Higher Education Outcome Report · Midwest

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Minnesota Higher Education Outcome Report

Updated continuously · 64 degree-granting institutions graded

Minnesota's higher education system is a below-average mobility system. Median 10-year earnings sit at $53,663, +4% vs the national median.

healthcare & medtech
finance
agriculture

91
INSTITUTIONS: $53,663
MEDIAN EARNINGS: ▲ 4% vs natl; $18,392
AVG NET PRICE: 40 / 36
PUBLIC / PRIVATE

OUTCOME GRADE

B+

64/100 · #13 of 50

Minnesota At A Glance

State-Level Intelligence

Institutions

64

163,802 students enrolled
Graduates / Year

~24,087

Estimated annual completers
Median Earnings
62nd pct

$51,142

19th of 50 states
Mobility Score
41st pct

1.4%

27th of 46 states
Talent Retention
78th pct

73%

First-year retention rate
Value Ratio
62nd pct

3.0x

Earnings per net-price dollar

Top Industries Hiring Graduates:

Business
Healthcare
Humanities

Executive Summary

Minnesota graduates earn a median of $51,142 a decade after entry, 5% above the national state average, ranking 19th of 50 states.
Upward mobility sits mid-pack: the state's institutions move bottom-quintile students into the top quintile at a 1.4% rate, in the 41st percentile nationally.
Degree production is led by Business and Healthcare, which together account for 36% of graduates. That diversified mix sets what the state's labor pipeline can supply.
Sciences is the standout sector: graduates earn $62,615, +21.4% versus the national median. That premium points to a real wage advantage rather than sheer volume.
Humanities shows oversupply pressure: graduate earnings run 7.6% below the national median, suggesting the field produces more graduates than the local market rewards.
On value, Minnesota returns 3.0x earnings per dollar of net price, among the strongest cost-to-outcome efficiency in the country.

Key Insights

Earnings vs National

+12.4%

Median graduate earnings in Minnesota are above the national average by 12%.
Cost vs National

-0.6%

Net price in Minnesota is lower than the national average by 1%.
Mobility Rate

-0.36pp

Upward mobility rate is 0.4 percentage points below the national average.
Completion Rate

-2.6pp

Minnesota's graduation rate is 2.6 percentage points below the national average.
Best Value

10x

Top value school: White Earth Tribal and Community College ($18,044 earnings vs $1,811 net price).

Education Output Profile

Business (18% of graduates) and Healthcare (18% of graduates) dominate Minnesota's higher education output. Graduates in the top field earn a weighted average of $55,158.

Business

18%

$55,158 avg
Healthcare

18%

$52,820 avg
Humanities

13%

$46,611 avg
Social Sciences

11%

$60,399 avg
Technology

9%

$59,085 avg

Concentration: diversified HHI: 12

Outcome Performance

Minnesota's highest-ROI degree cluster is Trades (Culinary & Personal Services), where graduates average $48,682 against a net cost of $12,211, a 4.0x return. That's -5.6% vs the national median.

Culinary & Personal Services
4.0x

$48,682 earnings $12,211 net -5.6% vs natl
Construction Trades
3.6x

$47,903 earnings $13,415 net -7.1% vs natl
Mechanic & Repair Tech
3.5x

$47,341 earnings $13,642 net -8.2% vs natl
Legal Studies
3.3x

$49,172 earnings $14,929 net -4.7% vs natl
Criminal Justice
3.2x

$51,055 earnings $15,750 net -1% vs natl
Humanities
3.1x

$51,204 earnings $16,448 net -0.7% vs natl

State Talent Profile

Three lenses on Minnesota's talent pipeline: which fields produce the most graduates, which command the highest earnings, and where high-pay demand outruns local supply.

Dominant Fields

Business & Marketing 18%
Health Professions 18%
Humanities 11%
Computer Science & IT 7%
Biology & Biomedical 7%

Highest-Earning Fields

Social Sciences $64,061
Biology & Biomedical $61,383
Engineering $60,740
Computer Science & IT $58,148
Psychology $57,345

Opportunity Gaps

High earnings, low local production — fields where demand may outrun Minnesota's graduate supply.

Social Sciences $64,061 5% of grads
Engineering $60,740 4% of grads
Psychology $57,345 6% of grads

Mobility & Retention

Opportunity Insights

Minnesota's colleges post an average mobility rate of 1.4%, which puts the state in the 41st percentile nationally. 5% of students arrive from bottom-quintile households. Cross-class social connectedness averages 1.59, a proxy for the networks that help graduates convert a degree into mobility.

MOBILITY RATE

1.4%

▼ -0.29pp vs natl

Bottom 20% → Top 20%
LOW-INCOME ACCESS

5%

From bottom quintile
SUCCESS RATE

28%

If bottom 20% enroll
FIRST-GENERATION

27%

First-gen students
TALENT RETENTION

73%

First-year retention
SOCIAL CAPITAL

1.59

Economic connectedness

Mobility Leaders — Institutions Driving Upward Movement

Labor Market Alignment

Minnesota's Sciences programs produce graduates earning $62,615, +21.4% relative to the national median. Humanities graduates, however, earn 7.6% below the national median, a possible sign the state produces more of these degrees than its labor market absorbs.

Business
18% of enrollment

$53,914 +4.5% vs natl

43 schools
Healthcare
18% of enrollment

$52,956 +2.7% vs natl

38 schools
Humanities
13% of enrollment

$47,632 -7.6% vs natl

27 schools
Social Sciences
11% of enrollment

$59,610 +15.6% vs natl

26 schools
Technology
9% of enrollment

$58,837 +14.1% vs natl

17 schools
Sciences
8% of enrollment

$62,615 +21.4% vs natl

19 schools

Overperforming Sectors

Sciences: +21.4% vs national earnings ($62,615)

Social Sciences: +15.6% vs national earnings ($59,610)

Technology: +14.1% vs national earnings ($58,837)

Potential Oversupply Signals

Humanities: -7.6% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Institutional Landscape

Minnesota's higher education system includes 1 research-oriented, 9 specialized, 4 access-oriented, 50 regional institutions. Each group plays a different role in the state's outcomes.

1

Research Universities
50

Regional Universities
4

Access-Oriented Institutions
9

Specialized Institutions

Research Universities

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities $69,020

Access-Oriented Institutions

Cost & Access Corridors

39% of Minnesota's colleges charge under $15K net. Graduates of those schools average $48,353 at 10 years.

NET PRICE UNDER $15K

22

39% of schools
Avg earnings: $48,353
NET PRICE $15K–$25K

21

37% of schools
Avg earnings: $55,155
NET PRICE $25K–$40K

14

25% of schools
Avg earnings: $59,008

Top Earners

Schools ranked by median graduate earnings 10 years after enrolling.

Higher education in Minnesota

Minnesota is home to 91 colleges and universities, from 40 public institutions to 36 private nonprofits. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities anchors the public system, and graduates across the state earn a median of about $49,280 ten years after enrolling.

Higher education clusters around Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Bloomington, and the strongest programs by enrollment are Business & Marketing, Health Professions and Computer Science & IT. We rank every school here by what its graduates actually earn and how far they move up — not by reputation or sticker price.

What college costs in Minnesota

The average net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — runs about $17,963 a year across Minnesota. Riverland Community College stands out on return: strong graduate earnings against a comparatively low net price. Public universities and in-state tuition remain the clearest path to a low-debt degree, while need-based aid can make selective private schools surprisingly competitive.

Most Affordable Schools

Jobs & industries

Minnesota's economy leans on healthcare & medtech, finance and agriculture, which shapes which degrees pay off fastest in-state. Programs in Business & Marketing, Health Professions and Computer Science & IT feed directly into those employers, and graduates who stay in-region benefit from established hiring pipelines and alumni networks.

Licensure & transfer

Licensure and articulation are state-specific: nursing, teaching, law, and the health professions are regulated at the Minnesota level, so an in-state program is often the most direct route to practicing here. Community-college transfer agreements with public universities can also cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.

Cost vs Return

What graduates in Minnesota earn relative to what they pay for college.

MEDIAN EARNINGS (10YR)

$49,280

▲ +$5,443 vs natl

AVG NET PRICE

$17,963

▲ $-113 vs natl

EARNINGS / COST RATIO

2.7x

Return per dollar invested

Best Value Schools

Is Minnesota Right for You?

Minnesota is a strong fit if you want to build a career in healthcare & medtech and finance, value in-state tuition, or plan to work in the region after graduation. Use the rankings and filters below to weigh earnings, cost, and mobility for every school in the state.

Every figure on this page is derived from public federal data and read within its regional and economic context. Information Gain Policy →

Related Rankings

Top Schools

Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science · MN Saint Johns University · MN Carleton College · MN University of St Thomas · MN University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · MN University of Minnesota-Rochester · MN

FAQ

How many colleges are in Minnesota?

There are 91 colleges and universities in Minnesota in our dataset — 40 public, 36 private nonprofit.

What is the highest-earning college in Minnesota?

By median graduate earnings 10 years out, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science leads, followed by schools like Saint Johns University and Carleton College.

How much does college cost in Minnesota?

The average net price — tuition and living costs after grants — is about $17,963 per year. In-state public tuition is typically the lowest-cost path.

What are the best-paying career fields in Minnesota?

Minnesota's economy is anchored by healthcare & medtech, finance and agriculture, so degrees feeding those industries tend to pay off fastest in-state.

Is it worth going to college in Minnesota?

For most students, yes — especially at in-state public universities and high-value private schools. Riverland Community College, for example, pairs strong earnings with a low net price. Weigh earnings against net price using the data on this page.

All 91 schools in Minnesota

Data Behind This Page Updated 2026

91 institutions in Minnesota

2026 Last updated

100% Public / federal sources

Source datasets

Methodology

States are graded on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost — each drawn from federal data and Opportunity Insights research, then normalized into a single Outcomes Index (0–100).

See the full methodology and weights →

Confidence notes

Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.

Limitations

Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.

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