List of colleges and universities in Minnesota

There are nearly 200 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 37 public universities and on 54 campuses.^[4] Minnesota State University, referred to as the flagship of the Minnesota State system, is the second-largest university in the state.

Lind Hall at the University of Minnesota (left), Frey Science and Engineering Hall at the University of St. Thomas (middle), and an aerial view of Carleton College (right)

The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul is Minnesota's largest private university or college^[5] with a fall 2010 enrollment of 10,815 students.^[6] Center City–based Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies is the state's smallest postsecondary institution, while Century College in White Bear Lake is Minnesota's largest community and technical college.^[7]

The majority of Minnesota's post-secondary institutions are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC),^[8] but 22 have received accreditation from the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS).^[9] 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.^[10] St. Paul–based Hamline University is considered the state's oldest private college or university, being founded in 1854 as a Methodist coeducational institution.^[11] Mayo Medical School, the University of Minnesota, and University of Minnesota Duluth feature the only medical schools in the state.^[12] 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.^[13]

Extant institutions

Institution	Location(s)	Control[note 1]	Type[note 2]	Enrollment[14] (fall 2023)	Founded
Alexandria Technical and Community College	Alexandria	Public	Associate's college	2,865	1961[15]
Anoka Technical College	Anoka	Public	Associate's college	1,580	1967[16]
Anoka-Ramsey Community College	Coon Rapids, Cambridge	Public	Associate's college	7,902	1965[17]
Bemidji State University	Bemidji	Public	Master's university	4,023	1919[18]
Central Lakes College	Brainerd, Staples	Public	Associate's college	4,633	1938[19]
Century College	White Bear Lake	Public	Associate's college	7,646	1967[20]
Dakota County Technical College	Rosemount	Public	Associate's college	2,717	1970[21]
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College	Cloquet	Public	Tribal college	1,648	1987[22]
Hennepin Technical College	Brooklyn Park, Eden Prairie	Public	Associate's college	3,974	1972[23]
Minnesota North College	Hibbing, Itasca, Eveleth, Mesabi, Vermilion, Rainy River	Public	Associate's college	3,044	1916[24]
Inver Hills Community College	Inver Grove Heights	Public	Associate's college	3,459	1970[25]
Lake Superior College	Duluth	Public	Associate's college	3,849	1995[26]
Leech Lake Tribal College	Cass Lake	Public	Tribal college	172	1990[27]
Metropolitan State University	St. Paul, Minneapolis	Public	Master's university	6,294	1971[28]
Minneapolis Community and Technical College	Minneapolis	Public	Associate's college	6,030	1996[29]
Minnesota State College Southeast	Winona, Red Wing	Public	Associate's college	1,923	1949[30]
Minnesota State Community and Technical College	Fergus Falls, Detroit Lakes, Moorhead, Wadena	Public	Associate's college	5,282	1960[31]
Minnesota State University, Mankato	Mankato	Public	Master's university	14,590	1868[32]
Minnesota State University Moorhead	Moorhead	Public	Master's university	4,682	1885[33]
Minnesota West Community and Technical College	Granite Falls, Canby, Jackson, Pipestone, Worthington	Public	Associate's college	3,352	1967[31]
Normandale Community College	Bloomington	Public	Associate's college	9,346	1968[34]
North Hennepin Community College	Brooklyn Park	Public	Associate's college	4,896	1966[31]
Northland Community & Technical College	Thief River Falls, East Grand Forks	Public	Associate's college	2,495	1949[35]
Northwest Technical College	Bemidji	Public	Associate's college	721	1965[36]
Pine Technical and Community College	Pine City	Public	Associate's college	1,873	1965[31]
Ridgewater College	Hutchinson, Willmar	Public	Associate's college	2,904	1996[37][38]
Riverland Community College	Albert Lea, Austin, Owatonna	Public	Associate's college	3,175	1940[39]
Rochester Community and Technical College	Rochester	Public	Associate's college	4,482	1915[40]
St. Cloud State University	St. Cloud	Public	Master's university	10,420	1869[41]
St. Cloud Technical and Community College	St. Cloud	Public	Associate's college	3,466	1948[31]
Saint Paul College	St. Paul	Public	Associate's college	5,365	1910[42]
South Central College	North Mankato, Faribault	Public	Associate's college	2,602	1946[43]
Southwest Minnesota State University	Marshall	Public	Master's university	6,930	1963[44]
University of Minnesota Crookston	Crookston	Public	Baccalaureate college	2,303	1966[44]
University of Minnesota Duluth	Duluth	Public	Master's university	9,675	1947[45]
University of Minnesota Morris	Morris	Public	Baccalaureate college	1,068	1960[46]
University of Minnesota Rochester	Rochester	Public	Associate's college	630	1966[47]
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities	Minneapolis, St. Paul	Public	Research university	54,955	1851[45]
White Earth Tribal and Community College	Mahnomen	Public	Tribal college	102	1997[48]
Winona State University	Winona, Rochester	Public	Master's university	6,154	1858[49]
Academy College	Minneapolis	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	105	1936[50][18]
Adler Graduate School	Minnetonka	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	227	1967[51]
Augsburg University	Minneapolis	Private not-for-profit (Lutheran)	Master's university	3,088	1869[18][52]
Bethany Global University	Bloomington	Private not-for-profit (Non-denominational Christian)	Special-focus institution	261	1948[53]
Bethany Lutheran College	Mankato	Private not-for-profit (Lutheran)	Baccalaureate college	830	1927[54][55]
Bethel University	Arden Hills	Private not-for-profit (Baptist)	Master's university	3,546	1871[55][56]
Carleton College	Northfield	Private not-for-profit	Baccalaureate college	2,059	1866[57][58]
College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University	St. Joseph, Collegeville	Private not-for-profit (Roman Catholic)	Baccalaureate college	3,115 (CSB-SJU Combined)	1857 (SJU) 1913 (CSB)[59]
College of St. Scholastica	Duluth	Private not-for-profit (Roman Catholic)	Master's university	3,207	1912[60]
Concordia College	Moorhead	Private not-for-profit (Lutheran)	Baccalaureate college	1,903	1891[61]
Concordia University	St. Paul	Private not-for-profit (Lutheran)	Master's university	5,544	1893[62][63]
Crown College	St. Bonifacius	Private not-for-profit (Christian and Missionary Alliance)	Baccalaureate college	1,583	1916[63][64]
Dunwoody College of Technology	Minneapolis	Private not-for-profit	Associate's college	1,359	1914[65]
Gustavus Adolphus College	St. Peter	Private not-for-profit (Lutheran)	Baccalaureate college	2,072	1862[66]
Hamline University	St. Paul	Private not-for-profit (Methodist)	Master's university	2,638	1854[67]
Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies	Center City	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	147	1999[68]
Luther Seminary	St. Paul	Private not-for-profit (Lutheran)	Special-focus institution	410	1869[69]
Macalester College	St. Paul	Private not-for-profit (Presbyterian)	Baccalaureate college	2,175	1874[70]
Martin Luther College	New Ulm	Private not-for-profit (Lutheran)	Baccalaureate college	880	1995[71]
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science	Rochester	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	1,237	1915[72]
Minneapolis College of Art and Design	Minneapolis	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	821	1886[28][73]
Mitchell Hamline School of Law	St. Paul	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	1,192	1900[74]
North Central University	Minneapolis	Private not-for-profit (Assemblies of God)	Baccalaureate college	992	1930[33]
Northwestern Health Sciences University	Bloomington	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	1,031	1941[75]
Oak Hills Christian College	Bemidji	Private not-for-profit (Non-denominational Christian)	Special-focus institution	102	1946[76]
St. Catherine University	St. Paul, Minneapolis	Private not-for-profit (Roman Catholic)	Master's university	3,577	1905[41]
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota	Winona, Minneapolis	Private not-for-profit (Roman Catholic)	Master's university	4,133	1912[77]
St. Olaf College	Northfield	Private not-for-profit (Lutheran)	Baccalaureate college	3,046	1874[78]
United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities	St. Paul	Private not-for-profit (United Church of Christ)	Special-focus institution	224	1960[79]
University of Northwestern – St. Paul	Roseville	Private not-for-profit (Non-denominational Christian)	Baccalaureate college	3,253	1902[76]
University of St. Thomas	St. Paul, Minneapolis	Private not-for-profit (Roman Catholic)	Doctoral/research university	9,025	1885[80]
Capella University	Minneapolis	Private for-profit	Doctoral/research university	39,727	1993[81]
Rasmussen University	Various	Private for-profit	Associate's college	3,058[note 3]	1904[83]
Walden University	Minneapolis	Private for-profit	Doctoral/research university	42,313	1970[84]

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	[85]
College of Visual Arts	St. Paul	Private (not-for-profit)	1924	2013	[86]
Duluth Business University	Duluth	Private for-profit	1891[87]	2018	[88]
Fairlakes State Junior College	Fairmont	Public	1973	1975	[89][90]
Golden Valley Lutheran College	Golden Valley	Private (Lutheran)	1919	1985	[91]
International Center for Naturobioholistic Health and Medicine	Bemidji, Minnesota	Private for-profit accredited ACICS	1978	1984	[92]
Lea College	Albert Lea	Private	1965	1973	[93]
Pillsbury Baptist Bible College	Owatonna	Private (Independent Baptist)	1957	2008	[94]
College of Saint Teresa	Winona	Private (Roman Catholic)	1907	1989	[95]
Southern Minnesota Normal College	Austin	Public	1897	1925	[96]
Minnesota Central University	Hastings	Public	1857	1867
University of Minnesota Waseca	Waseca	Public	1971	1992	[97]
Brown College	Mendota Heights, Brooklyn Center	Private for-profit	1946	2015
Crossroads College	Rochester	Private (Church of Christ)	1913	2016	[98]
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.[99]

Out-of-state institutions

• National for-profit institution Anthem Education Group has a campus in St. Louis Park that offers associate's degrees.^[100][101]
• National for-profit institution DeVry University operates a campus in Edina that offers associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees.^[102]
• National for-profit institution Herzing University operates a campus in Crystal that offers associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees.^[103]
• National for-profit institution ITT Technical Institute operates a campus in Eden Prairie that offers associate's and bachelor's degrees.^{[104][105][31][106]}

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

• United States portal
• Education portal

• List of college athletic programs in Minnesota
• Higher education in the United States
• List of American institutions of higher education

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.^[82][83]