Best Private Colleges in Minnesota 2024

Published: Apr 13, 2021
Updated: Oct 16, 2023

Private colleges, unlike large public institutions, can be a great option for students wanting a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Here is our list of the best private colleges in Minnesota.

10 Best Private Colleges in Minnesota

Carleton College
St. Olaf College
Macalester College
Gustavus Adolphus College
Hamline University
University of St. Thomas
College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
Augsburg University
St. Catherine University
Bethel University

Dunwoody College of Technology 99%
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 98%
North Central University 94%
College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University 92%
Bethel University 89%
University of Northwestern – St. Paul 82%
Augsburg University 76%
University of St. Thomas 76%
Hamline University 76%
St. Catherine University 75%

Concordia University, St. Paul 20 to 1
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 18 to 1
University of Northwestern – St. Paul 18 to 1
Crown College 16 to 1
North Central University 15 to 1
College of St. Scholastica 14 to 1
University of St. Thomas 14 to 1
Augsburg University 13 to 1
Hamline University 13 to 1
Gustavus Adolphus College 12 to 1

Macalester College $60,518
Carleton College $60,225
St. Olaf College $52,670
Gustavus Adolphus College $50,490
College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University $50,126
University of St. Thomas $48,329
St. Catherine University $46,494
Hamline University $46,221
Augsburg University $41,007
Bethel University $40,080

University of St. Thomas $23,503
College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University $19,920
St. Catherine University $17,100
College of St. Scholastica $14,182
Augsburg University $13,500
Bethel University $11,700
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota $10,890
Crown College $10,350
North Central University $10,260
Hamline University $10,120

Crown College
Concordia University, St. Paul
Bethany Lutheran College
Dunwoody College of Technology
North Central University
College of St. Scholastica
Concordia College
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
University of Northwestern – St. Paul
Bethel University

Carleton College 18%
Macalester College 31%
St. Olaf College 47%
Bethany Lutheran College 61%
Crown College 65%
Concordia University, St. Paul 68%
Concordia College 72%
Gustavus Adolphus College 73%
College of St. Scholastica 74%
St. Catherine University 75%

Carleton College 8 to 1
Macalester College 10 to 1
Dunwoody College of Technology 10 to 1
Bethany Lutheran College 11 to 1
St. Catherine University 11 to 1
Concordia College 11 to 1
Gustavus Adolphus College 12 to 1
College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University 12 to 1
St. Olaf College 12 to 1
Bethel University 12 to 1

Dunwoody College of Technology $23,863
Concordia University, St. Paul $23,900
North Central University $27,200
Concordia College $28,016
Crown College $28,110
Bethany Lutheran College $28,660
University of Northwestern – St. Paul $34,180
College of St. Scholastica $39,410
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota $39,410
Bethel University $40,080

Concordia University, St. Paul $8,550
University of Northwestern – St. Paul $8,982
Bethany Lutheran College $9,900
Concordia College $9,990
Hamline University $10,120
North Central University $10,260
Crown College $10,350
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota $10,890
Bethel University $11,700
Augsburg University $13,500

Table of Contents

Colleges and Universities in Minnesota

One of largest public higher education institutes in the country, the University of Minnesota has main campuses in both of the Twin Cities, Saint Paul and Minneapolis. This school costs about $15,000 in tuition, and provides its students with competitive programs in fields like nursing, education, economics, and psychology. And the options don’t stop there. There are more than 20 schools in the state with religious affiliations, including larger schools like the University of St. Thomas, which campuses in both Twin Cities, and smaller schools like Oak Hills Christian College in Bemidji.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

For students striving to keep costs low in a smaller school environment, Southwest Minnesota State University offers tuition below the national average and serves about 3,500 students. Additionally, those on track to become a teacher or health care provider may be eligible for one of Minnesota’s loan forgiveness programs after graduation. Minnesota also boasts a large network of private colleges, two of which, Walden University and Capella University, primarily cater to online students.

Ever heard the phrase, There’s an app for that? Well, in Minnesota they say something similar, There’s a festival for that. This fun state doesn’t hold back when it comes to celebrating. With events like the Grumpy Old Men Festival, World Festival, and the Perham Turtle Fest, students earning their degrees at one of Minnesota’s more than 70 colleges won’t miss out on a good time.

Discover some of Minnesota’s top programs and learn how you can earn your associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree while cashing in on some of this state’s unique experiences.

What are Minnesota’s Colleges & Universities?

Minnesota’s Best Overall

What is the difference between public and private colleges?

Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.

Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.

How do we determine Minnesota's best private colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

This list is composed entirely of private colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 19 private universities in Minnesota. To be included in the list below of the best private universities in Minnesota, schools must be fully accredited, private, non-profit institution, and must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees.

Best Private Colleges in Minnesota

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2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

Check out our directory of private colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top private schools in every state.

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Best Private Colleges in Minnesota 2024

10 Best Private Colleges in Minnesota

Colleges and Universities in Minnesota

What are Minnesota’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Private Colleges in Minnesota

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Minnesota’s Best Private Colleges in Your Area Interest

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