Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in Minnesota
Colleges whose average price after grants is furthest below their published sticker price.
Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in Minnesota19 schools
19 schools qualify, ranked by discount off the sticker price.
How this list is made
- Schools in Minnesota.
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Academic Excellence grade B+ or better (the top 35% of rated colleges).
- Has a sticker price (cost of attendance) and a net price (average yearly cost after grants) from federal data (College Scorecard).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by the discount, sticker price minus net price, largest first.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
Carleton College
Northfield, MN · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Minnesota
- $59,486 off the sticker price
- Net price $25,407 a year
- 2
Macalester College
Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#2 in Minnesota
- $50,842 off the sticker price
- Net price $32,149 a year
- 3
St. Olaf College
Northfield, MN · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#3 in Minnesota
- $47,969 off the sticker price
- Net price $23,874 a year
- 4
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, MN · Private nonprofit#5 in Minnesota
- $44,713 off the sticker price
- Net price $22,900 a year
- 5
Saint Johns University
Collegeville, MN · Private nonprofitTop 10% for earnings
- $42,849 off the sticker price
- Net price $25,672 a year
- 6
College of Saint Benedict
Saint Joseph, MN · Private nonprofitTop 13% for graduation
- $41,813 off the sticker price
- Net price $26,640 a year
- 7
St. Catherine University
Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofitGood: Compass grade B
- $40,712 off the sticker price
- Net price $19,764 a year
- 8
University of St. Thomas
Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofitTop 12% for earnings
- $36,961 off the sticker price
- Net price $29,155 a year
- 9
Bethel University
Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit#7 in Minnesota
- $30,013 off the sticker price
- Net price $28,556 a year
- 10
The College of Saint Scholastica
Duluth, MN · Private nonprofitTop 19% for earnings
- $27,257 off the sticker price
- Net price $27,846 a year
- 11
University of Northwestern-St. Paul
Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofitTop 24% for graduation
- $23,620 off the sticker price
- Net price $27,705 a year
- 12
Concordia College at Moorhead
Moorhead, MN · Private nonprofitVery good: Compass grade B+
- $21,040 off the sticker price
- Net price $24,902 a year
- 13
North Central University
Minneapolis, MN · Private nonprofitGood: Compass grade B
- $18,658 off the sticker price
- Net price $25,817 a year
- 14
University of Minnesota-Morris
Morris, MN · PublicTop 12% for low net price
- $18,202 off the sticker price
- Net price $8,837 a year
- 15
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN · PublicHonor RollTop 7% for graduation
- $13,283 off the sticker price
- Net price $16,778 a year
- 16
Martin Luther College
New Ulm, MN · Private nonprofitTop 19% for graduation
- $10,787 off the sticker price
- Net price $18,463 a year
- 17
Dunwoody College of Technology
Minneapolis, MN · Private nonprofitTop 22% for low debt
- $9,648 off the sticker price
- Net price $26,939 a year
- 18
University of Minnesota-Duluth
Duluth, MN · PublicTop 24% for earnings
- $8,937 off the sticker price
- Net price $18,743 a year
- 19
Winona State University
Winona, MN · PublicGood: Compass grade B
- $6,180 off the sticker price
- Net price $17,503 a year
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carleton College | $25,407 | $16,750 | $75,525 | 90% |
| Macalester College | $32,149 | $23,000 | $63,878 | 87% |
| St. Olaf College | $23,874 | $26,000 | $65,543 | 84% |
| Gustavus Adolphus College | $22,900 | $26,774 | $65,607 | 77% |
| Saint Johns University | $25,672 | $27,000 | $76,786 | 75% |
| College of Saint Benedict | $26,640 | $26,944 | $63,260 | 77% |
| St. Catherine University | $19,764 | $24,181 | $59,282 | 61% |
| University of St. Thomas | $29,155 | $23,250 | $73,739 | 76% |
| Bethel University | $28,556 | $21,500 | $63,764 | 71% |
| The College of Saint Scholastica | $27,846 | $20,000 | $65,934 | 71% |
| University of Northwestern-St. Paul | $27,705 | $21,325 | $50,755 | 68% |
| Concordia College at Moorhead | $24,902 | $26,847 | $59,317 | 61% |
| North Central University | $25,817 | $23,200 | $45,064 | 66% |
| University of Minnesota-Morris | $8,837 | $18,995 | $50,919 | 63% |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities | $16,778 | $19,500 | $69,020 | 85% |
| Martin Luther College | $18,463 | $20,177 | $47,491 | 72% |
| Dunwoody College of Technology | $26,939 | $16,000 | $61,511 | 66% |
| University of Minnesota-Duluth | $18,743 | $22,024 | $62,616 | 65% |
| Winona State University | $17,503 | $21,500 | $58,532 | 57% |
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 5
- Arizona 4
- Arkansas 5
- California 63
- Colorado 6
- Connecticut 13
- District of Columbia 5
- Florida 21
- Georgia 9
- Illinois 21
- Indiana 21
- Iowa 16
- Kansas 4
- Kentucky 7
- Louisiana 3
- Maine 9
- Maryland 15
- Massachusetts 47
- Michigan 20
- Missouri 18
- Nebraska 8
- New Hampshire 5
- New Jersey 17
- New York 79
- North Carolina 17
- Ohio 33
- Oklahoma 4
- Oregon 11
- Pennsylvania 60
- Rhode Island 9
- South Carolina 10
- Tennessee 10
- Texas 20
- Utah 4
- Vermont 6
- Virginia 20
- Washington 13
- Wisconsin 15