State Rankings

Best Colleges in Minnesota

Top colleges in Minnesota ranked by national standing and graduate outcomes — updated 2026.

Colleges listed: 50

Avg grad earnings: $55,291

Public / Private: 29 / 21

Top Colleges in Minnesota

Nationally ranked schools appear first. Remaining schools are ordered by median graduate earnings.

State #	School	Type	Grad Earnings	Admit Rate	SAT Avg	Grad Rate	Out-of-State
1	Carleton College Northfield#85 national	Private	$75,525	22.3%	1,491	91.2%	$65,457
2	St Olaf College Northfield#91 national	Private	$65,543	52.1%	1,373	83.5%	$56,970
3	University of Minnesota Minneapolis#104 national	Public	$69,020	77.0%	1,359	84.8%	$36,402
4	Macalester College Saint Paul#166 national	Private	$63,878	28.2%	1,424	90.4%	$64,908
5	Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter#180 national	Private	$65,607	61.8%	1,320	75.8%	$54,310
6	College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph#219 national	Private	$63,260	91.4%	1,185	83.0%	$53,884
7	University of St Thomas Saint Paul#243 national	Private	$73,739	84.9%	1,296	75.2%	$52,284
8	Saint Johns University Collegeville#287 national	Private	$76,786	90.5%	1,220	75.7%	$53,942
9	Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead#371 national	Private	$59,317	63.1%	1,192	71.8%	$30,020
10	Bethel University Saint Paul#382 national	Private	$63,764	91.0%	1,152	75.2%	$42,930
11	University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth#390 national	Public	$62,616	81.8%	1,221	64.5%	$19,762
12	University of Minnesota-Rochester Rochester#404 national	Public	$69,020	71.8%	1,220	56.9%	$14,400
13	Winona State University Winona#431 national	Public	$58,532	68.5%	1,119	60.9%	$17,230
14	University of Minnesota-Crookston Crookston#509 national	Public	$58,056	58.4%	N/A	49.7%	$13,120
15	University of Minnesota-Morris Morris#566 national	Public	$50,919	70.5%	N/A	61.9%	$16,438
16	Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Winona#577 national	Private	$58,170	88.8%	N/A	67.7%	$43,160
17	The College of Saint Scholastica Duluth#583 national	Private	$65,934	93.8%	1,190	63.0%	$40,454
18	St Catherine University Saint Paul#632 national	Private	$59,282	94.1%	1,190	65.1%	$49,758
19	Bemidji State University Bemidji#676 national	Public	$53,755	70.7%	1,090	53.4%	$10,164
20	Concordia University-Saint Paul Saint Paul#678 national	Private	$59,871	74.9%	N/A	58.8%	$25,000
21	North Hennepin Community College Brooklyn Park#726 national	Public	$51,142	N/A	N/A	N/A	$5,050
22	Dakota County Technical College Rosemount#734 national	Public	$51,938	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,419
23	Martin Luther College New Ulm#747 national	Private	$47,491	82.6%	1,191	71.4%	$17,770
24	Hamline University Saint Paul#750 national	Private	$61,106	89.8%	1,197	57.7%	$48,311
25	Minnesota State University-Mankato Mankato#753 national	Public	$56,922	91.3%	1,190	54.1%	$18,860
26	Minnesota State University Moorhead Moorhead#762 national	Public	$50,527	52.6%	1,090	54.6%	$10,336
27	Bethany Lutheran College Mankato#772 national	Private	$46,110	51.0%	1,144	59.6%	$30,010
28	Inver Hills Community College Inver Grove Heights#777 national	Public	$49,898	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,007
29	Normandale Community College Bloomington#808 national	Public	$50,207	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,321
30	Hennepin Technical College Brooklyn Park#816 national	Public	$49,460	N/A	N/A	N/A	$5,881
31	University of Northwestern-St Paul Saint Paul#854 national	Private	$50,755	91.9%	1,244	68.4%	$36,830
32	Minneapolis College of Art and Design Minneapolis#859 national	Private	$40,873	48.4%	1,170	69.2%	$43,824
33	Anoka-Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids#872 national	Public	$48,342	N/A	N/A	N/A	$5,682
34	Augsburg University Minneapolis#900 national	Private	$58,829	76.5%	N/A	52.4%	$43,942
35	Alexandria Technical & Community College Alexandria#911 national	Public	$49,393	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,213
36	Dunwoody College of Technology Minneapolis#913 national	Private	$61,511	98.5%	1,050	62.7%	$25,659
37	Century College White Bear Lake#914 national	Public	$46,424	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,182
38	St Cloud Technical and Community College Saint Cloud#935 national	Public	$46,874	N/A	N/A	N/A	$4,957
39	Anoka Technical College Anoka#944 national	Public	$47,746	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,267
40	Riverland Community College Austin#968 national	Public	$45,247	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,250
41	Minnesota North College Hibbing#1008 national	Public	$45,570	N/A	N/A	N/A	$7,302
42	Minnesota State Community and Technical College Fergus Falls#1023 national	Public	$45,591	N/A	N/A	N/A	$5,900
43	South Central College North Mankato#1039 national	Public	$45,068	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,146
44	Minnesota West Community and Technical College Granite Falls#1087 national	Public	$45,285	N/A	N/A	N/A	$12,332
45	Rochester Community and Technical College Rochester#1096 national	Public	$45,287	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,359
46	Southwest Minnesota State University Marshall#1114 national	Public	$51,342	68.9%	1,020	44.1%	$10,304
47	Ridgewater College Willmar#1144 national	Public	$43,827	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,109
48	Lake Superior College Duluth#1166 national	Public	$46,449	N/A	N/A	N/A	$5,786
49	Metropolitan State University Saint Paul#1168 national	Public	$64,705	96.5%	1,020	38.4%	$9,780
50	Crown College Saint Bonifacius#1170 national	Private	$48,057	62.8%	N/A	64.3%	$30,200

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Excludes for-profit institutions.

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