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Winona State University: Phelps Hall NW
Photo: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Regional university

#3 Best colleges for NCAA Division II athletes in Minnesota

Winona State University

Winona, MN · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $17,503 a year

Median debt at graduation: $21,500 (all students)

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

Rankings

Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list

In America

In Minnesota

Academic Excellence

B+Academic Excellence: B+ (grade B+): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Very good · Top 35%
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.57%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.79%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.14 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$11,017

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$10,224
$30,001–$48,000$11,792
$48,001–$75,000$13,814
$75,001–$110,000$17,871
Over $110,000$21,307

Full cost of attendance before aid: $23,683 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)
5,267
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 31% · Women 69%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
21%
Total students6,058
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$17,503
Cost of attendance (per year)$23,683
Median federal debt at graduation$21,500
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
57%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
57%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
58%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
75%
First-year retention79%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$58,532
Admission rate75%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
$20
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $868 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants24%

Value: Very good · Top 28% (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
Materials Engineering$91,528
Computer science$88,164
Nursing$80,117
Management information systems$76,708
Finance$75,807
Clinical laboratory science$73,400
Accounting$72,768
Health administration$72,716
Marketing$70,203
Human resources$65,501
Chemistry$64,760
Kinesiology and exercise science$63,303
Criminal justice$62,220
Business administration$61,878
Biology$57,528
Interdisciplinary studies$55,235
Romance languages$55,113
Political science$55,027
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$54,381
Social work$54,056
Communication studies$53,456
Allied health$51,910
Special education$49,824
Psychology$49,361
Sociology$49,166
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies$48,808
Secondary education$48,767
Fine arts$48,258
English$47,876
Public health$47,291
Teacher education$46,863

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Arts management, Computational Science, Computing and information science, Data Science, Economics, Education (general), Engineering (general), Film and video, Geology and earth science, Global studies, History, Liberal arts, Mathematics, Music, Physics, Pre-law and legal studies, Public administration, Public relations, Statistics, 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
Health professions20%
Education16%
Business15%
Parks, recreation and fitness7%
Public administration and social service6%

Campus life

School colors
SettingTown
Part-time undergraduates13%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older10%
On-campus room and board (per year)$9,654
SportsNCAA Division II · Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
ROTCArmy
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member14 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 10%IPEDS, 2023–24
Faculty who are full-time69%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$10,575IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 35% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceRochester International Airport (RST)About 44 miles away
Nearest major airportMinneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)About 97 miles away
Town population26,009Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreSt. PaulAbout 95 miles away
Typical weather19°F in January · 75°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Winona, MN

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

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

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.170.07
Robbery0.060.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.220.08
Motor vehicle theft0.060.15

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 Winona State University’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 46% of rated colleges. 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 Winona State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $17,503 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 Winona State University?
Winona State University admitted 75% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Winona State University’s graduates do?
57% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $58,532; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,500.

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