Metropolitan State University
Metropolitan State University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Metropolitan State University Featured Rankings
- #5 Best Research Universities in Minnesota 2026
- #5 Best Online MBAs Minnesota
- #9 Minnesota's Best Online Colleges
- #9 Colorado's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #9 Best Public Colleges in Minnesota 2026
- #10 Minnesota's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #11 Best Grad Schools in Minnesota
- #11 Most Affordable Colleges in Minnesota 2026
- #22 Best Colleges in Minnesota 2026
About Metropolitan State University
According to Wikipedia, Metropolitan State University is a public university in the Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota metropolitan area. It is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. History The institution was founded in 1971 as Minnesota Metropolitan State College with a mission to educate non-traditional students from the Twin Cities metropolitan area whose needs were not served by other existing institutions like the University of Minnesota. David E. Sweet was appointed the university's first president and the school, with offices above a drug store in downtown St. Paul, admitted the first class of 50 students in 1972. The university did not have a campus and offered classes in rented space throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area. When Metropolitan State began, it was a college for working adults. It was strictly an upper-division college where students could only complete their junior and senior years of academic study. The university initially followed a non-traditional course: it offered competence-based learning whereby students were recognized for learning gained outside the classroom—including prior learning through experience. Letter grades were available, but they were always optional. Students designed their own degree plans.
Metropolitan State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 542 | 99% | 68% | 46% | 18 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Metropolitan State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $10,382 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $24,594 |
| 30K - 48K | $23,943 |
| 48K - 75K | $25,516 |
| 75K - 110K | $30,400 |
| 110K+ | $35,846 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Metropolitan State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Metropolitan State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $66,336 a year, and 92% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Metropolitan State University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 8,185 | 7,282 | 903 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Metropolitan State University?
Metropolitan State University is located at 700 East Seventh Street, Saint Paul, MN 55106-5000.
How Safe is Metropolitan State University?
Relative to its enrollment, Metropolitan State University has a violent crime rate of 0.09% and a property crime rate of 0.09%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft).
What Is Metropolitan State University Known For?
Metropolitan State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Social Work
- Anthropology
- Criminal Justice
- Business
- Nursing
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Communications
- Literature
- Medical
- Education
- Computer Science
- Psychology
- Chemistry
- Economics
- Philosophy
- Biology
- Mathematics
- History
Metropolitan State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Metropolitan State University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Metropolitan State University ranks #245 in the U.S. and #574 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesMetropolitan State University ranks #411 in the U.S. and #1250 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesMetropolitan State University ranks #499 in the U.S. and #938 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesMetropolitan State University ranks #866 in the U.S. and #3316 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesMetropolitan State University ranks #932 in the U.S. and #2378 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesMetropolitan State University ranks #933 in the U.S. and #4018 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesMetropolitan State University ranks #1058 in the U.S. and #3553 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesMetropolitan State University ranks #1545 in the U.S. and #5781 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesMetropolitan State University ranks #1568 in the U.S. and #4797 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesMetropolitan State University ranks #1574 in the U.S. and #5430 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesMetropolitan State University ranks #1596 in the U.S. and #6268 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesMetropolitan State University ranks #1604 in the U.S. and #6540 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesMetropolitan State University ranks #1731 in the U.S. and #4570 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesMetropolitan State University ranks #1750 in the U.S. and #6403 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesMetropolitan State University ranks #1763 in the U.S. and #7781 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesMetropolitan State University ranks #1788 in the U.S. and #5951 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesMetropolitan State University ranks #1822 in the U.S. and #7336 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesMetropolitan State University ranks #1853 in the U.S. and #6933 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesMetropolitan State University ranks #1875 in the U.S. and #6078 worldwide for influence in History.
history Degrees