Best Online Master’s Programs in Minnesota 2023

Best Online Master’s Programs in Minnesota 2023

By James Barham
Reviewed By AI Staff

Published: May 11, 2022
Updated: Mar 13, 2023

Find the best online colleges in Minnesota ranked by the academic success of faculty and alumni associated with the colleges and universities and their online degree programs. Faculty and alumni with influential ideas are the foundation of respectable online degree programs employers can trust.

Top 10 Online Master's Programs in Minnesota

University of Minnesota

74%

Hamline University

36%

University of Minnesota Duluth

35%

Minnesota State University, Mankato

32%

Minnesota State University Moorhead

28%

Bemidji State University

27%

St. Catherine University

24%

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

24%

Metropolitan State University

23%

University of Minnesota Crookston

20%

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

98%

University of Minnesota Duluth

80%

Hamline University

76%

Bemidji State University

75%

St. Catherine University

75%

University of Minnesota

73%

Minnesota State University Moorhead

72%

Minnesota State University, Mankato

69%

Metropolitan State University

67%

University of Minnesota Crookston

48%

Minnesota State University, Mankato

22 to 1

Bemidji State University

19 to 1

University of Minnesota Crookston

18 to 1

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

18 to 1

Minnesota State University Moorhead

18 to 1

University of Minnesota

17 to 1

University of Minnesota Duluth

17 to 1

Metropolitan State University

15 to 1

Hamline University

13 to 1

St. Catherine University

11 to 1

St. Catherine University

$46,494

Hamline University

$46,221

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

$39,410

University of Minnesota

$13,532

University of Minnesota Crookston

$12,514

University of Minnesota Duluth

$12,420

Bemidji State University

$9,806

Metropolitan State University

$9,395

Minnesota State University Moorhead

$8,096

Minnesota State University, Mankato

$8,072

University of Minnesota

$17,844

University of Minnesota Duluth

$17,844

St. Catherine University

$17,100

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

$10,890

Hamline University

$10,120

Minnesota State University Moorhead

$10,062

Metropolitan State University

$9,495

Bemidji State University

$8,608

Minnesota State University, Mankato

$8,506

University of Minnesota Crookston

20%

Metropolitan State University

23%

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

24%

St. Catherine University

24%

Bemidji State University

27%

Minnesota State University Moorhead

28%

Minnesota State University, Mankato

32%

University of Minnesota Duluth

35%

Hamline University

36%

University of Minnesota

74%

University of Minnesota Crookston

48%

Metropolitan State University

67%

Minnesota State University, Mankato

69%

Minnesota State University Moorhead

72%

University of Minnesota

73%

St. Catherine University

75%

Bemidji State University

75%

Hamline University

76%

University of Minnesota Duluth

80%

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

98%

St. Catherine University

11 to 1

Hamline University

13 to 1

Metropolitan State University

15 to 1

University of Minnesota

17 to 1

University of Minnesota Duluth

17 to 1

University of Minnesota Crookston

18 to 1

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

18 to 1

Minnesota State University Moorhead

18 to 1

Bemidji State University

19 to 1

Minnesota State University, Mankato

22 to 1

Minnesota State University, Mankato

$8,072

Minnesota State University Moorhead

$8,096

Metropolitan State University

$9,395

Bemidji State University

$9,806

University of Minnesota Duluth

$12,420

University of Minnesota Crookston

$12,514

University of Minnesota

$13,532

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

$39,410

Hamline University

$46,221

St. Catherine University

$46,494

Minnesota State University, Mankato

$8,506

Bemidji State University

$8,608

Metropolitan State University

$9,495

Minnesota State University Moorhead

$10,062

Hamline University

$10,120

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

$10,890

St. Catherine University

$17,100

University of Minnesota

$17,844

University of Minnesota Duluth

$17,844

Featured Programs

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

Online master’s degrees offered by respected colleges and universities are generally respected by employers. The main thing to consider about your online master’s choices is whether the school name is well known and respected. In many cases, employers won’t know your degree was earned online. But even if they do, a degree from a respected college is automatically to your benefit.

We rank the colleges and universities in this list by the influence of their alumni and faculty. For master’s degree students, including online master’s degree students, having faculty who are influential in your field matters a lot. It’s a big indicator that you have the chance to get a quality education. And, knowing that you will join an alumni association with some impressive people is nice, too.

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Master’s Degrees

An online master’s degree costs about $40,000 for the average grad student. However, the cost of your online master’s degree will depend on the type of grad school you attend. In 2018-2019, the average cost for a year of tuition in a public grad school was $12,171. The average cost for a year of tuition in private, non-profit grad school was $27,776. An online master’s degree will usually cost about the same as a traditional master’s degree. Some schools will charge 5-10% more for online courses. This added cost pays for the technology and specialized training needed for online instruction. But getting a master’s degree online can also help you save money. The costs above don’t include expenses like housing, transportation, or certain campus fees. As an online grad student, you can save a lot of money by avoiding these added expenses. Many online master’s degree programs are also accelerated. Most master’s degree programs are designed to be completed in two years. But you may be able to earn your online master’s degree in as little as 12-18 months. Earning an accelerated online master’s degree can save you money on tuition.

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

Best Online Colleges in Minnesota — Download Badge

How do we determine Minnesota's best online master's degree programs?

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.

Best Online Master’s Program in Minnesota 2022

Minnesota’s Best Grad Programs in Your Area Interest