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Saint Cloud State University: St. Cloud State University Campus
Photo: Ryan Herrboldt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Regional university

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $13,529 a year

Median debt at graduation: $21,058 (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.40%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.71%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,092 · ACT 21
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.18 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$9,755

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$8,909
$30,001–$48,000$9,871
$48,001–$75,000$12,034
$75,001–$110,000$14,781
Over $110,000$18,989

Full cost of attendance before aid: $21,116 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)
8,430
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 46% · Women 54%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
27%
Total students10,514
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$13,529
Cost of attendance (per year)$21,116
Median federal debt at graduation$21,058
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
40%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
46%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
44%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
66%
First-year retention71%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$55,813
Admission rate95%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
No application fee
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $919 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants22%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 1025–1260ACT 17–25
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1092
SAT reading & writing510–615
SAT math515–645
ACT composite17–25
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Excellent · Top 19% (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 engineering$107,133
Computer science$103,765
Electrical engineering$90,009
Mechanical engineering$87,503
Nursing$84,470
Information technology$80,331
Clinical laboratory science$78,067
Accounting$76,080
Marketing$74,847
Industrial technology$73,695
Finance$70,259
Criminal justice$66,850
Business administration$64,191
Biology$62,595
Natural resources and conservation$59,549
Allied health$59,483
Speech-language pathology$58,587
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology$57,108
Interdisciplinary studies$56,547
Communication studies$56,388
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$54,302
Social work$52,765
Sociology$52,455
Psychology$52,031
Public health$50,932
Clinical and counseling psychology$49,922
Secondary education$48,923
International relations$48,463
Political science$48,305
Special education$48,296
Fine arts$47,619
Design$45,990
Teacher education$45,386
Ecology and evolutionary biology$44,386
English$38,464
Film and video$35,421

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Air Transportation, Anthropology, Area studies, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Business (general), Chemistry, Counseling and mental health, Economics, Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Entrepreneurship, Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering, Ethnic and gender studies, Geography, Geology and earth science, Global studies, History, Hospitality management, Information science, Insurance, International business, Kinesiology and exercise science, Liberal arts, Management information systems, Managerial economics, Manufacturing Engineering, Mathematics, Music, Other communication, journalism, and related programs, Philosophy, Physics, Real Estate, Rehabilitation and therapy, Romance languages, Science, Technology and Society, Statistics, Theatre, Urban Studies/Affairs.

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
Business17%
Health professions10%
Psychology8%
Computer and information sciences8%
Education7%

Campus life

School colors
SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates21%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older13%
On-campus room and board (per year)$10,596
SportsNCAA Division II · Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
ROTCArmy
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member18 to 1
Disability servicesVisit the office’s pageThe college’s own page
Faculty who are full-time64%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$5,828IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 13% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceMinneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)About 65 miles away · about 1 hour 35 minutes by car
Town population70,629Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreMinneapolisAbout 59 miles away · about 1 hour 25 minutes by car
Typical weather12°F in January · 70°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from St Cloud Regional Airport, MN, about 5 miles away

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
Rape0.060.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.090.04
Burglary0.090.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

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 Saint Cloud 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 Saint Cloud State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $13,529 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 Saint Cloud State University?
Saint Cloud State University admitted 95% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Saint Cloud State University’s graduates do?
40% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $55,813; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,058.

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