Best Colleges in Minnesota 2026

Minnesota's higher education landscape offers compelling options across both public and private institutions, with our analysis of 35 qualifying schools revealing diverse pathways to academic success. The top-ranked programs span from specialized health sciences universities to comprehensive research institutions and technical colleges. Three private institutions claim spots in the top five, alongside two public schools, demonstrating the state's balanced educational ecosystem. When evaluating Minnesota colleges, students should prioritize factors like graduation rates, post-graduation employment outcomes, faculty-to-student ratios, and program-specific strengths. Whether pursuing liberal arts education at a small college or technical training at a community institution, Minnesota's varied options cater to different career goals and learning preferences.

Schools Ranked

$52,755

Avg. Earnings

60.6%

Avg. Graduation Rate

Top 25 Schools

College rankings
#	School	Graduation Rate	Median Earnings	Acceptance Rate	In-State Tuition
1	Northwestern Health Sciences University Bloomington, Minnesota	100.0%	$48,666		$12,015
2	Academy College Bloomington, Minnesota	100.0%	$48,300		$18,252
3	Carleton College Northfield, Minnesota	91.2%	$75,525	16.6%	$65,457
4	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, Minnesota	84.8%	$69,020	74.9%	$16,488
5	Alexandria Technical & Community College Alexandria, Minnesota	60.5%	$49,393		$6,213
6	Macalester College Saint Paul, Minnesota	90.4%	$63,878	28.4%	$64,908
7	Anoka Technical College Anoka, Minnesota	55.6%	$47,746		$6,267
8	University of Minnesota-Rochester Rochester, Minnesota	56.9%	$69,020	71.7%	$14,400
9	Winona State University Winona, Minnesota	60.9%	$58,532	73.8%	$10,498
10	Riverland Community College Austin, Minnesota	53.0%	$45,247		$6,250
11	University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth, Minnesota	64.5%	$62,616	80.7%	$14,318
12	Dakota County Technical College Rosemount, Minnesota	45.3%	$51,938		$6,419
13	Minnesota State University Moorhead Moorhead, Minnesota	54.6%	$50,527	56.6%	$10,336
14	University of Minnesota-Crookston Crookston, Minnesota	49.7%	$58,056	57.2%	$13,120
15	Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, Minnesota	71.8%	$59,317	65.5%	$30,020
16	Hennepin Technical College Brooklyn Park, Minnesota	44.2%	$49,460		$5,881
17	Minnesota State University-Mankato Mankato, Minnesota	54.1%	$56,922	70.7%	$9,490
18	Minnesota State College Southeast Winona, Minnesota	51.3%	$43,613		$7,820
19	Northwest Technical College Bemidji, Minnesota	50.0%	$42,930		$6,246
20	Northland Community and Technical College Thief River Falls, Minnesota	48.1%	$44,425		$6,262
21	Minnesota State Community and Technical College Fergus Falls, Minnesota	46.4%	$45,591		$5,900
22	Minnesota West Community and Technical College Granite Falls, Minnesota	46.6%	$45,285		$6,484
23	St Cloud Technical and Community College Saint Cloud, Minnesota	42.2%	$46,874		$4,957
24	Central Lakes College-Brainerd Brainerd, Minnesota	47.7%	$42,162		$6,209
25	Ridgewater College Willmar, Minnesota	44.9%	$43,827		$6,109