Why This Matters
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46 FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES IN MINNESOTA
According to College Navigator, the four-year colleges in Minnesota include 13 public and 33 private non-profit options.
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$12,908 AVERAGE IN-STATE TUITION & FEES
For the 2022-23 school year, the average in-state tuition for public four-year colleges in Minnesota is $12,908, according to College Board.
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$15,330 AVERAGE FINANCIAL AID
In the U.S., full-time undergraduate students attending college in 2021-22 received an average of $15,330 per year in financial aid.
Our Research
This list features some of the best brick-and-mortar colleges in Minnesota. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality. We included liberal arts colleges and research universities as well as small, midsize, and large institutions. Next, we compared this comprehensive list to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications, such as U.S. News & World Report, to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.
The colleges on our list are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) — this organization examines the objectives, quality, and overall effectiveness of postsecondary education programs in the central United States.
We evaluated each school on tuition costs, admission standards, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the resources and services provided for on-campus students. Then, we used this information to calculate the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.
Online College Programs That Might Interest You
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
The Top 50 Colleges in Minnesota

Discover More Options
What You Should Know About Graduating From College in Minnesota
When determining the right state to attend college, you should also consider your options for pursuing a career in the same location. As of May 2022, the top five industries for employment in Minnesota are office and administrative support occupations, sales, transportation and material moving, food preparation and serving, and production.
The fastest-growing careers in Minnesota for workers with a bachelor’s degree are information security analysts, logisticians, medical and health services managers, agents and talent managers, and data scientists.
You should also become familiar with the largest employers in the state, which includes Mayo Clinic, 3M, Best Buy, Target, and IBM.
What’s Next?
It’s important to understand what options are available to you to help pay for your education. Below, we’ve listed resources that can connect you with grants, scholarships, and other financial aid programs for undergraduate students in Minnesota.
- Minnesota Office of Higher Education. This agency provides students with comprehensive details about financial aid, including how to apply and eligibility requirements, as well as links to grants and scholarships that are available throughout the state.
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Provided by the U.S. Department of Education, FAFSA is the main form students use to apply for financial aid for college. To determine if you’re eligible for aid, submit a completed FAFSA form online.
- CareerOneStop Scholarship Finder. This tool will show you available scholarships, grants, and loans and can be filtered by state and degree type. It includes information such as dollar amounts, how to apply, qualifications, deadlines, and contact details.