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 Minnesota Colleges: A School for Every Student
Minnesota offers students a wealth of educational opportunties

Minnesota is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" and is an outdoor lovers' and sun bathers' paradise. The mighty Mississippi River, as well as the Red River of the North and the St. Lawrence River, all begin their journeys in Minnesota. The state also boasts the massive Mall of America, which has more than 400 shops and attracts close to 40 million visitors annually. Students who wish to pursue education at universities, career colleges or trade schools in Minnesota have a wealth of recreational and educational opportunities.

Minnesota colleges and universities

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system is a network of 31 public colleges and universities that comprise 51 different campuses in 47 communities across the state. A closer look tuition costs and student population:

• Tuition: The majority of Minnesota community and career colleges offer annual tuition rates between $4,500 and $5,500, the MSCU board reports.
• Enrollment: Seven Minnesota colleges have a student population between 10,000 and 20,000 students. The largest school in the MSCU system, St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, has 21,939 students. St. Cloud is a true college town--the city's population is 65,842. If you prefer studying in a much smaller and cozier environment, eleven of the schools in the MSCU system have a student population of 5,000 or less.

There are seven schools in MSCU system that offer four-year degrees. These are:

1. Bemidji State University in Bemidji
2. Metropolitan State University in St. Paul
3. Minnesota State University at Moorhead
4. Minnesota State University at Mankato
5. Southwest Minnesota State University at Marshall
6. St. Cloud State University
7. Winona State University

Only 10 of the 51 different colleges in the MSCU system are located in larger cities. The rest are located in rural or suburban areas.

Additional colleges and universities in Minnesota

The University of Minnesota school system comprises five different campuses with more than 65,000 students. The University of Minnesota at Twin Cities campus at Minnesota-St. Paul is the largest school in the system with more than 50,000 students. Undergraduate tuition rates for the 2011-2012 academic year at the university are as follows:

• $448 per credit for residents, or $5,825 flat rate for 13 or more credits
• $640 per credit for non-residents, or $8,325 flat rate for 13 or more credits.

As a land grant university, the state of Minnesota subsidizes approximately 33 percent of tuition costs at the University of Minnesota. Graduate tuition rates vary by college, school and program at the University of Minnesota. A detailed fee system for graduate studies can be found on the University system's web page.

In the 2009-2010 school year, the University of Minnesota school system awarded 6,942 bachelor's degrees, 3,419 master's degrees, 807 doctors degrees and 811 professional degrees.

Minnesota technical and career schools

Minnesota also is home to some of the nation's most respected career and technical colleges. Walden College and Capella University in Minneapolis both have a student population of more than 20,000 students, but there are smaller technical schools and trade schools located in cities throughout the state.

By pursuing career education at a Minnesota trade schools, career colleges or universities, you put yourself in a better position to join the state's workforce of 2.5 million people.