State cost ranking · DOE College Scorecard
Cheapest Colleges in Minnesota
According to U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data, 81 Minnesota colleges ranked by average net price, what students actually paid after grant and scholarship aid, not the published sticker price.
- $1,811
- Cheapest net price
- $16,863
- Minnesota median
- 81
- Schools ranked
Data updated June 2026 · IPEDS 2022–23 vintage
The list in one line
White Earth Tribal and Community College has the lowest average net price in Minnesota at $1,811/year, and the state's median net price is 1% below the $17,083 national median across 4,942 schools.
- $1,811
- cheapest ranked net price
- $16,863
- Minnesota median net price
- 40 public / 41 private
- schools in this ranking
- $13,464
- avg net price, <$30K income families
Average net price is the institution-reported average amount students actually paid after all grant and scholarship aid, not counting loans that must be repaid. A very low figure at a specialty or religious institution can reflect a narrow enrollment mix rather than typical affordability, check the sector label and enrollment before comparing.
Sticker tuition and real net price diverge most at Carleton College, where in-state published tuition of $68,892 falls to an average net price of $25,407 after aid, a $43,485 gap. This is the widest sticker-to-net-price gap among ranked Minnesota schools, and a reminder that published tuition alone is a poor guide to what most admitted students actually pay.
Across all 81 ranked Minnesota schools, 40 are public institutions and 41 are private (nonprofit or for-profit). Sector is shown next to every school below because a low sticker-adjacent price at a small religious, seminary, or specialty school can reflect an unusual enrollment mix rather than broad affordability, check enrollment and sector before drawing conclusions from rank alone.
Average net price also blends every income bracket into one figure, so a family's own bracket can land well above or below the number shown here. Federal reporting requires an institution to have enough surveyed aid recipients in a bracket before that bracket is published, so a very small school can show only a partial income-bracket breakdown even when its overall average net price is fully reported. Use the school's own profile page for the full income-bracket table before treating a single average as a personal cost estimate.
Minnesota's 25 cheapest colleges by real net price
| # | College | Avg net price | Net price (<$30K income) | Median debt | Median earnings, 6yr | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | White Earth Tribal and Community College Mahnomen, MN · Private nonprofit | $1,811 95% of the leader · rank #1 | $2,710 | - | - | 103 |
| 2 | Red Lake Nation College Red Lake, MN · Public | $5,672 85% of the leader · rank #2 | $4,771 | - | - | 256 |
| 3 | Avalon School of Cosmetology Worthington, MN · Private for-profit | $6,507 83% of the leader · rank #3 | $6,182 | - | $21,096 | 18 |
| 4 | Riverland Community College Austin, MN · Public | $7,427 80% of the leader · rank #4 | $6,612 | $12,000 | $41,043 | 3,591 |
| 5 | University of Minnesota-Morris Morris, MN · Public | $8,837 77% of the leader · rank #5 | $1,694 | $18,995 | $43,163 | 1,020 |
| 6 | South Central College North Mankato, MN · Public | $9,082 76% of the leader · rank #6 | $6,470 | $12,000 | $40,637 | 2,652 |
| 7 | St Cloud Technical and Community College Saint Cloud, MN · Public | $9,635 75% of the leader · rank #7 | $6,889 | $12,000 | $42,307 | 3,565 |
| 8 | Ridgewater College Willmar, MN · Public | $10,046 73% of the leader · rank #8 | $7,963 | $12,000 | $40,862 | 2,855 |
| 9 | Hennepin Technical College Brooklyn Park, MN · Public | $10,272 73% of the leader · rank #9 | $7,924 | $11,433 | $46,905 | 3,891 |
| 10 | Minnesota North College Hibbing, MN · Public | $10,432 72% of the leader · rank #10 | $6,879 | $12,000 | $38,107 | 3,020 |
| 11 | Century College White Bear Lake, MN · Public | $10,906 71% of the leader · rank #11 | $9,717 | $14,250 | $41,959 | 8,248 |
| 12 | Model College of Hair Design Saint Cloud, MN · Private for-profit | $10,946 71% of the leader · rank #12 | $11,841 | $7,139 | $29,411 | 108 |
| 13 | Northwest Technical College Bemidji, MN · Public | $10,996 71% of the leader · rank #13 | $6,638 | $15,000 | $41,389 | 901 |
| 14 | Minnesota West Community and Technical College Granite Falls, MN · Public | $11,191 70% of the leader · rank #14 | $8,950 | $10,987 | $39,894 | 3,438 |
| 15 | Saint Paul College Saint Paul, MN · Public | $11,495 70% of the leader · rank #15 | $10,177 | $10,925 | $36,932 | 5,155 |
| 16 | Inver Hills Community College Inver Grove Heights, MN · Public | $11,636 69% of the leader · rank #16 | $9,373 | $13,965 | $43,586 | 3,689 |
| 17 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Winona, MN · Private nonprofit | $11,704 69% of the leader · rank #17 | $16,182 | $21,500 | $54,549 | 3,831 |
| 18 | North Hennepin Community College Brooklyn Park, MN · Public | $12,186 68% of the leader · rank #18 | $10,326 | $14,750 | $43,014 | 5,195 |
| 19 | University of Minnesota-Crookston Crookston, MN · Public | $12,212 68% of the leader · rank #19 | $5,758 | $20,500 | $51,905 | 2,518 |
| 20 | Minnesota State Community and Technical College Fergus Falls, MN · Public | $12,556 67% of the leader · rank #20 | $9,111 | $12,000 | $41,829 | 5,414 |
| 21 | Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College Cloquet, MN · Public | $12,677 66% of the leader · rank #21 | $9,779 | $14,181 | $37,251 | 1,749 |
| 22 | Pine Technical & Community College Pine City, MN · Public | $12,798 66% of the leader · rank #22 | $11,875 | $14,392 | $37,079 | 1,913 |
| 23 | Normandale Community College Bloomington, MN · Public | $12,972 66% of the leader · rank #23 | $11,011 | $12,000 | $42,298 | 9,620 |
| 24 | Leech Lake Tribal College Cass Lake, MN · Public | $13,115 65% of the leader · rank #24 | $13,169 | - | $24,734 | 243 |
| 25 | Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN · Public | $13,529 64% of the leader · rank #25 | $8,909 | $21,058 | $47,215 | 10,514 |
See all 81 ranked Minnesota schools →
| # | College | Avg net price | Net price (<$30K income) | Median debt | Median earnings, 6yr | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Dakota County Technical College Rosemount, MN · Public | $13,548 64% of the leader · rank #26 | $9,549 | $11,000 | $46,398 | 2,662 |
| 27 | Alexandria Technical & Community College Alexandria, MN · Public | $13,691 64% of the leader · rank #27 | $8,358 | $12,000 | $46,061 | 3,038 |
| 28 | University of Minnesota-Rochester Rochester, MN · Public | $13,744 64% of the leader · rank #28 | $6,116 | $19,500 | $57,984 | 588 |
| 29 | Minneapolis Community and Technical College Minneapolis, MN · Public | $13,812 63% of the leader · rank #29 | $13,019 | $17,954 | $32,872 | 6,269 |
| 30 | Central Lakes College-Brainerd Brainerd, MN · Public | $13,869 63% of the leader · rank #30 | $12,264 | $11,000 | $39,389 | 4,532 |
| 31 | Northland Community and Technical College Thief River Falls, MN · Public | $13,975 63% of the leader · rank #31 | $11,348 | $12,000 | $43,006 | 2,477 |
| 32 | Hastings Beauty School Hastings, MN · Private for-profit | $14,099 63% of the leader · rank #32 | $11,156 | - | $22,668 | 11 |
| 33 | Rochester Community and Technical College Rochester, MN · Public | $14,435 62% of the leader · rank #33 | $11,588 | $14,743 | $39,814 | 4,714 |
| 34 | Bemidji State University Bemidji, MN · Public | $15,261 60% of the leader · rank #34 | $10,073 | $19,750 | $47,469 | 3,926 |
| 35 | Southwest Minnesota State University Marshall, MN · Public | $15,291 60% of the leader · rank #35 | $10,559 | $20,500 | $43,282 | 7,324 |
| 36 | Lake Superior College Duluth, MN · Public | $15,492 59% of the leader · rank #36 | $12,326 | $12,775 | $40,681 | 4,001 |
| 37 | Minnesota State College Southeast Winona, MN · Public | $16,140 57% of the leader · rank #37 | $15,072 | $12,971 | $42,376 | 2,020 |
| 38 | Anoka-Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids, MN · Public | $16,434 57% of the leader · rank #38 | $13,788 | $13,500 | $42,217 | 7,843 |
| 39 | Herzing University-Minneapolis St. Louis Park, MN · Private nonprofit | $16,670 56% of the leader · rank #39 | $15,304 | $21,500 | $35,295 | 752 |
| 40 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN · Public | $16,778 56% of the leader · rank #40 | $6,642 | $19,500 | $57,984 | 54,890 |
| 41 | Metropolitan State University Saint Paul, MN · Public | $16,863 55% of the leader · rank #41 | $15,238 | $17,100 | $54,828 | 6,005 |
| 42 | Anoka Technical College Anoka, MN · Public | $16,953 55% of the leader · rank #42 | $13,923 | $11,000 | $45,073 | 1,822 |
| 43 | Winona State University Winona, MN · Public | $17,503 54% of the leader · rank #43 | $10,224 | $21,500 | $51,288 | 6,058 |
| 44 | Summit Academy Opportunities Industrialization Center Minneapolis, MN · Private nonprofit | $17,649 53% of the leader · rank #44 | $17,965 | - | $23,930 | 270 |
| 45 | Empire Beauty School-Spring Lake Park Spring Lake Park, MN · Private for-profit | $17,814 53% of the leader · rank #45 | $17,329 | $13,000 | $19,338 | 80 |
| 46 | Capella University Minneapolis, MN · Private for-profit | $17,956 52% of the leader · rank #46 | $17,485 | $14,968 | $48,500 | 43,915 |
| 47 | Rasmussen University-Minnesota Saint Cloud, MN · Private for-profit | $17,962 52% of the leader · rank #47 | $17,104 | $20,899 | $41,436 | 8,823 |
| 48 | Minnesota State University Moorhead Moorhead, MN · Public | $17,997 52% of the leader · rank #48 | $11,129 | $20,000 | $45,873 | 4,410 |
| 49 | Empire Beauty School-Bloomington Bloomington, MN · Private for-profit | $18,315 52% of the leader · rank #49 | $17,306 | $10,231 | $21,743 | 157 |
| 50 | Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Minneapolis Minneapolis, MN · Private for-profit | $18,345 51% of the leader · rank #50 | $16,552 | $6,333 | $32,552 | 608 |
| 51 | Concordia University-Saint Paul Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit | $18,462 51% of the leader · rank #51 | $16,406 | $17,832 | $50,646 | 5,854 |
| 52 | Martin Luther College New Ulm, MN · Private nonprofit | $18,463 51% of the leader · rank #52 | $11,233 | $20,177 | $40,760 | 860 |
| 53 | University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth, MN · Public | $18,743 50% of the leader · rank #53 | $7,256 | $22,024 | $52,840 | 9,350 |
| 54 | Minnesota State University-Mankato Mankato, MN · Public | $19,139 49% of the leader · rank #54 | $12,339 | $21,106 | $50,098 | 14,709 |
| 55 | St Catherine University Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit | $19,764 48% of the leader · rank #55 | $17,890 | $24,181 | $52,795 | 3,533 |
| 56 | PCI Academy-Plymouth Plymouth, MN · Private for-profit | $20,037 47% of the leader · rank #56 | $19,679 | $5,828 | $26,492 | 114 |
| 57 | Bethany Lutheran College Mankato, MN · Private nonprofit | $20,148 47% of the leader · rank #57 | $12,571 | $23,000 | $40,652 | 902 |
| 58 | Oak Hills Christian College Bemidji, MN · Private nonprofit | $20,227 46% of the leader · rank #58 | $17,053 | $20,980 | $31,108 | 117 |
| 59 | Hamline University Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit | $20,744 45% of the leader · rank #59 | $15,371 | $23,770 | $47,139 | 2,432 |
| 60 | Nova Academy of Cosmetology Rochester, MN · Private for-profit | $21,473 43% of the leader · rank #60 | $18,099 | $9,424 | $24,551 | 174 |
| 61 | The Salon Professional Academy Maplewood Maplewood, MN · Private for-profit | $22,283 41% of the leader · rank #61 | $21,874 | - | - | 73 |
| 62 | Gustavus Adolphus College St Peter, MN · Private nonprofit | $22,900 39% of the leader · rank #62 | $12,015 | $26,774 | $51,546 | 1,952 |
| 63 | Augsburg University Minneapolis, MN · Private nonprofit | $23,873 37% of the leader · rank #63 | $21,318 | $25,347 | $48,616 | 3,161 |
| 64 | St Olaf College Northfield, MN · Private nonprofit | $23,874 37% of the leader · rank #64 | $10,404 | $26,000 | $48,373 | 3,074 |
| 65 | Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN · Private nonprofit | $24,902 34% of the leader · rank #65 | $20,950 | $26,847 | $48,225 | 1,868 |
| 66 | Carleton College Northfield, MN · Private nonprofit | $25,407 33% of the leader · rank #66 | $7,881 | $16,750 | $53,989 | 2,069 |
| 67 | Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN · Private nonprofit | $25,672 32% of the leader · rank #67 | $10,354 | $27,000 | $59,843 | 1,624 |
| 68 | North Central University Minneapolis, MN · Private nonprofit | $25,817 32% of the leader · rank #68 | $20,450 | $23,200 | $37,688 | 984 |
| 69 | College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph, MN · Private nonprofit | $26,640 30% of the leader · rank #69 | $12,981 | $26,944 | $54,567 | 1,451 |
| 70 | Crown College Saint Bonifacius, MN · Private nonprofit | $26,672 29% of the leader · rank #70 | $24,270 | $22,500 | $39,003 | 1,727 |
| 71 | Dunwoody College of Technology Minneapolis, MN · Private nonprofit | $26,939 29% of the leader · rank #71 | $22,072 | $16,000 | $59,069 | 1,424 |
| 72 | University of Northwestern-St Paul Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit | $27,705 27% of the leader · rank #72 | $26,696 | $21,325 | $47,544 | 3,262 |
| 73 | The College of Saint Scholastica Duluth, MN · Private nonprofit | $27,846 26% of the leader · rank #73 | $14,433 | $20,000 | $62,332 | 2,979 |
| 74 | Bethel University Arden Hills, MN · Private nonprofit | $28,556 24% of the leader · rank #74 | $22,218 | $21,500 | $55,145 | 3,521 |
| 75 | Academy College Bloomington, MN · Private for-profit | $29,093 23% of the leader · rank #75 | - | $29,500 | $45,418 | 118 |
| 76 | University of St Thomas St. Paul, MN · Private nonprofit | $29,155 23% of the leader · rank #76 | $28,131 | $23,250 | $62,412 | 9,121 |
| 77 | Minneapolis College of Art and Design Minneapolis, MN · Private nonprofit | $29,926 21% of the leader · rank #77 | $23,662 | $27,000 | $35,198 | 824 |
| 78 | Macalester College St. Paul, MN · Private nonprofit | $32,149 15% of the leader · rank #78 | $13,772 | $23,000 | $46,244 | 2,142 |
| 79 | Walden University Minneapolis, MN · Private for-profit | $33,817 11% of the leader · rank #79 | $32,652 | $20,834 | $50,657 | 44,223 |
| 80 | Northwestern Health Sciences University Bloomington, MN · Private nonprofit | $35,887 5% of the leader · rank #80 | - | $7,500 | $43,760 | 1,032 |
| 81 | Bethany Global University Bloomington, MN · Private nonprofit | $37,790 4% of the leader · rank #81 | $37,327 | $12,000 | $34,385 | 201 |
What this means for you
Use Minnesota's ranking as a starting point, real net price depends on your specific financial-aid package.
- White Earth Tribal and Community College reports the lowest average net price in Minnesota, but "average" blends every income bracket, check your bracket's figure before assuming it applies to you. View White Earth Tribal
- See your specific school's in-state cost rank and nearest-price peers. My School Profile
- Compare campus safety alongside cost before deciding. Minnesota safety
Figures reflect the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23 release.
Average net price = the institution-reported average amount students actually paid after all grant and scholarship aid, excluding loans. Only schools with a reported average net price in the DOE College Scorecard dataset are ranked. Schools with fewer than 10 net-price-reporting institutions in a state or territory are not given a dedicated ranking page.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Every ranked figure on this page is queried directly from the DOE College Scorecard dataset at request time; no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.