Best Value Colleges in Minnesota
The biggest 10-year net financial gain after subtracting net price and debt — strong earnings without a sky-high price tag.
Showing Minnesota
Clear state| # | College | Type | 5-yr earnings | Net price | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | DR Rating | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Winona, MN | Private | $70,781 | $11,704 | $21,500 | +372% | Strong return | |
| 2 | Capella University Minneapolis, MN | For-profit | $71,771 | $17,956 | $14,968 | +246% | Strong return | |
| 3 | University of St Thomas Saint Paul, MN | Private | $76,285 | $29,155 | $23,250 | +150% | Strong return | |
| 4 | Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN | Private | $74,943 | $25,672 | $27,000 | +166% | Strong return | |
| 5 | University of Minnesota-Rochester Rochester, MN | Public | $69,555 | $13,744 | $19,500 | +296% | Strong return | |
| 6 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN | Public | $68,953 | $16,778 | $19,500 | +223% | Strong return | |
| 7 | Concordia University-Saint Paul Saint Paul, MN | Private | $67,827 | $18,462 | $17,832 | +184% | Strong return | |
| 8 | Normandale Community College Bloomington, MN | Public | $62,222 | $12,972 | $12,000 | +468% | Strong return | |
| 9 | University of Minnesota-Crookston Crookston, MN | Public | $62,326 | $12,212 | $20,500 | +208% | Strong return | |
| 10 | University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth, MN | Public | $64,845 | $18,743 | $22,024 | +139% | Strong return | |
| 11 | Dakota County Technical College Rosemount, MN | Public | $59,047 | $13,548 | $11,000 | +352% | Strong return | |
| 12 | Augsburg University Minneapolis, MN | Private | $65,878 | $23,873 | $25,347 | +99% | Strong return | |
| 13 | St Catherine University Saint Paul, MN | Private | $64,014 | $19,764 | $24,181 | +116% | Strong return | |
| 14 | Metropolitan State University Saint Paul, MN | Public | $62,374 | $16,863 | $17,100 | +136% | Strong return | |
| 15 | The College of Saint Scholastica Duluth, MN | Private | $66,642 | $27,846 | $20,000 | +82% | Strong return | |
| 16 | Dunwoody College of Technology Minneapolis, MN | Private | $65,849 | $26,939 | $16,000 | +84% | Strong return | |
| 17 | Hennepin Technical College Brooklyn Park, MN | Public | $56,616 | $10,272 | $11,433 | +370% | Strong return | |
| 18 | Minnesota West Community and Technical College Granite Falls, MN | Public | $56,212 | $11,191 | $10,987 | +325% | Strong return | |
| 19 | St Cloud Technical and Community College Saint Cloud, MN | Public | $55,822 | $9,635 | $12,000 | +358% | Strong return | |
| 20 | Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN | Public | $59,486 | $13,529 | $21,058 | +134% | Strong return | |
| 21 | Northwest Technical College Bemidji, MN | Public | $55,900 | $10,996 | $15,000 | +297% | Strong return | |
| 22 | North Hennepin Community College Brooklyn Park, MN | Public | $55,490 | $12,186 | $14,750 | +253% | Strong return | |
| 23 | Minnesota State University-Mankato Mankato, MN | Public | $60,594 | $19,139 | $21,106 | +85% | Strong return | |
| 24 | Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN | Private | $61,638 | $22,900 | $26,774 | +64% | Break-even | |
| 25 | Carleton College Northfield, MN | Private | $61,887 | $25,407 | $16,750 | +57% | Break-even | |
| 26 | Walden University Minneapolis, MN | For-profit | $65,154 | $33,817 | $20,834 | +41% | Break-even | |
| 27 | University of Minnesota-Morris Morris, MN | Public | $54,763 | $8,837 | $18,995 | +131% | Strong return | |
| 28 | Winona State University Winona, MN | Public | $58,253 | $17,503 | $21,500 | +70% | Strong return | |
| 29 | Central Lakes College-Brainerd Brainerd, MN | Public | $53,559 | $13,869 | $11,000 | +170% | Strong return | |
| 30 | Hamline University Saint Paul, MN | Private | $59,527 | $20,744 | $23,770 | +59% | Break-even | |
| 31 | Minnesota North College Hibbing, MN | Public | $52,766 | $10,432 | $12,000 | +208% | Strong return | |
| 32 | Bethel University Saint Paul, MN | Private | $62,423 | $28,556 | $21,500 | +43% | Break-even | |
| 33 | South Central College North Mankato, MN | Public | $52,360 | $9,082 | $12,000 | +227% | Strong return | |
| 34 | Inver Hills Community College Inver Grove Heights, MN | Public | $52,844 | $11,636 | $13,965 | +177% | Strong return | |
| 35 | Anoka-Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids, MN | Public | $53,752 | $16,434 | $13,500 | +132% | Strong return | |
| 36 | Northland Community and Technical College Thief River Falls, MN | Public | $52,359 | $13,975 | $12,000 | +128% | Strong return | |
| 37 | Southwest Minnesota State University Marshall, MN | Public | $55,114 | $15,291 | $20,500 | +47% | Break-even | |
| 38 | College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph, MN | Private | $59,672 | $26,640 | $26,944 | +26% | Break-even | |
| 39 | Anoka Technical College Anoka, MN | Public | $51,382 | $16,953 | $11,000 | +68% | Strong return | |
| 40 | Bemidji State University Bemidji, MN | Public | $54,285 | $15,261 | $19,750 | +36% | Break-even | |
| 41 | Century College White Bear Lake, MN | Public | $49,859 | $10,906 | $14,250 | +80% | Strong return | |
| 42 | St Olaf College Northfield, MN | Private | $57,128 | $23,874 | $26,000 | +16% | Break-even | |
| 43 | Rochester Community and Technical College Rochester, MN | Public | $49,791 | $14,435 | $14,743 | +40% | Break-even | |
| 44 | Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College Cloquet, MN | Public | $51,654 | $12,677 | $14,181 | +19% | Break-even | |
| 45 | Minnesota State University Moorhead Moorhead, MN | Public | $53,872 | $17,997 | $20,000 | +12% | Break-even | |
| 46 | Lake Superior College Duluth, MN | Public | $49,419 | $15,492 | $12,775 | +24% | Break-even | |
| 47 | Minnesota State Community and Technical College Fergus Falls, MN | Public | $48,357 | $12,556 | $12,000 | +14% | Break-even | |
| 48 | Rasmussen University-Minnesota St. Cloud, MN | For-profit | $53,071 | $17,962 | $20,899 | +2% | Break-even | |
| 49 | Ridgewater College Willmar, MN | Public | $46,843 | $10,046 | $12,000 | -25% | Poor return | |
| 50 | Minneapolis Community and Technical College Minneapolis, MN | Public | $47,171 | $13,812 | $17,954 | -37% | Poor return | |
| 51 | Macalester College Saint Paul, MN | Private | $57,230 | $32,149 | $23,000 | -11% | Poor return | |
| 52 | Herzing University-Minneapolis St. Louis Park, MN | Private | $50,860 | $16,670 | $21,500 | -21% | Poor return | |
| 53 | Pine Technical & Community College Pine City, MN | Public | $45,542 | $12,798 | $14,392 | -82% | Poor return | |
| 54 | Crown College Saint Bonifacius, MN | Private | $53,910 | $26,672 | $22,500 | -22% | Poor return | |
| 55 | Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN | Private | $52,263 | $24,902 | $26,847 | -34% | Poor return | |
| 56 | Alexandria Technical & Community College Alexandria, MN | Public | $44,189 | $13,691 | $12,000 | -126% | Poor return | |
| 57 | Bethany Lutheran College Mankato, MN | Private | $49,099 | $20,148 | $23,000 | -54% | Poor return | |
| 58 | Minnesota State College Southeast Winona, MN | Public | $43,071 | $16,140 | $12,971 | -152% | Poor return | |
| 59 | Saint Paul College Saint Paul, MN | Public | $41,992 | $11,495 | $10,925 | -212% | Poor return | |
| 60 | University of Northwestern-St Paul Saint Paul, MN | Private | $50,789 | $27,705 | $21,325 | -51% | Poor return | |
| 61 | Martin Luther College New Ulm, MN | Private | $43,115 | $18,463 | $20,177 | -123% | Poor return | |
| 62 | North Central University Minneapolis, MN | Private | $44,697 | $25,817 | $23,200 | -103% | Poor return | |
| 63 | Minneapolis College of Art and Design Minneapolis, MN | Private | $41,878 | $29,926 | $27,000 | -124% | Poor return | |
| 64 | Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Minneapolis Minneapolis, MN | For-profit | $30,982 | $18,345 | $6,333 | -779% | Poor return |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
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