Best Colleges for Social Mobility in Minnesota (2026)
Updated
Best Colleges for Social Mobility in Minnesota lists 31 four-year institutions in Minnesota. Schools are ordered by Azimuth's mobility pillar for Minnesota, highest first.
The pillar measures historical low-income earnings relative to peers, the scale of Pell enrollment and Pell completion, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities ranks 1st on this list and reports $71,941 in median earnings for its graduates four years after completing. The list includes 10 public and 21 private nonprofit schools.
University of Minnesota-Morris posts the lowest average net price on the page at $8,837. Carleton College records the highest six-year completion rate, graduating 90% of its students within six years.
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities ranks 107th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median earnings, 4 years after completion | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN | $71,941 | $16,778 | $6,642 | 79.8% |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities ranks 1st on this list and reports median earnings of $71,941 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | University of Minnesota-Duluth · Duluth, MN | $66,056 | $18,743 | $7,256 | 88.8% |
| Admitting 89% of applicants, University of Minnesota-Duluth shows a six-year completion rate of 65%. | |||||
| 3 | College of Saint Benedict · Saint Joseph, MN | $63,895 | $26,640 | $12,981 | 91.5% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Saint Joseph, College of Saint Benedict carries an average net price of $26,640. | |||||
| 4 | Martin Luther College · New Ulm, MN | $49,182 | $18,463 | $11,233 | 87.2% |
| Martin Luther College reports median earnings of $49,182 for its graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $11,233 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 5 | Winona State University · Winona, MN | $60,533 | $17,503 | $10,224 | 75.5% |
| Winona State University ranks 5th on this list, with a six-year completion rate of 57%. | |||||
| 6 | Minnesota State University-Mankato · Mankato, MN | $64,235 | $19,139 | $12,339 | 88.4% |
| Graduates of Minnesota State University-Mankato earn a median of $64,235 four years after completing, and the school admits 88% of applicants. | |||||
| 7 | Carleton College · Northfield, MN | $66,841 | $25,407 | $7,881 | 20.4% |
| Carleton College carries an average net price of $7,881 for families earning under $30,000 and a six-year completion rate of 90%. | |||||
| 8 | Macalester College · Saint Paul, MN | $58,560 | $32,149 | $13,772 | 28.5% |
| Ranking 8th on this list, Macalester College reports median earnings of $58,560 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | St Olaf College · Northfield, MN | $56,323 | $23,874 | $10,404 | 48.3% |
| St Olaf College admits 48% of applicants and carries an average net price of $23,874. | |||||
| 10 | Saint Cloud State University · Saint Cloud, MN | $59,194 | $13,529 | $8,909 | 94.8% |
| With a six-year completion rate of 40%, Saint Cloud State University reports an average net price of $8,909 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 11 | Minnesota State University Moorhead · Moorhead, MN | $55,083 | $17,997 | $11,129 | 58.8% |
| Minnesota State University Moorhead posts median earnings of $55,083 for its graduates four years after completing and admits 59% of applicants. | |||||
| 12 | Saint Johns University · Collegeville, MN | $72,829 | $25,672 | $10,354 | 90.6% |
| An average net price of $25,672 coincides with median earnings of $72,829 for graduates of Saint Johns University four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | Gustavus Adolphus College · Saint Peter, MN | $61,015 | $22,900 | $12,015 | 61.0% |
| Gustavus Adolphus College, a private nonprofit college in Saint Peter, reports median earnings of $61,015 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | Hamline University · Saint Paul, MN | $61,017 | $20,744 | $15,371 | 87.6% |
| Hamline University admits 88% of applicants and shows a six-year completion rate of 60%. | |||||
| 15 | Bemidji State University · Bemidji, MN | $60,307 | $15,261 | $10,073 | 56.0% |
| Bemidji State University carries an average net price of $15,261 and reports median earnings of $60,307 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | University of St Thomas · Saint Paul, MN | $82,136 | $29,155 | $28,131 | 85.4% |
| University of St Thomas ranks 16th on this list and posts median earnings of $82,136 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Concordia College at Moorhead · Moorhead, MN | $56,802 | $24,902 | $20,950 | 62.7% |
| Concordia College at Moorhead graduates 61% of its students within six years and reports an average net price of $24,902. | |||||
| 18 | Minneapolis College of Art and Design · Minneapolis, MN | $41,825 | $29,926 | $23,662 | 48.5% |
| Minneapolis College of Art and Design admits 48% of applicants, and its graduates four years after completing earn a median of $41,825. | |||||
| 19 | Augsburg University · Minneapolis, MN | $68,350 | $23,873 | $21,318 | 82.0% |
| Augsburg University ranks 361st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $68,350 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | University of Minnesota-Morris · Morris, MN | $51,631 | $8,837 | $1,694 | 74.9% |
| University of Minnesota-Morris posts an average net price of $1,694 for families earning under $30,000 and graduates 62% of its students within six years. | |||||
| 21 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota · Winona, MN | $72,502 | $11,704 | $16,182 | 92.8% |
| Saint Mary's University of Minnesota reports median earnings of $72,502 for its graduates four years after completing and admits 93% of applicants. | |||||
| 22 | The College of Saint Scholastica · Duluth, MN | $75,595 | $27,846 | $14,433 | 93.0% |
| The College of Saint Scholastica graduates 71% of its students within six years and carries an average net price of $27,846. | |||||
| 23 | University of Northwestern-St Paul · Saint Paul, MN | $57,471 | $27,705 | $26,696 | 93.5% |
| University of Northwestern-St Paul admits 93% of applicants and reports an average net price of $26,696 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 24 | Southwest Minnesota State University · Marshall, MN | $55,009 | $15,291 | $10,559 | 62.2% |
| Southwest Minnesota State University ranks 24th on this list, with a six-year completion rate of 45% and median earnings of $55,009 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Bethel University · Saint Paul, MN | $70,633 | $28,556 | $22,218 | 87.8% |
| Bethel University reports median earnings of $70,633 for its graduates four years after completing, alongside a six-year completion rate of 71%. | |||||
| 26 | University of Minnesota-Crookston · Crookston, MN | $62,786 | $12,212 | $5,758 | 87.9% |
| A public university in Crookston, University of Minnesota-Crookston carries an average net price of $12,212 and an admission rate of 88%. | |||||
| 27 | St Catherine University · Saint Paul, MN | $65,829 | $19,764 | $17,890 | 91.9% |
| St Catherine University ranks 27th on this list and posts an average net price of $17,890 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 28 | Bethany Lutheran College · Mankato, MN | $47,456 | $20,148 | $12,571 | 39.0% |
| With an admission rate of 39%, Bethany Lutheran College graduates 55% of its students within six years. | |||||
| 29 | Concordia University-Saint Paul · Saint Paul, MN | $68,250 | $18,462 | $16,406 | 78.9% |
| Concordia University-Saint Paul shows median earnings of $68,250 for its graduates four years after completing and ranks 477th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 30 | North Central University · Minneapolis, MN | $47,587 | $25,817 | $20,450 | 99.0% |
| North Central University admits 99% of applicants and reports an average net price of $20,450 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 31 | Crown College · Saint Bonifacius, MN | $50,863 | $26,672 | $24,270 | 22.8% |
| Crown College ranks 31st on this list, with a six-year completion rate of 45% and median earnings of $50,863 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by Azimuth's mobility pillar for Minnesota, highest first. The pillar measures historical low-income earnings relative to peers, the scale of Pell enrollment and Pell completion, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. The pillar draws on the median earnings of federally aided completers across all fields, measured four years after completing, when they are working and not enrolled. The list does not adjust for cost or for who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities ranks 1st on this list, and University of Minnesota-Duluth follows at 2nd. The 31 schools on the page include 10 public and 21 private nonprofit institutions.