A public R1 land-grant flagship in Minneapolis, MN, admitting 79.75% of applicants with a $5.5 billion endowment, a major medical center, and strong engineering and business programs.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
The University of Minnesota Twin Cities is a public R1 research university in Minneapolis, Minnesota, founded in 1851 as the flagship institution of the University of Minnesota system. It enrolls 31,855 undergraduates and 15,363 graduate students across nineteen colleges, including the Carlson School of Management, the College of Science and Engineering, the College of Liberal Arts, the School of Public Health, the Medical School, and the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
Biological sciences, social sciences, engineering, business, and communications account for the largest shares of bachelor's degrees. The University of Minnesota is accredited through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The University of Minnesota is test-optional; submitting SAT or ACT scores is not required. The University of Minnesota operates one of the country's most extensive academic health centers, anchored by M Health Fairview (the University of Minnesota Medical Center), and holds a land-grant designation as a comprehensive research and education university.
Official website: twin-cities.umn.edu
UCD scores every college on four pillars: Outcomes, Value, Affordability, and Selectivity. Within peer group A (four-year selective institutions), the University of Minnesota scores 82.52 overall, rated Strong. Outcomes (91.05) reflects an 85.28% six-year graduation rate and 90.99% first-year retention. Value scores 84.90, driven by solid ten-year earnings of $69,020 relative to an average net price of $16,778. Affordability scores 39.61. All scores use verified federal data only.
The University of Minnesota admits 79.75% of applicants, making it among the more accessible Big Ten flagship universities. The University of Minnesota is test-optional; submitting SAT or ACT scores is not required. The University of Minnesota uses the Common App. The priority deadline for fall admission is November 1; the final deadline is January 15.
Admission is to specific colleges within the university; the College of Science and Engineering and the Carlson School of Management are more competitive than the overall admit rate. The University of Minnesota draws heavily from the Twin Cities metro area and Minnesota statewide, with significant numbers of students from Wisconsin, Illinois, and surrounding Midwest states.
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
The University of Minnesota charges $17,214 in in-state tuition and $38,362 in out-of-state tuition, plus $13,856 in room and board, bringing the estimated in-state total cost of attendance to approximately $30,061 before aid. The average net price after all grants and scholarships is $16,778. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $6,642. For families earning between $30,001 and $48,000, the net price averages $7,283.
For families earning between $75,001 and $110,000, the net price averages $16,415. For families earning above $110,000, it averages $27,008. The University of Minnesota's $5.5 billion endowment provides meaningful financial aid capacity, particularly for lower-income students. The federal loan rate of 28.30% and median debt of $19,500 are in the low range for a Big Ten flagship.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Application fee: $55 (one-time, due at submission)
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
The University of Minnesota graduates a strong majority of students it enrolls. The six-year graduation rate is 85.28% for full-time, first-time bachelor's-seeking students. First-year retention stands at 90.99%. The federal loan rate of 28.30% and median debt of $19,500 are moderate for a public flagship of this size.
University of Minnesota graduates earn above the national median for public research universities. Median earnings are $57,984 six years after first enrolling and $69,020 at ten years. At the ten-year mark, 87.29% of former students earn more than a typical high school graduate. The ten-year earnings reflect the University of Minnesota's mix of engineering, business, health sciences, and social science graduates, with the strongest earnings from computer science, engineering, and Carlson School graduates.
Minneapolis-Saint Paul's economy is anchored by a disproportionate concentration of Fortune 500 companies (Target, UnitedHealth Group, Best Buy, General Mills, 3M, US Bancorp) relative to its population. The Twin Cities provide direct recruiting access to healthcare, financial services, technology, and consumer products companies for University of Minnesota graduates.
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
The University of Minnesota enrolls 31,855 undergraduates on its main campus in Minneapolis, Minnesota, along the Mississippi River adjacent to the East Bank of the University Avenue light rail corridor. White students account for 56.80% of undergraduates; Asian 13.40%, Black 9.94%, and Hispanic 6.53%. Approximately 17.65% of undergraduates receive Pell grants, and 18.66% are first-generation college students.
Minneapolis is a major metropolitan area with a thriving food, arts, and music culture; the university's campus is integrated into the city via light rail (Metro Green and Blue Lines). Minnesota winters are among the most severe of any Big Ten campus; the university's underground tunnel system (the Gopher Way) connects many buildings. Minnesota Gophers athletics compete in the Big Ten; Gopher hockey and football are major programs.
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
Where students live, learn, and connect at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities offers an extensive catalog of programs: 322 distinct programs across 28 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The University of Minnesota operates at a student-to-faculty ratio of approximately 17:1. 80.64% of instruction is delivered by full-time faculty. Instructional spending per full-time equivalent student is $18,312 per year. The endowment stands at approximately $5.5 billion.
The University of Minnesota is one of the top research universities in the country by total research expenditures, with particular strength in chemical engineering, cancer research (Masonic Cancer Center), biomedical engineering, and agricultural sciences. The Academic Health Center, which includes the Medical School, School of Dentistry, College of Pharmacy, and School of Public Health, is one of the most comprehensive in the country.
3,398 instructional faculty across 5 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
| Rank | Faculty Count | Share | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Professors | 1,199 | 35% | $157,783 |
| Associate Professors | 950 | 28% | $111,234 |
| Assistant Professors | 1,197 | 35% | $97,624 |
| Instructors | 46 | 1% | $63,396 |
| No Rank | 6 | 0% | $69,461 |
The University of Minnesota's defining strengths are its UCD 82.52 Strong score, solid net price ($16,778 average, $6,642 for lowest-income families), $5.5 billion endowment, access to Minneapolis's Fortune 500-dense economy, and one of the most complete academic health centers of any public university. UCD 82.52 Strong.
The considerations: the 80.64% full-time faculty rate is below average for a Big Ten flagship; the 90.99% first-year retention is below the top public flagships in this batch; Minneapolis winters are severe; and the in-state tuition of $17,214 is among the higher in-state rates for a public flagship. Best fit for Minnesota residents who want a comprehensive Big Ten research university with strong health sciences, engineering, and business programs and direct access to Minneapolis's major corporate employment market.
The questions below address what students and families most commonly search about the University of Minnesota: how the Twin Cities location affects career access, what the Carlson School offers, how engineering programs compare, and what Minneapolis winters mean for campus life.
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