The state of Minnesota is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live in the U.S., due in large part to the quality and availability of its education. The North Star State is home to 115 colleges and universities, including one top research university, nearly a dozen four-year state schools, and 31 public community colleges. Minnesota also boasts an array of private schools, which includes 36 nonprofit schools and 36 for-profit schools. Additionally, many of these institutions offer tuition breaks to students, regardless of their residency status.
This guide is designed to help you search for the best online colleges in Minnesota. Below, we identify sources of funding to pay for your education, including tuition breaks and scholarships, along with information you need to land a career after graduation.
Before we look at the best online colleges in Minnesota, let's start with the state of higher education and online education in particular in Minnesota today.
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Overview of Online Colleges in Minnesota
A Brief Overview of Higher Education in Minnesota
Prospective college students have 115 degree-granting institutions in Minnesota to choose from, more than other states of a similar size. This includes 43 public schools, 12 four-year institutions, 31 two-year colleges, and 36 nonprofit and 36 for-profit schools. Of the nearly 20 million college students who attended schools in the U.S. during the fall of 2016, about 2.1% attended schools in Minnesota. Moreover, about one quarter of Minnesota's high school graduates attend colleges in other states, while the remainder stay in Minnesota.[dataviz-stats public="43" non-profit="36" for-profit="36"]Tuition and fees at Minnesota's four-year public schools averaged $11,300 for in-state students and $20,890 for out-of-state students in 2017-18. Minnesota's flagship public research university is the University of Minnesota, which serves nearly 52,000 students through its Twin Cities main campus. In 2017-18, UMN charged $14,417 for in-state tuition and $26,603 for out-of-state tuition. To help students meet the costs of tuition, Minnesota issued nearly $191 million in need-based grants and work study in 2015-16. The state also spent $5.6 million on special purpose programs such as postsecondary childcare grants, and gave out $65.6 million in low-interest student loans.
Higher Education in Minnesota
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The State of Online Higher Education in Minnesota
According to the Distance Education State Almanac 2017, nearly 43% of Minnesota's college students take at least one online course, more than the national average of 30%. This percentage represents an increase of just over 4% between 2012 and 2015, a growth rate below the national average of 11%. However, about 30% of students in Minnesota take all of their courses online, more than double the national average of 14%. Of those taking courses exclusively online, 62% study at the graduate level and 26% live in Minnesota.[dataviz-nces online="30" undergrad="38" in-state="26"]
Tuition Breaks for Out-of-State Students
Minnesota is one of 10 Midwest states to participate in the voluntary Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC). In fact, more than 100 schools, including some of the best online colleges in Minnesota, offer affordable out-of-state tuition rates to students from the following participating states: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Under the MHEC's Midwest Student Exchange Program, these participating public schools agree to charge out-of-state students from other Midwestern states no more than 150% of their in-state tuition rate. Private schools offer a 10% discount on tuition.Minnesota also has reciprocity agreements with specific neighboring states and provinces. According to Minnesota-Wisconsin tuition reciprocity, for example, Wisconsin residents may attend public schools in Minnesota at the in-state tuition rate. Minnesota also holds reciprocity agreements with North Dakota, South Dakota, and Manitoba (Canada). Meanwhile, one community college in Minnesota has a reciprocity agreement with a community college in Iowa. Some Minnesota colleges charge in-state tuition rates for students from any state, so be sure to check with the Minnesota school you wish to attend to learn whether it offers relevant tuition breaks.
Best Online Colleges in Minnesota
Below, you will find our rankings of the best online four-year programs in Minnesota. Our profiles look at how schools approach online education and then list their services for distance students and their popular, fully online degrees. After reviewing the best online schools in Minnesota, explore our state resources, like a database of every college and university in Minnesota or our index of popular in-state scholarships.
Ranking Methodology
To determine the best online colleges in each state, we examined the factors most important to prospective students: Academic quality and reputation, online program strength, and cost and student aid. At the most basic level, we use the following formula to determine the best online colleges: Academic Quality + Online Offerings + Cost and Student Aid = Final Score. Of course, there's more to these calculations than meets the eye. Visit our methodology page to discover the data points that shape our formula and to learn more about the process we use to rank schools.
Most Affordable Online Colleges in Minnesota
Below, you will find all of the online schools in Minnesota sorted by their tuition rates.
Affordability Methodology
Our list of the most affordable online colleges is based on in-state yearly tuition, or annual tuition rates if a school does not differentiate between in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition rates are based on a full course load each semester or term. All colleges on the list offer at least one bachelor's degree completion program available entirely online.The online schools in Minnesota with the lowest tuition are ranked highest, providing prospective students with a true list of the most affordable online colleges in their state.
College Graduate Outlook in Minnesota
Job Outlook for College Graduates in Minnesota
Graduates of the best online colleges in Minnesota can take advantage of the state's robust economy and stable job outlook. The state boasts a low unemployment rate of 2.9% and a high mean annual wage of $52,730, above the national average. As a midwestern state, Minnesota leads in annual farm income, and provides numerous job opportunities for college graduates. Minnesota farmers support the state's economy by producing corn, hogs, soybeans, dairy products, and cattle. Iron ore mining and fishing also serve as important natural resource industries for the state.While agriculture is a major contributor to the state's economy, Minnesota is also home to many successful technology, healthcare, and retail businesses. In 2018, the number of Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Minnesota rose to 19. The state experienced steady gains in 2018 in non-farm jobs, especially in construction and manufacturing, while much of Minnesota's manufacturing produced high-tech computer and electronic devices. Minnesota's top services industries include healthcare, computer programming, and data processing.Moreover, Minnesota's high-tech employers compensate their workers well. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that among 25 Midwestern metropolitan areas, only the Twin Cities had mean wages for computer professionals significantly higher than national averages.