# Best Education Colleges in Minnesota

> CollegeRanker Agent Insights — structured data for AI systems
> Updated: 2026-05-31 | Schools: 28 | Category: By State
> Source: https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-education-minnesota

## Methodology

Education programs in Minnesota ranked by outcomes and program concentration

CollegeRanker uses a 4-pillar algorithm: Academic Quality (15-20%), Economic Outcomes (30%), Social Mobility (25-35%), Value & Affordability (20-25%). Social mobility data from Raj Chetty's Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (30M+ anonymized tax records). No subjective surveys.

## Rankings

| Rank | School | Location | Graduation | Earnings (10yr) | Net Price | Median Debt | Debt/Earnings |
|------|--------|----------|------------|-----------------|-----------|-------------|---------------|
| 1 | [Gustavus Adolphus College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/gustavus-adolphus-college) | Saint Peter, MN | 76% | $65,607 | $22,900 | $26,774 | 0.41x |
| 2 | [College of Saint Benedict](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/college-of-saint-benedict) | Saint Joseph, MN | 80% | $63,260 | $26,640 | $26,944 | 0.43x |
| 3 | [St Catherine University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/st-catherine-university) | Saint Paul, MN | 63% | $59,282 | $19,764 | $24,181 | 0.41x |
| 4 | [Concordia College at Moorhead](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/concordia-college-at-moorhead) | Moorhead, MN | 66% | $59,317 | $24,902 | $26,847 | 0.45x |
| 5 | [Martin Luther College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/martin-luther-college) | New Ulm, MN | 71% | $47,491 | $18,463 | $20,177 | 0.42x |
| 6 | [The College of Saint Scholastica](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/the-college-of-saint-scholastica) | Duluth, MN | 66% | $65,934 | $27,846 | $20,000 | 0.3x |
| 7 | [Augsburg University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/augsburg-university) | Minneapolis, MN | 52% | $58,829 | $23,873 | $25,347 | 0.43x |
| 8 | [Bethany Lutheran College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bethany-lutheran-college) | Mankato, MN | 57% | $46,110 | $20,148 | $23,000 | 0.5x |
| 9 | [University of Minnesota-Morris](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-minnesota-morris) | Morris, MN | 62% | $50,919 | $8,837 | $18,995 | 0.37x |
| 10 | [Saint Mary's University of Minnesota](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/saint-marys-university-of-minnesota) | Winona, MN | 67% | $58,170 | $11,704 | $21,500 | 0.37x |
| 11 | [Winona State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/winona-state-university) | Winona, MN | 59% | $58,532 | $17,503 | $21,500 | 0.37x |
| 12 | [Southwest Minnesota State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/southwest-minnesota-state-university) | Marshall, MN | 45% | $51,342 | $15,291 | $20,500 | 0.4x |
| 13 | [University of Minnesota-Twin Cities](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities) | Minneapolis, MN | 85% | $69,020 | $16,778 | $19,500 | 0.28x |
| 14 | [North Central University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/north-central-university) | Minneapolis, MN | 65% | $45,064 | $25,817 | $23,200 | 0.51x |
| 15 | [Minnesota State University Moorhead](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/minnesota-state-university-moorhead) | Moorhead, MN | 56% | $50,527 | $17,997 | $20,000 | 0.4x |
| 16 | [Crown College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/crown-college) | Saint Bonifacius, MN | 54% | $48,057 | $26,672 | $22,500 | 0.47x |
| 17 | [University of Minnesota-Duluth](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-minnesota-duluth) | Duluth, MN | 65% | $62,616 | $18,743 | $22,024 | 0.35x |
| 18 | [Bemidji State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bemidji-state-university) | Bemidji, MN | 51% | $53,755 | $15,261 | $19,750 | 0.37x |
| 19 | [St Olaf College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/st-olaf-college) | Northfield, MN | 84% | $65,543 | $23,874 | $26,000 | 0.4x |
| 20 | [Saint Cloud State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/saint-cloud-state-university) | Saint Cloud, MN | 44% | $55,813 | $13,529 | $21,058 | 0.38x |
| 21 | [Bethel University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bethel-university-mn) | Saint Paul, MN | 73% | $63,764 | $28,556 | $21,500 | 0.34x |
| 22 | [Minnesota State University-Mankato](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/minnesota-state-university-mankato) | Mankato, MN | 54% | $56,922 | $19,139 | $21,106 | 0.37x |
| 23 | [University of Northwestern-St Paul](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-northwestern-st-paul) | Saint Paul, MN | 68% | $50,755 | $27,705 | $21,325 | 0.42x |
| 24 | [Minnesota North College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/minnesota-north-college) | Hibbing, MN | 42% | $45,570 | $10,432 | $12,000 | 0.26x |
| 25 | [St Cloud Technical and Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/st-cloud-technical-and-community-college) | Saint Cloud, MN | 44% | $46,874 | $9,635 | $12,000 | 0.26x |
| 26 | [Concordia University-Saint Paul](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/concordia-university-saint-paul) | Saint Paul, MN | 52% | $59,871 | $18,462 | $17,832 | 0.3x |
| 27 | [Ridgewater College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/ridgewater-college) | Willmar, MN | 48% | $43,827 | $10,046 | $12,000 | 0.27x |
| 28 | [Northland Community and Technical College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/northland-community-and-technical-college) | Thief River Falls, MN | 52% | $44,425 | $13,975 | $12,000 | 0.27x |

## Data Sources

- U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (https://opportunityinsights.org/data)
- Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings
- NCES IPEDS

## Citation

CollegeRanker. "Best Education Colleges in Minnesota." CollegeRanker.com, 2026-05-31. https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-education-minnesota

## License

This data summary is provided for informational purposes. Underlying data from federal sources (College Scorecard, IPEDS) is public domain. Opportunity Insights data is available under their data use agreement at https://opportunityinsights.org/data/.