Best Colleges in Minneapolis
Double the Fun and Opportunities
Two is better than One
“The Twin Cities” experienced so much growth that they grew into one major area. You, too, can have the same opportunities to grow in your own education here in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Over 30 schools offer hundreds of degree options with interests, such as journalism, medicine, and law.* Minneapolis-St. Paul has one of the largest economies in the Midwest and is home to the headquarters of 18 Fortune 500 companies providing jobs after graduation. As one of the “Best Places for Business and Careers” and status as one of the largest medical device manufacturing centers, business and healthcare majors are finding themselves right at home.* To top it all off, the area has the lowest unemployment rate in the country, 4.2%, for large metropolitan areas.*
Not only is the education top notch, but there’s twice the fun, too. Minnesota is known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” with plenty of recreation in the water. Many trails border the lakes and provide scenic paths for running or hiking. The Greenway and Hiawatha are two of the most popular.* There are 7 professional sports teams to give you opportunities to show your city pride: Vikings, Twins, Wild, Timberwolves, Lynx, Swarm, and United FC.* So, for football or futbol, you’re covered. As the third largest theater market, it’s a great destination for concerts and shows.* We won’t even dwell on the 5,000+ restaurants or 400+ bars in and around downtown Minneapolis-St. Paul.* While good individually, they’re better together. Come grow, and double your success in the Twin Cities.
*National Center for Education Statistics *Bureau of Labor Statistics *U.S. Census Bureau *www.minneapolis.org *Wikipedia, “Minneapolis-Saint Paul”, “Minneapolis”Best Four Year Universities in Minneapolis
Rank | School Name | Location | Description | Rating | ||
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1 | Macalester College | Saint Paul, MN |
Macalester College offers 90 Degree programs. It's a small private university in a large city. In 2015, 641 students graduated with students earning 641 Bachelor's degrees. | Based on 4 Reviews |
Read more: Macalester College Reviews
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2 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | Minneapolis, MN |
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities offers 680 Degree programs. It's a large public university in a large city. In 2015, 15,373 students graduated with students earning 9,123 Bachelor's degrees, 3,807 Master's degrees, 1,959 Doctoral degrees, and 484 Certificates degrees. | Based on 168 Reviews |
Read more: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Reviews
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3 | University of St Thomas | Saint Paul, MN |
University of St Thomas offers 220 Degree programs. It's a medium sized private university in a large city. In 2015, 3,189 students graduated with students earning 1,740 Bachelor's degrees, 1,080 Master's degrees, 196 Doctoral degrees, and 173 Certificates degrees. | Based on 24 Reviews |
Read more: University of St Thomas Reviews
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4 | Augsburg College | Minneapolis, MN |
Augsburg College offers 205 Degree programs. It's a small private university in a large city. In 2015, 1,113 students graduated with students earning 795 Bachelor's degrees, 309 Master's degrees, 7 Doctoral degrees, and 2 Certificates degrees. | Based on 12 Reviews |
Read more: Augsburg College Reviews
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5 | Hamline University | Saint Paul, MN |
Hamline University offers 151 Degree programs. It's a medium sized private university in a large city. In 2015, 1,659 students graduated with students earning 665 Bachelor's degrees, 571 Master's degrees, 288 Certificates degrees, and 135 Doctoral degrees. | Based on 12 Reviews |
Read more: Hamline University Reviews
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6 | Bethel University | Saint Paul, MN |
Bethel University offers 156 Degree programs. It's a medium sized private university in a large suburb. In 2015, 1,387 students graduated with students earning 977 Bachelor's degrees, 291 Master's degrees, 67 Certificates degrees, 29 Doctoral degrees, and 23 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Bethel University Reviews
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7 | University of Northwestern-St Paul | Saint Paul, MN |
University of Northwestern-St Paul offers 116 Degree programs. It's a small private university in a large suburb. In 2015, 703 students graduated with students earning 591 Bachelor's degrees, 89 Master's degrees, 17 Associate's degrees, and 6 Certificates degrees. | Based on 4 Reviews |
Read more: University of Northwestern-St Paul Reviews
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8 | Crown College | Saint Bonifacius, MN |
Crown College offers 109 Degree programs. It's a small private university in a outlying rural. In 2015, 504 students graduated with students earning 425 Bachelor's degrees, 57 Master's degrees, 12 Associate's degrees, and 10 Certificates degrees. | Based on 4 Reviews |
Read more: Crown College Reviews
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9 | University of Wisconsin-River Falls | River Falls, WI |
University of Wisconsin-River Falls offers 100 Degree programs. It's a medium sized public university in a far away town. In 2015, 1,525 students graduated with students earning 1,358 Bachelor's degrees, and 167 Master's degrees. | Based on 12 Reviews |
Read more: University of Wisconsin-River Falls Reviews
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10 | Minneapolis College of Art and Design | Minneapolis, MN |
Minneapolis College of Art and Design offers 19 Degree programs. It's a very small private university in a large city. In 2015, 152 students graduated with students earning 119 Bachelor's degrees, 21 Master's degrees, and 12 Certificates degrees. |
Best Community Colleges in Minneapolis
Rank | School Name | Location | Description | Rating | ||
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1 | Dakota County Technical College | Rosemount, MN |
Dakota County Technical College offers 143 Degree programs. It's a small public college in a outlying rural. In 2015, 1,059 students graduated with students earning 569 Certificates degrees, and 490 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Dakota County Technical College Reviews
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2 | Hennepin Technical College | Brooklyn Park, MN |
Hennepin Technical College offers 185 Degree programs. It's a medium sized public college in a large suburb. In 2015, 2,203 students graduated with students earning 1,421 Certificates degrees, and 782 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Hennepin Technical College Reviews
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3 | Minneapolis Community and Technical College | Minneapolis, MN |
Minneapolis Community and Technical College offers 147 Degree programs. It's a large public college in a large city. In 2015, 1,913 students graduated with students earning 1,031 Associate's degrees, and 882 Certificates degrees. | |||
4 | North Hennepin Community College | Brooklyn Park, MN |
North Hennepin Community College offers 75 Degree programs. It's a medium sized public college in a large suburb. In 2015, 1,469 students graduated with students earning 878 Associate's degrees, and 591 Certificates degrees. |
Read more: North Hennepin Community College Reviews
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5 | Century College | White Bear Lake, MN |
Century College offers 142 Degree programs. It's a large public college in a large suburb. In 2015, 2,355 students graduated with students earning 1,332 Associate's degrees, and 1,023 Certificates degrees. |
Read more: Century College Reviews
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6 | Inver Hills Community College | Inver Grove Heights, MN |
Inver Hills Community College offers 56 Degree programs. It's a medium sized public college in a large suburb. In 2015, 1,127 students graduated with students earning 736 Associate's degrees, and 391 Certificates degrees. |
Read more: Inver Hills Community College Reviews
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7 | Normandale Community College | Bloomington, MN |
Normandale Community College offers 66 Degree programs. It's a large public college in a small city. In 2015, 1,589 students graduated with students earning 1,141 Associate's degrees, and 448 Certificates degrees. |
Read more: Normandale Community College Reviews
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8 | Anoka-Ramsey Community College | Coon Rapids, MN |
Anoka-Ramsey Community College offers 68 Degree programs. It's a medium sized public college in a large suburb. In 2015, 1,177 students graduated with students earning 1,089 Associate's degrees, and 88 Certificates degrees. |
Read more: Anoka-Ramsey Community College Reviews
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9 | Saint Paul College | Saint Paul, MN |
Saint Paul College offers 140 Degree programs. It's a medium sized public college in a large city. In 2015, 1,948 students graduated with students earning 1,254 Certificates degrees, and 694 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Saint Paul College Reviews
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10 | Anoka Technical College | Anoka, MN |
Anoka Technical College offers 77 Degree programs. It's a small public college in a large suburb. In 2015, 885 students graduated with students earning 486 Certificates degrees, and 399 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Anoka Technical College Reviews
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List of all Colleges in Minneapolis
School Logo | School Name | Average tuition | Student Teacher Ratio | Enrolled Students |
---|---|---|---|---|
|
Macalester College Saint Paul, MN |
5/5
|
11 : 1 | 2,172 |
|
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN |
3/5
|
14 : 1 | 50,678 |
|
University of St Thomas Saint Paul, MN |
5/5
|
18 : 1 | 10,148 |
|
Augsburg College Minneapolis, MN |
5/5
|
15 : 1 | 3,458 |
|
Hamline University Saint Paul, MN |
5/5
|
18 : 1 | 4,258 |
|
Bethel University Saint Paul, MN |
5/5
|
14 : 1 | 3,952 |
|
University of Northwestern-St Paul Saint Paul, MN |
5/5
|
26 : 1 | 3,493 |
|
Crown College Saint Bonifacius, MN |
4/5
|
21 : 1 | 1,153 |
|
University of Wisconsin-River Falls River Falls, WI |
2/5
|
23 : 1 | 5,949 |
|
Minneapolis College of Art and Design Minneapolis, MN |
5/5
|
13 : 1 | 796 |
|
Concordia University-Saint Paul Saint Paul, MN |
4/5
|
25 : 1 | 4,380 |
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North Central University Minneapolis, MN |
4/5
|
18 : 1 | 1,212 |
|
Metropolitan State University Saint Paul, MN |
2/5
|
30 : 1 | 8,424 |
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Dakota County Technical College Rosemount, MN |
2/5
|
30 : 1 | 2,783 |
|
Walden University Minneapolis, MN |
3/5
|
45 : 1 | 52,799 |
|
Hennepin Technical College Brooklyn Park, MN |
2/5
|
37 : 1 | 5,676 |
|
Minneapolis Community and Technical College Minneapolis, MN |
2/5
|
44 : 1 | 8,621 |
|
North Hennepin Community College Brooklyn Park, MN |
2/5
|
48 : 1 | 7,286 |
|
Century College White Bear Lake, MN |
2/5
|
41 : 1 | 8,996 |
|
Inver Hills Community College Inver Grove Heights, MN |
2/5
|
43 : 1 | 5,515 |
|
Normandale Community College Bloomington, MN |
2/5
|
44 : 1 | 9,855 |
|
Anoka-Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids, MN |
2/5
|
57 : 1 | 9,294 |
|
Saint Paul College Saint Paul, MN |
2/5
|
42 : 1 | 6,428 |
|
Anoka Technical College Anoka, MN |
2/5
|
31 : 1 | 2,027 |
|
Dunwoody College of Technology Minneapolis, MN |
4/5
|
12 : 1 | 1,094 |
Top Schools offering Specific Degrees in Minneapolis
Questions About Going to College in Minneapolis
How are the career opportunities for college graduates in Minneapolis?
Minneapolis is speckled with more than just lakes — it also has a large number of job opportunities for recent graduates. The low 3.3% unemployment rate* speaks to the current economy. Minneapolis workers bring in a median income of $46,000, and their rent to percentage of income is only 20%,** so you won’t be spending all your hard-earned money just to pay for a roof over your head. But twenty-year-olds have flocked to the city, and just because the jobs are there doesn’t mean it’s always easy to land them. Minneapolis employers are looking for the hard-working Midwest attitude and faces they know. Good thing the city also hosts many professional networking events like MnSearch Summit, young professional happy hours, and after work get-togethers.
*bls.gov **Nerdwallet.comWhat major companies/industries are hiring what type of graduates/skills in Minneapolis? Growing industries?
Back in the day, Minneapolis was a flour milling capital of America and a hub for timber. Sticking to its roots, Minneapolis still is big in manufacturing of electronics, machinery, medical products and food. Corporations like General Mills, Hormel Foods, Land O’Lakes help feed the world from the Mini Apple. Other industries have found home in the west twin of the Twin Cities. Financial services are big on the list, with companies like Fortune 500 Ameriprise Financial and even the Ninth Federal Reserve District Bank. Technology also makes the roster, with companies like Best Buy. Biomedical and biosciences comes next, with St. Jude Medical, Ecolab, and UnitedHealth Group. And then, not surprising since the city is home to the Mall of America and the headquarters of Target, comes retail. If your degree is more along the line of arts and humanities and doesn’t fall into the business, project management, medical, financial arena, Minneapolis could still be the scene for you: The city is also considered the capital for the arts in the upper Midwest.
Is Minneapolis more of a college town or a great place to start a career and family? What communities are best?
College students will feel at home in the University community, next to the University of Minnesota, with the Dinkytown and Marcy-Holmes neighborhoods heavily populated by students and fraternity houses. But unlike most other cities, Minneapolis is starting to experience an influx of young families sticking to urban living and leaving the suburbs for the older generations.
The city, voted No. 3 for families by Child magazine, has green where others sport gray. It’s home to more lakes and parks than skyscrapers, and offers hundreds of miles of trails. Families find affordable living in Longfellow neighborhood, calling bungalows and craftsman cottages with ample back yards home rather than the expected high-rise apartment buildings. Families in this neighborhood can enjoy the Mississippi River and its walking trails. You can be sure to spend time at Minnehaha Falls, a waterfall smack-dab in the middle of the city, and Lake Street with all its shops and restaurants. More-established families opt for Lynnhurst neighborhood in the Southwest community, where they can enjoy Lake Harriet, Minnehaha Creek, tree-lined streets, and handsome homes. No matter where families live, parents can keep themselves and their children entertained with a number of activities. Try watersports on one of the many lakes. Take a walk through the Sculpture Gardens and snap a family portrait with the famous Spoon and Cherry sculpture. Visit Heartfelt Crafts to keep kids creating. Pop into the Wild Rumpus bookstore, where there are nearly as many live animals to see as there are books.
What do the locals in Minneapolis like to do for fun?
These hardworking, good citizens of the North enjoy the usual, like lawn bowling on the rooftop of Brit’s Pub in downtown. Or how about trying to win the Friday meat raffle at the 1029 Bar? Yep, meat raffle. Minneapolitans love food (a little more than others). This city is home to the Juicy Lucy, a burger with built-in cheese; hot dishes, which are casseroles topped with heavy helpings of cheese and tater tots; food on sticks, like fried mac ’n’ cheese and salads; and this strange thing called pop (hint, it’s just soda; it won’t hurt you).
Aside from food enjoyed year-round, Minneapolis residents have to make the most of the weather. In the summer months, lakes fill with friends and families tubing, water skiing, swimming, and wake boarding. The Grand Rounds Scenic Byway sees runners and bikers replace their boots with sneakers and take a jaunt past the Stone Arch Bridge, St. Anthony Falls, and alongside the Mississippi River once the temperature surpasses fifty degrees. Sports fans line up at Target Field to see a Twins game. And Instagram fills with selfies next to the Peanuts statues that are sprinkled around the city to commemorate native Charles Schulz.
The dreaded snow and ice comes again every year, though, driving people inside. Instead of the outdoor strolls, locals escape into the expansive skyway system or catch a ride on the light rail train to the Mall of America. And you can find the next good book to read in the bursting aisles of the James and Mary Laurie Book Sellers store for the sure-to-come snowstorm that’ll trap everybody indoors.
What’s the dating scene like in Minneapolis? Will I meet my perfect mate?
There’s this thing called Midwest nice, and Minneapolis locals are lousy with it. About the only thing you’ll find a Minneapolis resident complaining about is the weather — because either it’s too hot part of the year or too cold the other part. For dating, this means about the only way you’ll get stood up is if it goes from “Baby It’s Cold Outside” to “baby, there’s two feet of snow blocking my door.” But when the weather does allow for outings, Minneapolis residents treat their dates to boat outings, bar crawls, biking expeditions to ooh and ahh over the city skyline, and four-star meals. Throw on your flip flops or Uggs, depending on the weather or your cold tolerance, and don your North Face for your next date— you may be spending the winter hibernating and binging Netflix with a guy or gal you wouldn’t mind freezing next to.