Best Colleges in Minnesota of 2023

University of Minnesota Twin Cities' online degree and certificate programs are designed with the needs of working adults, veterans, career-changers or advancers, as well as traditional students in mind. At University of Minnesota Online, you get access to all the resources and course offerings available to all five of the campuses that comprise the UM system. Whether you're looking to earn a certificate in Human Sexuality, a bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Management, a minor in Learning Technologies, a master's degree in Applied Child and Adolescent Development, or even a doctorate in Nurse-Midwifery DNP, University of Minnesota Online likely has a high-quality program for you to consider.

Carleton College is a private liberal arts institution in Northfield. It is highly selective, accepting only 16.5%of those who applied in 2022. It is known for the excellence of its teaching faculty. That, along with a student-to-faculty ratio of 8:1, may help explain the 94% graduation rate. Students choose from among 54 major and minor fields of study, which range from Asian studies to economics, and there is also the option for students to design their own major. The school year includes three trimesters, with students generally taking three courses for each 10-week term. The school does not offer graduate-level programs, but does support those students who wish to go on to graduate studies with its extensive alumni network. Most of Carleton's students, including all first-year students, live on campus in dormitory-like buildings. The college has 20 varsity sports teams, the Carleton Knights, who compete in Division III of the NCAA.

Founded in 1874 by Norwegian Lutheran immigrants, St. Olaf is a nationally recognized liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, 45 minutes from the Twin Cities. The college has roughly 3,000 undergraduate students, 95% of which live on campus, and 250+ faculty members. It is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, but admission is open to all, regardless of their faith background. The liberal arts curriculum encourages a multidisciplinary, multicultural exploration of human knowledge, with opportunities for study abroad in 40 countries and academic courses that feature service learning and civic engagement. Students are required to take courses in writing, a foreign language, society, and other overarching areas of study. There are 41 majors, ranging from Nordic studies to quantitative economics. It has a strong music program, with opportunities to perform in band, choir, orchestra and various ensembles. The college is a member of NCAA Division III, with 26 varsity teams.

The largest private university in Minnesota, University of St. Thomas has more than 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offers 150+ undergraduate majors and minors and 55+ graduate degree programs. The coursework is offered through eight schools and colleges, which include a school of law, a college of arts and sciences, and a school of education. UST is the only academic institution in Minnesota to be designated a "Changemaker Campus," which means there is a campus-wide emphasis on social innovation, entrepreneurship, and caring for the common good. The university has three campus locations: St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Rome, Italy. All first- and second-year students live on campus, with 92 countries and 41 states represented in the student body. Ninety-seven percent of first-year students receive scholarship aid from the university, and the university's sports teams, the Tommies, recently reclassified from NCAA Division III to Division I.

Located on a tree-filled campus outside of downtown St. Paul, Macalester College offers coursework in 39 degree programs, such as neuroscience; philosophy; and women's, gender, and sexuality studies. The college places a special emphasis on internationalism, multiculturalism, and service to society and aims to prepare students to live in a globally connected world. Ninety-six percent of students participate in volunteer work, academic community-based learning, or applied research, and 91% of graduates are employed, attending grad school, interning or in fellowships within a year after graduation. There are a range of residential options for students, both on campus and in nearby St. Paul, and several residence halls are designated for first-year students only. Macalester's varsity sports teams, the Scots, are members of the NCAA Division III.

Bethel University is a private, evangelical Christian institution located 15 minutes north of the Twin Cities in Arden Hills. It offers more than 100 areas of study for undergraduates, with additional programs available at the master's level. At the doctoral level, there are several programs through Bethel's affiliated seminary, as well as a nursing practice doctorate, and Doctorate of Education programs in K-12 administration and higher education leadership. A handful of programs, including accounting, addiction studies, and social work, can be completed online. The school enrolls nearly 5,000 students, and is the largest institution in the Christian College Consortium. Ninety-nine percent of incoming students receive financial aid from the college. For students who wish to live on campus, there are nine residence halls, suites, townhouses, and campus apartment buildings to choose from. The 18 Bethel Royals athletic teams participate in NCAA Division III varsity sports.

St. Paul-based St. Catherine University, founded in the Catholic tradition, offers comprehensive, liberal arts-based programs to women at the undergraduate level. Its extensive master's and doctoral level programs are available to men and women, as are the university's associate programs. The school has more than 100 fields of study, both in traditional classes as well as hybrid and online formats. There are 60 bachelor's-level programs, yet the university is particularly strong in the fields of education and health sciences. There are four schools: nursing; health sciences; business; and humanities, arts, and sciences. The university has roughly 5,000 students and is especially welcoming to minority students and nontraditional students. Dormitories, suites, and apartments are available on campus as well as family housing and graduate student housing. St. Catherine fields 11 varsity-level teams, the Wildcats, who participate in Division III of the NCAA.

Named after a king of Sweden in the 1600s, Gustavus Adolphus College was founded by Swedish Americans in 1862. It has grown into a coeducational, diverse liberal arts-based institution with roughly 2,500 students on a wooded campus in St. Peter. Undergraduates can choose from more than 70 programs of study - from arts administration to health and physical education training. There are also pre-professional programs in fields such as law, dentistry, and veterinary medicine. The school is particularly strong in the fine arts, providing opportunities for students to participate in music, theatre, dance, and art regardless of their primary area of study. The college's large musical ensembles tour nationally and internationally, and there are two art galleries on campus. Ninety percent of students live on campus in traditional dormitories, townhouses, or apartments. The college's varsity sports teams, the Golden Gusties, compete in NCAA Division III.

The College of St. Scholastica is an independent private institution with locations throughout Minnesota, including its home campus in Duluth, which is set on a hill overlooking Lake Superior. St. Scholastica Monastery, home to the Benedictine sisters who founded the college, is on campus. It has approximately 4,000 students in undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs that are available in classroom settings as well as online, with evening and weekend formats also available. CSS has a wide range of program offerings, from data analytics to a self-designed study of Ojibwe language and culture. There are a number of pre-professional programs, including pre-physician's assistant, medicine, athletic training, and law. Student-to-faculty ratio is 14:1, and housing is available in dormitories and apartment-style buildings, with first-year students housed in Somers Hall. The college's 22 varsity athletic teams, the Saints, compete in NCAA Division III.

St. John's University, a Catholic men's university in Collegeville, is one-half of an institutional partnership with the College of Saint Benedict, a women's college that is located six miles away. The colleges are near the St. Cloud metropolitan area and share a president, academic programs, and many other resources. The 4,000 students at the two schools attend classes jointly and are taught by a joint faculty of 350+ professors. SJU offers a range of 60+ programs at the undergraduate level, as well as master's programs through St. John's School of Theology and Seminary. Pre-professional programs include veterinary medicine, public health, and physical therapy. Most students live on campus in traditional residence halls or campus apartments/houses. Only male students live at SJU; female students live at Saint Benedict. The 11 SJU varsity sports teams, the Johnnies, participate in NCAA Division III.