Minnesota Private Colleges and Universities
Looking for Private Colleges and Universities in Minnesota
First, let it be said that Minnesota private colleges are cold. If you can get past the brutal winters, you are in for a real treat. That is because schools, colleges, and universities in the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" place a premium on higher education. In Minnesota, college students are often viewed as the state's most valuable resource; a far cry from the early days when fur trading and fishing were the number one candidates.
Private Colleges in Minnesota
Minnesota private colleges and universities offer a wide range of education programs with degrees and certificates up to the doctoral level, as well as professional degrees such as law and medicine.
There are 78 colleges in Minnesota, 43 public and 35 private, offering a wide range of programs and majors. These Minnesota private colleges are diverse in character, academic emphasis, and origins. Some private colleges or schools have a religious affiliation; others are secular. Private colleges and universities may be profit or non-profit institutions. Typically, Minnesota independent colleges or private schools give weight to personal characteristics and activities in addition to considering GPA and test scores.
Private Colleges and Universities in Minnesota includes:
- Argosy University (Eagan)
- Dunwoody College of Technology (Minneapolis)
- Carleton College (Northfield)
- University of St Thomas (UST) in Saint Paul, MN
- Saint Mary's University of Minnesota in Winona, MN
- Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN
- Bethel University in Saint Paul, MN
- College of St Catherine (St. Kate) in Saint Paul, MN
- Concordia University (Concordia University, St Paul) in Saint Paul, MN
Hamline University in Saint Paul, MN - Northwestern College (Northwestern College (MN)) in Saint Paul, MN
- The College of Saint Scholastica (CSS) in Duluth, MN
The largest being University of St Thomas with 7,168 full time students. Carleton College is the most expensive with an in-state tuition of $44,184. On average, how much does it costs to attend private college in Minnesota? The average annual in-state private college tuition in Minnesota is $25,387 in 2013.
Minnesota Private College Council
The Minnesota Private College Council, which oversees 17 private, 4-year liberal arts schools, the Minnesota Career College Association and the Minnesota Association of Private Postsecondary Schools represent the private postsecondary institutions in the state.
The Minnesota Private College Council and its affiliate, the Minnesota Private College Fund, represent private nonprofit higher education in Minnesota.
Seventeen institutions are members; they share a liberal arts focus. We refer to our members as Minnesota's Private Colleges.
As of July 1, 2012 our structure changed to better meet our members’ needs. Most noticeable is that there is no longer a separate Minnesota Private
College Research Foundation, with research functions moving to the Council.
Minnesota Private College Council’s mission is to serve members' shared needs and advocate for public policy that:
- Meets the educational needs of students,
- Enhances private higher education, and
- Strengthens Minnesota's economic and civic fabric.
- The State Grant program is a primary focus of our advocacy efforts.
We also serve our members and the state in other ways, including through research, publications and outreach. Also known as MPCC or the Council, the 501(c)(4) organization has a history that goes back to 1948.
