46 colleges ranked by return on investment — based on U.S. Department of Education data.
| # | College / University | ROI Rating | Break-Even | Grad Salary | Med. Debt | Grad Rate | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 |
Carleton College
Northfield, MN
|
High ROI | 0.5 yrs | $75,525 | $16,750 | 90% | Private Non-profit |
| 🥈 |
Saint Johns University
Collegeville, MN
|
High ROI | 0.7 yrs | $76,786 | $27,000 | 75% | Private Non-profit |
| 🥉 |
University of St Thomas
Saint Paul, MN
|
High ROI | 0.7 yrs | $73,739 | $23,250 | 76% | Private Non-profit |
| 4 |
University of Minnesota-Rochester
Rochester, MN
|
High ROI | 0.6 yrs | $69,020 | $19,500 | 57% | Public |
| 5 |
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN
|
High ROI | 0.6 yrs | $69,020 | $19,500 | 85% | Public |
| 6 |
The College of Saint Scholastica
Duluth, MN
|
High ROI | 0.7 yrs | $65,934 | $20,000 | 71% | Private Non-profit |
| 7 |
Metropolitan State University
Saint Paul, MN
|
High ROI | 0.7 yrs | $64,705 | $17,100 | 44% | Public |
| 8 |
Macalester College
Saint Paul, MN
|
High ROI | 0.9 yrs | $63,878 | $23,000 | 87% | Private Non-profit |
| 9 |
Bethel University
Saint Paul, MN
|
High ROI | 0.9 yrs | $63,764 | $21,500 | 71% | Private Non-profit |
| 10 |
University of Minnesota-Duluth
Duluth, MN
|
High ROI | 0.9 yrs | $62,616 | $22,024 | 65% | Public |
| 11 |
Concordia University-Saint Paul
Saint Paul, MN
|
High ROI | 0.8 yrs | $59,871 | $17,832 | 46% | Private Non-profit |
| 12 |
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, MN
|
High ROI | 1 yrs | $65,607 | $26,774 | 77% | Private Non-profit |
| 13 |
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN
|
High ROI | 1 yrs | $65,543 | $26,000 | 84% | Private Non-profit |
| 14 |
College of Saint Benedict
Saint Joseph, MN
|
High ROI | 1.1 yrs | $63,260 | $26,944 | 77% | Private Non-profit |
| 15 |
Hamline University
Saint Paul, MN
|
High ROI | 1.1 yrs | $61,106 | $23,770 | 60% | Private Non-profit |
| 16 |
St Catherine University
Saint Paul, MN
|
High ROI | 1.2 yrs | $59,282 | $24,181 | 61% | Private Non-profit |
| 17 |
Winona State University
Winona, MN
|
High ROI | 1.1 yrs | $58,532 | $21,500 | 57% | Public |
| 18 |
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Winona, MN
|
High ROI | 1.1 yrs | $58,170 | $21,500 | 66% | Private Non-profit |
| 19 |
University of Minnesota-Crookston
Crookston, MN
|
High ROI | 1.1 yrs | $58,056 | $20,500 | 50% | Public |
| 20 |
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Mankato, MN
|
High ROI | 1.2 yrs | $56,922 | $21,106 | 54% | Public |
| 21 |
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN
|
High ROI | 1.2 yrs | $55,813 | $21,058 | 40% | Public |
| 22 |
Concordia College at Moorhead
Moorhead, MN
|
High ROI | 1.3 yrs | $59,317 | $26,847 | 61% | Private Non-profit |
| 23 |
Augsburg University
Minneapolis, MN
|
High ROI | 1.3 yrs | $58,829 | $25,347 | 52% | Private Non-profit |
| 24 |
Bemidji State University
Bemidji, MN
|
High ROI | 1.3 yrs | $53,755 | $19,750 | 48% | Public |
| 25 |
Southwest Minnesota State University
Marshall, MN
|
High ROI | 1.6 yrs | $51,342 | $20,500 | 45% | Public |
| 26 |
University of Minnesota-Morris
Morris, MN
|
High ROI | 1.6 yrs | $50,919 | $18,995 | 63% | Public |
| 27 |
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Moorhead, MN
|
High ROI | 1.7 yrs | $50,527 | $20,000 | 57% | Public |
| 28 |
University of Northwestern-St Paul
Saint Paul, MN
|
High ROI | 1.8 yrs | $50,755 | $21,325 | 68% | Private Non-profit |
| 29 |
Crown College
Saint Bonifacius, MN
|
High ROI | 2.4 yrs | $48,057 | $22,500 | 45% | Private Non-profit |
| 30 |
Martin Luther College
New Ulm, MN
|
High ROI | 2.3 yrs | $47,491 | $20,177 | 72% | Private Non-profit |
| 31 |
Academy College
Bloomington, MN
|
Good ROI | 3.1 yrs | $48,300 | $29,500 | 36% | Private For-profit |
| 32 |
Bethany Lutheran College
Mankato, MN
|
Good ROI | 3.1 yrs | $46,110 | $23,000 | 55% | Private Non-profit |
| 33 |
North Central University
Minneapolis, MN
|
Good ROI | 3.7 yrs | $45,064 | $23,200 | 66% | Private Non-profit |
| 34 |
Capella University
Minneapolis, MN
|
Good ROI | 4.4 yrs | $42,189 | $14,968 | 20% | Private For-profit |
| 35 |
Walden University
Minneapolis, MN
|
Good ROI | 5.2 yrs | $42,810 | $20,834 | N/A | Private For-profit |
| 36 |
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Minneapolis, MN
|
Low ROI | 13 yrs | $40,873 | $27,000 | 51% | Private Non-profit |
| 37 |
Herzing University-Minneapolis
St. Louis Park, MN
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | $36,909 | $21,500 | 47% | Private Non-profit |
| 38 |
Oak Hills Christian College
Bemidji, MN
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | $35,983 | $20,980 | 23% | Private Non-profit |
| 39 |
Adler Graduate School
Minnetonka, MN
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Private Non-profit |
| 40 |
American Academy of Health and Wellness
Roseville, MN
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Private For-profit |
| 41 |
Bethany Global University
Bloomington, MN
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | $34,385 | $12,000 | 56% | Private Non-profit |
| 42 |
Bethlehem College & Seminary
Minneapolis, MN
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | N/A | N/A | 70% | Private Non-profit |
| 43 |
Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School
Center City, MN
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Private Non-profit |
| 44 |
Luther Seminary
Saint Paul, MN
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Private Non-profit |
| 45 |
Mitchell Hamline School of Law
Saint Paul, MN
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Private Non-profit |
| 46 |
United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
St. Paul, MN
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Private Non-profit |