Best-Value Colleges in Minnesota
13 Minnesota 4-year colleges ranked by return on investment — 10-year graduate earnings per dollar of net price — among schools that beat the state median on earnings and graduation rate.
The best-value college in Minnesota is University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis — a net price of $17,139 against $69,020 in median 10-year earnings, an ROI of 4.0×, with a 85% graduation rate. Every school here turns a modest cost into outsized, above-median earnings.
| # | School | Net price /yr | 10-yr earnings | ROI (earn ÷ price) | Grad rate | In-state tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN | $17,139 | $69,020 | 4.0× | 85% | $16,488 |
| 2 | University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth, MN | $18,464 | $62,616 | 3.4× | 64% | $14,318 |
| 3 | St Olaf College Northfield, MN | $22,752 | $65,543 | 2.9× | 84% | $56,970 |
| 4 | Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN | $27,018 | $76,786 | 2.8× | 76% | $53,942 |
| 5 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Winona, MN | $21,034 | $58,170 | 2.8× | 68% | $43,160 |
| 6 | Carleton College Northfield, MN | $27,320 | $75,525 | 2.8× | 91% | $65,457 |
| 7 | The College of Saint Scholastica Duluth, MN | $23,949 | $65,934 | 2.8× | 63% | $40,454 |
| 8 | St Catherine University Saint Paul, MN | $21,563 | $59,282 | 2.7× | 65% | $49,758 |
| 9 | Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN | $26,895 | $65,607 | 2.4× | 76% | $54,310 |
| 10 | University of St Thomas Saint Paul, MN | $30,525 | $73,739 | 2.4× | 75% | $52,284 |
| 11 | Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN | $25,651 | $59,317 | 2.3× | 72% | $30,020 |
| 12 | College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph, MN | $28,065 | $63,260 | 2.3× | 83% | $53,884 |
| 13 | Macalester College Saint Paul, MN | $29,980 | $63,878 | 2.1× | 90% | $64,908 |
How we ranked this
From every Minnesota four-year college that publishes net price, 10-year median earnings, and graduation rate, we keep only those that beat the state median on earnings and that graduate at least 45% of students (or the state median grad rate, whichever is higher). We then rank by ROI = 10-year median earnings ÷ average annual net price — the dollars of graduate earnings each dollar of net price buys — highest first. This rewards genuine return on investment rather than the cheapest sticker price, and the 4-year + outcome guards keep out the low-completion and 2-year outliers a pure price sort surfaces. Colleges missing any of the three figures are excluded, never estimated. Minimum 5 qualifying schools required to publish a page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best-value college in Minnesota?+
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in Minneapolis has the highest return on investment among Minnesota 4-year colleges that beat the state median on outcomes: a net price of $17,139 against $69,020 in 10-year median earnings — an ROI of 4.0× (dollars earned per dollar of annual net price) — with a 85% graduation rate.
What does "net price" mean?+
Net price is the average annual cost students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the full cost of attendance — a far better affordability measure than sticker tuition. We use the College Scorecard average net price.
How is "best value" defined here?+
Value means return on investment, not cheapness. Among Minnesota four-year colleges that beat the state median on BOTH 10-year graduate earnings and graduation rate (and graduate at least 45% of students), we rank by the ROI ratio = 10-year median earnings ÷ average annual net price. The school that turns each tuition dollar into the most graduate earnings ranks first.
Is the cheapest college always the best value?+
No. A rock-bottom price that leads to low earnings is worse value than a moderate price that leads to high earnings. That is exactly why we rank by the earnings-to-net-price ratio rather than by lowest price, and require above-median earnings and graduation rates first. Colleges missing net price, earnings, or graduation data are excluded rather than estimated.
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Data sources: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · IPEDS. Figures are the most recent values published in each federal dataset; cells with no published value are shown as “—” and never estimated. CertiHomes Education does not sell rankings or accept placement fees.