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Metropolitan State University: Metropolitan State University New Main
Photo: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Regional university

Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, MN · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $16,863 a year

Median debt at graduation: $17,100 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

B-Academic Excellence: B- (grade B-): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.44%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.68%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,020 · ACT 18.5
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.15 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$7,600

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$15,238
$30,001–$48,000$16,656
$48,001–$75,000$16,659
$75,001–$110,000$18,994
Over $110,000$21,905

Full cost of attendance before aid: $25,172 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
5,271
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 43% · Women 57%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
37%
Total students6,005
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$16,863
Cost of attendance (per year)$25,172
Median federal debt at graduation$17,100
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
44%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
53%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
52%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
57%
First-year retention68%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$64,705
Admission rate99%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
No application fee
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $1,405 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants48%
Admitted students’ middle range:ACT 16–21
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1020
SAT reading & writing—
SAT math—
ACT composite16–21
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Exceptional · Top 9% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Computer science$92,342
Computing and information science$85,000
Information technology$83,558
Nursing$83,504
Information science$81,539
Finance$74,237
Dental assisting$73,027
Accounting$72,457
Business administration$71,209
Management information systems$70,500
Human resources$70,299
Marketing$67,031
Criminal justice$64,481
Chemistry$63,580
Biology$63,149
Communication studies$61,355
Counseling and mental health$60,780
Social work$60,755
Liberal arts$60,352
Writing and rhetoric$59,779
Interdisciplinary studies$58,568
Psychology$55,824
Human services$51,009
Teacher education$49,025
Secondary education$48,948
Social sciences$48,486
Ethnic and gender studies$45,801
Experimental psychology$40,230
English$39,572

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Applied mathematics, Biochemistry, Data Science, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Fine arts, General studies, Health administration, History, Hospitality management, International business, Natural resources and conservation, Philosophy, Programming, Public relations, Special education, Teaching English as a second language, Theatre.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Business26%
Computer and information sciences17%
Interdisciplinary studies12%
Health professions9%
Psychology9%

Campus life

SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates48%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older54%
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member15 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 7%IPEDS, 2023–24
Faculty who are full-time35%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$2,147IPEDS, 2023, per student
Nearest airport with airline serviceMinneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)About 9 miles away · about 20 minutes by car
Town population307,284Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreSt. PaulIn or next to this city
Typical weather16°F in January · 73°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from St Paul Downtown Airport, MN

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.030.07
Robbery0.060.01
Aggravated assault0.090.04
Burglary0.090.08
Motor vehicle theft0.090.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Metropolitan State University’s Compass Score?
Solid (grade C+). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Metropolitan State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $16,863 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Metropolitan State University?
Metropolitan State University admitted 99% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Metropolitan State University’s graduates do?
44% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $64,705; the median federal debt at graduation is $17,100.

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