There are nearly 110 post-secondary institutions in the U.S. state of Minnesota.[1] The Twin Cities campus of the public University of Minnesota is the largest university in the state with 54,890 enrolled at the start of the 2023–24 academic year, making it the ninth-largest American campus by enrollment size.[2] The University of Minnesota system has four other campuses in Crookston, Duluth, Morris, and Rochester.[3] The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system comprises 26 colleges and 7 universities on 54 campuses.[4] Minnesota State University in Mankato is referred to as the flagship of the Minnesota State system, is the second-largest university in the state.

The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul is Minnesota's largest private university or college with a fall 2023 enrollment of 9,121 students.[5] Mahnomen–based White Earth Tribal and Community College is the state's smallest postsecondary institution, while Normandale Community College in Bloomington is Minnesota's largest community and technical college.

The majority of Minnesota's post-secondary institutions are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC),[6] but 22 have received accreditation from the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS).[7] Most are accredited by multiple agencies, such as the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the National League for Nursing (NLNAC), and the American Psychological Association (APA).

While the University of Minnesota was chartered by the state in 1851, it did not operate as a place of higher education for nearly two decades.[8] St. Paul–based Hamline University is considered the state's oldest private college or university, being founded in 1854 as a Methodist coeducational institution.[9] Mayo Medical School, the University of Minnesota, and University of Minnesota Duluth feature the only medical schools in the state.[10] Mitchell Hamline School of Law, the University of Minnesota Law School, and the University of St. Thomas School of Law are American Bar Association-accredited law schools.[11]

Extant institutions

Institution Location(s) Control[note 1] Type[note 2] Enrollment[12]
(fall 2024) 		Founded
Alexandria Technical and Community College Alexandria Public Associate's college 3,281 1961[13]
Anoka Technical College Anoka Public Associate's college 1,970 1967[14]
Anoka-Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids, Cambridge Public Associate's college 8,486 1965[15]
Bemidji State University Bemidji Public Master's university 4,072 1919[16]
Central Lakes College Brainerd, Staples Public Associate's college 4,981 1938[17]
Century College White Bear Lake Public Associate's college 8,726 1967[18]
Dakota County Technical College Rosemount Public Associate's college 2,894 1970[19]
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College Cloquet Public Tribal college 1,789 1987[20]
Hennepin Technical College Brooklyn Park,
Eden Prairie 		Public Associate's college 4,572 1972[21]
Inver Hills Community College Inver Grove Heights Public Associate's college 3,804 1970[22]
Lake Superior College Duluth Public Associate's college 4,074 1995[23]
Leech Lake Tribal College Cass Lake Public Tribal college 209 1990[24]
Metropolitan State University St. Paul, Minneapolis Public Master's university 6,660 1971[25]
Minneapolis College Minneapolis Public Associate's college 6,733 1996[26]
Minnesota North College Hibbing, Ely, Eveleth, Grand Rapids, International Falls, Virginia Public Associate's college 3,174 1916[27]
Minnesota State College Southeast Winona, Red Wing Public Associate's college 2,331 1949[28]
Minnesota State Community and Technical College Fergus Falls, Detroit Lakes, Moorhead, Wadena Public Associate's college 5,645 1960[29]
Minnesota State University, Mankato Mankato Public Master's university 15,271 1868[30]
Minnesota State University Moorhead Moorhead Public Master's university 4,386 1885[31]
Minnesota West Community and Technical College Granite Falls, Canby, Jackson, Pipestone, Worthington Public Associate's college 3,695 1967[29]
Normandale Community College Bloomington Public Associate's college 11,026 1968[32]
North Hennepin Community College Brooklyn Park Public Associate's college 5,563 1966[29]
Northland Community & Technical College Thief River Falls,
East Grand Forks 		Public Associate's college 2,631 1949[33]
Northwest Technical College Bemidji Public Associate's college 978 1965[34]
Pine Technical and Community College Pine City Public Associate's college 1,794 1965[29]
Ridgewater College Hutchinson, Willmar Public Associate's college 3,148 1996[35][36]
Riverland Community College Albert Lea, Austin, Owatonna Public Associate's college 3,959 1940[37]
Rochester Community and Technical College Rochester Public Associate's college 5,205 1915[38]
St. Cloud State University St. Cloud Public Master's university 10,732 1869[39]
St. Cloud Technical and Community College St. Cloud Public Associate's college 4,030 1948[29]
Saint Paul College St. Paul Public Associate's college 5,198 1910[40]
South Central College North Mankato, Faribault Public Associate's college 2,731 1946[41]
Southwest Minnesota State University Marshall Public Master's university 8,214 1963[42]
University of Minnesota Crookston Crookston Public Baccalaureate college 2,612 1966[42]
University of Minnesota Duluth Duluth Public Master's university 9,253 1947[43]
University of Minnesota Morris Morris Public Baccalaureate college 981 1960[44]
University of Minnesota Rochester Rochester Public Associate's college 578 1966[45]
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Minneapolis, St. Paul Public Research university 56,666 1851[43]
White Earth Tribal and Community College Mahnomen Public Tribal college 119 1997[46]
Winona State University Winona, Rochester Public Master's university 6,045 1858[47]
Academy College Bloomington Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 56 1936[48][16]
Adler Graduate School Minnetonka Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 275 1967[49]
Augsburg University Minneapolis Private not-for-profit
(Lutheran) 		Master's university 3,249 1869[16][50]
Bethany Global University Bloomington Private not-for-profit
(Non-denominational Christian) 		Special-focus institution 100 1948[51]
Bethany Lutheran College Mankato Private not-for-profit
(Lutheran) 		Baccalaureate college 899 1927[52][53]
Bethel University Arden Hills Private not-for-profit
(Baptist) 		Master's university 3,603 1871[53][54]
Carleton College Northfield Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 2,128 1866[55][56]
College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University St. Joseph, Collegeville Private not-for-profit
(Roman Catholic) 		Baccalaureate college 3,001 (CSB-SJU Combined) 1857 (SJU) 1913 (CSB)[57]
College of St. Scholastica Duluth Private not-for-profit
(Roman Catholic) 		Master's university 2,930 1912[58]
Concordia College Moorhead Private not-for-profit
(Lutheran) 		Baccalaureate college 1,935 1891[59]
Concordia University St. Paul Private not-for-profit
(Lutheran) 		Master's university 6,003 1893[60][61]
Crown College St. Bonifacius Private not-for-profit
(Christian and Missionary Alliance) 		Baccalaureate college 1,846 1916[61][62]
Dunwoody College of Technology Minneapolis Private not-for-profit Associate's college 1,537 1914[63]
Gustavus Adolphus College St. Peter Private not-for-profit
(Lutheran) 		Baccalaureate college 1,906 1862[64]
Hamline University St. Paul Private not-for-profit
(Methodist) 		Master's university 2,565 1854[65]
Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies Center City Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 192 1999[66]
Luther Seminary St. Paul Private not-for-profit
(Lutheran) 		Special-focus institution 371 1869[67]
Macalester College St. Paul Private not-for-profit
(Presbyterian) 		Baccalaureate college 2,138 1874[68]
Martin Luther College New Ulm Private not-for-profit
(Lutheran) 		Baccalaureate college 878 1995[69]
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science Rochester Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 1,439 1915[70]
Minneapolis College of Art and Design Minneapolis Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 831 1886[25][71]
Mitchell Hamline School of Law St. Paul Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 1,163 1900[72]
North Central University Minneapolis Private not-for-profit
(Assemblies of God) 		Baccalaureate college 852 1930[31]
Northwestern Health Sciences University Bloomington Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 1,101 1941[73]
Oak Hills Christian College Bemidji Private not-for-profit
(Non-denominational Christian) 		Special-focus institution 95 1946[74]
St. Catherine University St. Paul, Minneapolis Private not-for-profit
(Roman Catholic) 		Master's university 3,651 1905[39]
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Winona, Minneapolis Private not-for-profit
(Roman Catholic) 		Master's university 4,505 1912[75]
St. Olaf College Northfield Private not-for-profit
(Lutheran) 		Baccalaureate college 3,124 1874[76]
United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities St. Paul Private not-for-profit
(United Church of Christ) 		Special-focus institution 226 1960[77]
University of Northwestern – St. Paul Roseville Private not-for-profit
(Non-denominational Christian) 		Baccalaureate college 3,234 1902[74]
University of St. Thomas St. Paul, Minneapolis Private not-for-profit
(Roman Catholic) 		Doctoral/research university 9,410 1885[78]
Capella University Minneapolis Private for-profit Doctoral/research university 47,761 1993[79]
Rasmussen University Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Eagan, Mankato, Moorhead, St. Cloud Private for-profit Associate's college 9,416[note 3] 1904[81]
Walden University Minneapolis Private for-profit Doctoral/research university 49,441 1970[82]

Defunct institutions

Institution Location(s) Control Founded Closed Ref
Albert Lea College Albert Lea Private
(Presbyterian) 		1885 1973
Argosy University Eagan Private for-profit 2001 2019 [83]
College of Visual Arts St. Paul Private
(not-for-profit) 		1924 2013 [84]
Duluth Business University Duluth Private for-profit 1891[85] 2018 [86]
Fairlakes State Junior College Fairmont Public 1973 1975 [87][88]
Golden Valley Lutheran College Golden Valley Private
(Lutheran) 		1919 1985 [89]
International Center for Naturobioholistic Health and Medicine Bemidji Private for-profit

accredited ACICS

1978 1984 [90]
Lea College Albert Lea Private 1965 1973 [91]
Pillsbury Baptist Bible College Owatonna Private
(Independent Baptist) 		1957 2008 [92]
College of Saint Teresa Winona Private
(Roman Catholic) 		1907 1989 [93]
Southern Minnesota Normal College Austin Public 1897 1925 [94]
Minnesota Central University Hastings Public 1857 1867
University of Minnesota Waseca Waseca Public 1971 1992 [95]
Brown College Mendota Heights, Brooklyn Center Private for-profit 1946 2015
Crossroads College Rochester Private
(Church of Christ) 		1913 2016

[96]

Globe University and Minnesota School of Business multiple Private for-profit 1877 2016
McNally Smith College of Music St. Paul Private for-profit 1985 2017
Minneapolis Business College Roseville Private for-profit 1874 2019
CenterPoint Massage & Shiatsu School & Clinic St. Louis Park Private for-profit 2001 2021
  • National for-profit institution National American University operated campuses in Bloomington, Brooklyn Center, Burnsville, Rochester and Roseville that offered associate's and bachelor's degrees.
  • National for-profit institution the University of Phoenix formerly operated a campus in St. Louis Park that offers bachelor's and master's degrees.[97]

Out-of-state institutions

Key

Abbreviation Accrediting agency
AAMFT American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
AANA American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
ABA American Bar Association
ACICS Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools
ACME Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education
ACPE Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
ADA American Dental Association
ADA American Dietetic Association
AOTA American Occupational Therapy Association
APA American Psychological Association
APTA American Physical Therapy Association
ASHA American Speech–Language–Hearing Association
CCNE Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
JRCERT Joint Review Committee on Education Programs in Radiologic Technology
LCME Liaison Committee on Medical Education
MSCHE Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
NASAD National Association of Schools of Art and Design
NASD National Association of Schools of Dance
NASM National Association of Schools of Music
NAST National Association of Schools of Theatre
HLC Higher Learning Commission
NCATE National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
NLNAC National League for Nursing

See also

Notes

  1. School control is based on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
  2. School types are based on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
  3. Rasmussen College operates campuses in Brooklyn Park, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Lake Elmo, Mankato, and St. Cloud.[80][81]

References

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