2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota
Veterans have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
After analyzing 66 schools in Minnesota, we came up with our list of those that offered the best educational experiences for veterans. Our ranking is based on over 20 objective factors, including the school's overall quality, the number of GI Bill® recipients at the school, and the percentage of costs covered by the GI Bill®. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another.
Learn more about our ranking methodology.
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Top Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota
See which schools came out on top of our ranking:
Our analysis found University of Minnesota - Twin Cities to be the best school for veterans in Minnesota in this year’s ranking. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the large public school awarded 13,642 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Of the 52,017 students enrolled at UMN Twin Cities, 824 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 585 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $15,664. UMN Twin Cities does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. In addition to its best for vets ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UMN Twin Cities is ranked #4 for overall quality in Minnesota.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Winona State University. The school came in at #2 in Minnesota on this year’s best for vets ranking. Winona State is located in Winona, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1,901 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
Our most recent data shows that 174 of the 7,106 students enrolled at Winona State were GI Bill® students, of which 88 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,169. Winona State does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. In addition to its great veterans ranking, Winona State is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Schools in Minnesota list.
Out of the 66 schools in Minnesota that were part of this year’s ranking, Alexandria Technical & Community College landed the #3 spot on the list. ATCC is a small public school situated in Alexandria, Minnesota. It awarded 414 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 2,549 students enrolled at ATCC, 116 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 63 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,129. ATCC does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Saint Cloud State University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for veterans in Minnesota. Located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, the fairly large public school handed out 2,764 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 317 of the 11,841 students enrolled at St. Cloud State University were GI Bill® students, of which 200 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,467. St. Cloud State University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The College of Saint Scholastica. It ranked #5 on our 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 1,354 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 3,712 students enrolled at St. Scholastica, 154 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 78 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,745. On top of their other funding sources, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. St. Scholastica does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. St. Scholastica also claimed a spot on our Best Schools in Minnesota list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
With a ranking of #6, Concordia University, Saint Paul did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota list. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,624 students in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Concordia University, Saint Paul supports 5,585 students, and 193 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 143 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,286. On top of their other funding sources, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Bethel University Minnesota came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota ranking. Bethel University Minnesota is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 1,152 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Bethel University Minnesota supports 3,814 students, and 91 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 60 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,585. To help with additional expenses, 15 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Minnesota - Crookston did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota ranking, coming in at #8. UMN Crookston is located in Crookston, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 479 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.
According to our most recent data, UMN Crookston supports 2,530 students, and 83 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 47 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,960. UMN Crookston does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Minnesota State University - Mankato ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota list. Mankato, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 3,134 students in 2019-2020.
Among the 14,761 students enrolled at Minnesota State Mankato, 364 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 156 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,059. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of St Thomas Minnesota did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota ranking, coming in at #10. University of St Thomas Minnesota is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 2,680 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Of the 9,792 students enrolled at UST MN, 218 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 120 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,756. During this same period, 64 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UST MN does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. UST MN excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Schools in Minnesota list.
Hamline University landed the #11 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota ranking. Hamline is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 967 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 3,113 students enrolled at Hamline, 110 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 65 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,172. In addition to receiving other benefits, 17 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Hamline does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Bemidji State University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Bemidji, Minnesota, the small public school awarded 1,059 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Among the 4,577 students enrolled at Bemidji State University, 146 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 65 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,704. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota ranking, coming in at #13. MSU Moorhead is a medium-sized public school situated in Moorhead, Minnesota. It awarded 1,466 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 115 of the 5,547 students enrolled at MSU Moorhead were GI Bill® students, of which 60 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,231. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #14 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota ranking. UMN Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,423 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 264 of the 10,275 students enrolled at UMN Duluth were GI Bill® students, of which 147 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,307. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. UMN Duluth also claimed a spot on our Best Schools in Minnesota list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Metropolitan State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota list. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the medium-sized public school awarded 2,082 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2019-2020.
Among the 7,552 students enrolled at Metro State, 310 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 199 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,079. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a ranking of #16, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota list. SMU MN is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winona, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,694 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 5,152 students enrolled at SMU MN, 101 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 77 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,262. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Capella University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the large private for-profit school handed out 11,185 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 38,930 students enrolled at Capella University, 2,741 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2,001 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,027. During this same period, 12 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Capella University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
University of Northwestern - St Paul ranked #18 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota list. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 807 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 62 of the 3,506 students enrolled at Northwestern were GI Bill® students, of which 44 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,912. To help with additional expenses, 13 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Walden University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota list. Walden University is a private for-profit institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12,558 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 49,695 students enrolled at Walden University, 2,657 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,791 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,191. On top of their other funding sources, 17 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Minnesota State Community and Technical College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota list. Located in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, the medium-sized public school handed out 761 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, M State supports 5,757 students, and 87 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 52 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,310. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
St Cloud Technical and Community College did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, the small public school handed out 676 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 3,931 students enrolled at St Cloud Technical and Community College, 154 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 91 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,886. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read full report on St Cloud Technical and Community College
With a ranking of #22, Concordia College at Moorhead did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota list. Concordia College at Moorhead is a small private not-for-profit school located in Moorhead, Minnesota that handed out 525 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
According to our most recent data, Concordia College Moorhead supports 1,973 students, and 28 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 17 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,020. On top of their other funding sources, 5 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Concordia College Moorhead excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Schools in Minnesota list.
Inver Hills Community College did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota ranking, coming in at #23. IHCC is a small public school situated in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. It awarded 582 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 4,071 students enrolled at IHCC, 138 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 110 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,473. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Dakota County Technical College did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota ranking, coming in at #24. This small public school is located in Rosemount, Minnesota, and it awarded 386 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Among the 2,319 students enrolled at DCTC, 126 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 96 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,305. DCTC does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a ranking of #25, Dunwoody College of Technology did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Veterans in Minnesota list. Dunwoody College of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 423 bachelor’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Our most recent data shows that 185 of the 1,281 students enrolled at Dunwoody College of Technology were GI Bill® students, of which 144 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,700. During this same period, 30 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
In addition to its great veterans ranking, Dunwoody College of Technology is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Schools in Minnesota list.
Best Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region
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Best Colleges in the Plains States Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.
**GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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