Best colleges for art and design in Minnesota
Colleges that offer a bachelor’s in art or design, ranked by Compass Score.
Best colleges for art and design in Minnesota30 schools
30 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Schools in Minnesota.
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Offers a bachelor’s program in art or design, from the College Scorecard field-of-study data (credential level 3).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
Carleton College
Northfield, MN · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Minnesota
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A- · Top 20%
- 2
Macalester College
Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#2 in Minnesota
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 3
St. Olaf College
Northfield, MN · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#3 in Minnesota
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 50%
- 4
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN · PublicHonor RollTop 7% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A · Top 9%
- 5
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, MN · Private nonprofit#5 in Minnesota
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 49%
- 6
University of St. Thomas
Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofitTop 12% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 50%
- 7
Bethel University
Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit#7 in Minnesota
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 8
Saint Johns University
Collegeville, MN · Private nonprofitTop 10% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 46%
- 9
Rasmussen University-Minnesota
St. Cloud, MN · Private for-profit#9 in Minnesota
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 10
College of Saint Benedict
Saint Joseph, MN · Private nonprofitTop 13% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 11
University of Minnesota-Duluth
Duluth, MN · PublicTop 24% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B+ · Top 27%
- 12
The College of Saint Scholastica
Duluth, MN · Private nonprofitTop 19% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 48%
- 13
Concordia College at Moorhead
Moorhead, MN · Private nonprofitVery good: Compass grade B+
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 14
University of Northwestern-St. Paul
Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofitTop 24% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade C+
- 15
University of Minnesota-Morris
Morris, MN · PublicTop 12% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A- · Top 13%
- 16
Bethany Lutheran College
Mankato, MN · Private nonprofitVery good: Compass grade B+
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 17
Dunwoody College of Technology
Minneapolis, MN · Private nonprofitTop 22% for low debt
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 41%
- 18
St. Catherine University
Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofitGood: Compass grade B
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 41%
- 19
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Winona, MN · Private nonprofitTop 20% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade A- · Top 12%
- 20
Hamline University
Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofitGood: Compass grade B
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 41%
- 21
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Moorhead, MN · PublicGood: Compass grade B
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 40%
- 22
Winona State University
Winona, MN · PublicGood: Compass grade B
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B+ · Top 28%
- 23
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Minneapolis, MN · Private nonprofitGood: Compass grade B
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade C+
- 24
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Mankato, MN · PublicGood: Compass grade B
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B+ · Top 35%
- 25
Bemidji State University
Bemidji, MN · PublicGood: Compass grade B
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B+ · Top 24%
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carleton College | About $25,000 | $16,750 | $75,525 | 90% |
| Macalester College | About $32,000 | $23,000 | $63,878 | 87% |
| St. Olaf College | About $24,000 | $26,000 | $65,543 | 84% |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | About $17,000 | $19,500 | $69,020 | 85% |
| Gustavus Adolphus College | About $23,000 | $26,774 | $65,607 | 77% |
| University of St. Thomas | About $29,000 | $23,250 | $73,739 | 76% |
| Bethel University | About $29,000 | $21,500 | $63,764 | 71% |
| Saint Johns University | About $26,000 | $27,000 | $76,786 | 75% |
| Rasmussen University-Minnesota | About $18,000 | $20,899 | $39,080 | 53% |
| College of Saint Benedict | About $27,000 | $26,944 | $63,260 | 77% |
| University of Minnesota-Duluth | About $19,000 | $22,024 | $62,616 | 65% |
| The College of Saint Scholastica | About $28,000 | $20,000 | $65,934 | 71% |
| Concordia College at Moorhead | About $25,000 | $26,847 | $59,317 | 61% |
| University of Northwestern-St. Paul | About $28,000 | $21,325 | $50,755 | 68% |
| University of Minnesota-Morris | About $9,000 | $18,995 | $50,919 | 63% |
| Bethany Lutheran College | About $20,000 | $23,000 | $46,110 | 55% |
| Dunwoody College of Technology | About $27,000 | $16,000 | $61,511 | 66% |
| St. Catherine University | About $20,000 | $24,181 | $59,282 | 61% |
| Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | About $12,000 | $21,500 | $58,170 | 66% |
| Hamline University | About $21,000 | $23,770 | $61,106 | 60% |
| Minnesota State University Moorhead | About $18,000 | $20,000 | $50,527 | 57% |
| Winona State University | About $18,000 | $21,500 | $58,532 | 57% |
| Minneapolis College of Art and Design | About $30,000 | $27,000 | $40,873 | 51% |
| Minnesota State University-Mankato | About $19,000 | $21,106 | $56,922 | 54% |
| Bemidji State University | About $15,000 | $19,750 | $53,755 | 48% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
This list in other states
- Alabama 19
- Alaska 3
- Arizona 8
- Arkansas 17
- California 75
- Colorado 15
- Connecticut 21
- Delaware 3
- District of Columbia 7
- Florida 29
- Georgia 32
- Hawaii 5
- Idaho 6
- Illinois 47
- Indiana 36
- Iowa 24
- Kansas 21
- Kentucky 22
- Louisiana 16
- Maine 13
- Maryland 20
- Massachusetts 44
- Michigan 30
- Mississippi 7
- Missouri 32
- Montana 7
- Nebraska 15
- Nevada 4
- New Hampshire 8
- New Jersey 26
- New Mexico 6
- New York 85
- North Carolina 39
- North Dakota 5
- Ohio 59
- Oklahoma 15
- Oregon 14
- Pennsylvania 74
- Puerto Rico 17
- Rhode Island 9
- South Carolina 25
- South Dakota 9
- Tennessee 27
- Texas 54
- Utah 8
- Vermont 8
- Virginia 33
- Washington 16
- West Virginia 11
- Wisconsin 29