Ranking
Best Design and Applied Arts Colleges in Minnesota 2026
22 Minnesota colleges offering Design and Applied Arts, ranked by EduGradify value grade.
- Schools ranked
- 22
- Cheapest net price
- $10,046
- Top earnings 10y
- $69,020
- Public / Private
- 13 / 9
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
A- ROI score
- 12.43
- Net price
- $11,704
- Earnings 10y
- $58,170
- Acceptance
- 92.8%
Ridgewater College
A- ROI score
- 10.91
- Net price
- $10,046
- Earnings 10y
- $43,827
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
North Hennepin Community College
B- ROI score
- 10.49
- Net price
- $12,186
- Earnings 10y
- $51,142
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Saint Cloud State University
B- ROI score
- 10.31
- Net price
- $13,529
- Earnings 10y
- $55,813
- Acceptance
- 94.8%
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
B- ROI score
- 10.28
- Net price
- $16,778
- Earnings 10y
- $69,020
- Acceptance
- 79.8%
Dakota County Technical College
B- ROI score
- 9.58
- Net price
- $13,548
- Earnings 10y
- $51,938
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Minnesota State Community and Technical College
B- ROI score
- 9.08
- Net price
- $12,556
- Earnings 10y
- $45,591
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Alexandria Technical & Community College
B- ROI score
- 9.02
- Net price
- $13,691
- Earnings 10y
- $49,393
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Bemidji State University
B- ROI score
- 8.81
- Net price
- $15,261
- Earnings 10y
- $53,755
- Acceptance
- 56%
University of Minnesota-Duluth
B- ROI score
- 8.35
- Net price
- $18,743
- Earnings 10y
- $62,616
- Acceptance
- 88.8%
Concordia University-Saint Paul
B- ROI score
- 8.11
- Net price
- $18,462
- Earnings 10y
- $59,871
- Acceptance
- 78.9%
Rochester Community and Technical College
B- ROI score
- 7.84
- Net price
- $14,435
- Earnings 10y
- $45,287
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
Central Lakes College-Brainerd
B- ROI score
- 7.60
- Net price
- $13,869
- Earnings 10y
- $42,162
- Acceptance
- Open / not reported
St Catherine University
B- ROI score
- 7.50
- Net price
- $19,764
- Earnings 10y
- $59,282
- Acceptance
- 91.9%
Minnesota State University-Mankato
B- ROI score
- 7.44
- Net price
- $19,139
- Earnings 10y
- $56,922
- Acceptance
- 88.4%
Minnesota State University Moorhead
C- ROI score
- 7.02
- Net price
- $17,997
- Earnings 10y
- $50,527
- Acceptance
- 58.8%
Augsburg University
C- ROI score
- 6.16
- Net price
- $23,873
- Earnings 10y
- $58,829
- Acceptance
- 82%
Bethany Lutheran College
C- ROI score
- 5.72
- Net price
- $20,148
- Earnings 10y
- $46,110
- Acceptance
- 39%
Dunwoody College of Technology
C- ROI score
- 5.71
- Net price
- $26,939
- Earnings 10y
- $61,511
- Acceptance
- 98.9%
Bethel University
C- ROI score
- 5.58
- Net price
- $28,556
- Earnings 10y
- $63,764
- Acceptance
- 87.8%
University of Northwestern-St Paul
D- ROI score
- 4.58
- Net price
- $27,705
- Earnings 10y
- $50,755
- Acceptance
- 93.5%
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
D- ROI score
- 3.41
- Net price
- $29,926
- Earnings 10y
- $40,873
- Acceptance
- 48.5%
How we picked this list
This list starts with Minnesota schools with positive Design and Applied Arts program-share evidence, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 8.00 (13 public, 9 private).
Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See our full methodology for the formulas.
FAQ
Who leads this ranking?
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota in Winona, MN tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A.
How does EduGradify pick this list?
We rank this set by roi score using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.
How many Minnesota colleges are in this list?
22 Minnesota colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.
What does net price mean here?
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.