Minnesota
Student Access & Success
Minnesota’s four-year institutions receive an average grade in this area, slightly above the national medians in completion and retention rates, and slightly below the national medians in credentials produced per 100 full- time equivalent undergraduates and the percentage of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants. Minnesota’s two-year institutions receive a good grade, with credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates and completion rate placing Minnesota among the top 15 states.
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness
Minnesota receives an average grade in this area for four-year institutions, with a cost per completion ($74,564) and state and local funding per completion ($48,802) in the middle third of states nationally. The state’s two-year institutions fare slightly better, with a cost per completion ($48,507) and state and local funding per completion ($24,368) both in the top third of all states nationally.
Meeting Labor Market Demand
The median wage of a Minnesota bachelor’s degree holder is $19,000 (or 54%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is almost 3 points lower. The median wage of an associate’s degree holder is $7,000 (or 20%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate is about 2 points lower.
Transparency & Accountability
Minnesota receives good marks in this area. The Minnesota State Colleges & Universities (MNSCU) Accountability Dashboard and Minnesota Measures report provide information on student learning and labor market outcomes. The state has used a variety of assessments for student learning and reports Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency scores for four-year institutions. Finally, the state-sponsored iSeek career and education resource allows program comparison at each Minnesota institution, detailing employment rates and wages.
Policy Environment
Minnesota gets a good mark for its policy environment. MNSCU has a very small outcomes-based funding system, with 1% of an institution’s budget based on institutional performance. The Minnesota Transfer portal aids in transferring individual courses.
Innovation
Minnesota’s initiative to promote access to online learning at its state institutions (Minnesota Online) is one of the top efforts in the country. The system provides information about online learning opportunities at 31 four- and two-year institutions, offering clear information about the transfer of online credits. Regarding new providers, Minnesota has one of the more restrictive regulatory environments in the country, with a very burdensome approval process.
Report Card
Compare with
Four-Year Institutions
MN Nat'l| Student Access & Success | C |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 27.0 | 30.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 78.6 | 77.9 |
| Completion Rate | 55.3 | 54.5 |
| Completions per 100 FTE Students | 19.6 | 19.7 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Complete College America | * |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | C |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $74,564 | $68,140 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $48,082 | $41,198 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $82,724 | $76,932 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) | 2 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | D |
|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $19,000 | $17,881 |
|---|---|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 154.3 | 156.0 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $15,000 | $12,703 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 150.0 | 149.9 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 3.1 | 4.0 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.8 | 2.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 5.0 | 7.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 2.6 | 2.9 |
| Transparency & Accountability | A |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | true | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 3 |
Two-Year Institutions
MN Nat'l| Student Access & Success | B |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 47.2 | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 57.5 | 58.6 |
| Completion Rate | 27.3 | 20.5 |
| Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates | 21.0 | 16.8 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | B |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $48,507 | $57,210 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $24,368 | $35,476 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $41,472 | $52,512 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | C |
|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $7,000 | $8,545 |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 120.0 | 126.1 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $7,473 | $6,595 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 124.9 | 125.0 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 2.2 | 2.7 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 4.3 | 4.9 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 2.11 | 1.84 |
| Transparency & Accountability | B |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 3 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | true | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 2 |
State
MN Nat'l| Policy Environment | B |
|---|
| State Goals (6-point Scale) | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? | true | |
| Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? | true | |
| Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Innovation: Openness to Providers | F |
|---|
| Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade | 47% | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Jurisdiction | 40% | |
| Financial Burden | 60% | |
| Approval Process Burden | 40% |
| Innovation: Online Learning | A |
|---|
| Numerical Online Learning Grade | 85.7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) | 6 |
State Facts at a Glance
- Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 12
- Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 29
- Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 100895
- Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 96174