cost: $16,221
Payback: 3.0 Years
Earnings: $51,689
Vs. state average: - $3,587
Economic score: 3.24
Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota
Admission rate: 22%
Grad rate: 93%
Net cost: $31,133
Payback: 3.9 Years
Earnings: $67,132
Vs. state average: + $11,856
Economic score: 3.25
Concordia University-Saint Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Admission rate: 69%
Grad rate: 63%
Net cost: $16,245
Payback: 3.2 Years
Earnings: $53,164
Vs. state average: - $2,112
Economic score: 3.28
Hamline University
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Admission rate: 69%
Grad rate: 67%
Net cost: $20,866
Payback: 3.2 Years
Earnings: $53,895
Vs. state average: - $1,381
Economic score: 3.33
St Catherine University
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Admission rate: 77%
Grad rate: 62%
Net cost: $19,078
Payback: 3.3 Years
Earnings: $52,603
Vs. state average: - $2,673
Economic score: 3.42
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota
Admission rate: 76%
Grad rate: 67%
Net cost: $17,656
Payback: 3.2 Years
Earnings: $51,346
Vs. state average: - $3,930
Economic score: 3.42
College of Saint Benedict
Saint Joseph, Minnesota
Admission rate: 85%
Grad rate: 77%
Net cost: $25,785
Payback: 3.6 Years
Earnings: $56,367
Vs. state average: + $1,091
Economic score: 3.49
