Public Graduate Good 65/100

Minnesota State University Moorhead

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Moorhead, Minnesota

About Minnesota State University Moorhead

Thinking about Minnesota State University Moorhead, a college in Minnesota where more students graduate in Education than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Minnesota State University Moorhead is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Moorhead, Minnesota. It enrolls 3,072 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
58.8%
Graduation
51.4%
Net Price
$17,997
Median Earnings (10yr)
$50,527
Enrollment
3,072
Student : Faculty
17:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
65/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 45
Value 55
Affordability 49
Selectivity 53

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Minnesota State University Moorhead admits 58.8% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
58.8%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
18 – 25
Cumulative composite
Test Policy Not Considered Standardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Minnesota State University Moorhead is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Getting more selective ↓ 12.8 pts since 2019
65.4%201966.1%202071.7%202156.6%202252.6%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $17,997 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$17,997
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
28%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
48%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$10,428
Room & Board (on-campus)
$10,994
Room & Board (off-campus)
$10,994
Books & Supplies
$1,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,894
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,894
Total Cost of Attendance
$25,197

Application fee: $20 (one-time, due at submission)


Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $11,129
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $11,547
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $13,907
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $18,644
  • Over $110,000
    $22,420

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$4,000
10% percentile
$7,839
25% percentile
$20,000
Median percentile
$26,055
75% percentile
$32,060
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $16,500 ↓ $3,500
No Pell $14,000 ↓ $6,000
Dependent students $15,000 ↓ $5,000
Independent students $16,342 ↓ $3,658
Female students $15,000 ↓ $5,000
Male students $14,500 ↓ $5,500
Pell recipients: 18.1% (3,613 students)No Pell: 15.3% (3,065 students)Dependent students: 16.4% (3,284 students)Independent students: 17.9% (3,578 students)Female students: 16.4% (3,284 students)Male students: 15.9% (3,175 students)Overall Median$20,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,750, less than completers ($20,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

51% of students who start here finish within six years, and 74% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
51%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
74%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $50,527 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$50,527
Earning > $25K
81%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$45,000$47,000$48,000$50,000$51,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$38,800

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$52,900

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$41,100

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$45,300

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$46,500

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $14,100, about 27% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 13.6 pts across 6 years
72.6%1yr77.4%3yr81%5yr86.2%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 86% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 3,072 students, a mid-sized community.

Total Enrolled
3,072
Part-Time
15%
First-Generation
20%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 76.1% 2,338
Other 5.8% 177
Hispanic 5.5% 169
Black 5.5% 169
International 4.8% 148
Asian 1.6% 49
White: 76.1% (2,338 students)Other: 5.8% (177 students)Hispanic: 5.5% (169 students)Black: 5.5% (169 students)International: 4.8% (148 students)Asian: 1.6% (49 students)Total3,072

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Minnesota State University Moorhead. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Midsize Suburb Moorhead, Minnesota
Housing
Mostly residential 1,482 beds on campus
Adult Learners
18% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Business graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Minnesota State University Moorhead offers an extensive catalog of programs: 72 distinct programs across 24 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

7 Programs
8 Programs
6 Programs
4 Programs
1 Program
4 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 17 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
17:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$12,112
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$36M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$91,015
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

168 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 83 49% $100,712
Associate Professors 41 24% $92,071
Assistant Professors 39 23% $74,062
Instructors 5 3% $53,629

Pros & Cons of Minnesota State University Moorhead

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Minnesota State University Moorhead is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
CONS
  • Class sizes are on the higher side
  • Below-average completion rate
  • Modest first-year retention

Frequently Asked Questions about Minnesota State University Moorhead

The questions families ask most about Minnesota State University Moorhead, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Minnesota State University Moorhead hard to get into?
Admissions at Minnesota State University Moorhead are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 58.8%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Minnesota State University Moorhead?
58.8% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Minnesota State University Moorhead?
Aim for 25 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 18 and 25 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Minnesota State University Moorhead cost?
Budget around $17,997 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Minnesota State University Moorhead worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $50,527 a year against a net price of $17,997, about 2.8 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Minnesota State University Moorhead known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Nursing, Educational Administration. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Minnesota State University Moorhead graduates earn?
About $50,527 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Minnesota State University Moorhead accredited?
Yes. Minnesota State University Moorhead is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Minnesota State University Moorhead?
3,072 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Minnesota State University Moorhead?
51% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Minnesota State University Moorhead a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Minnesota State University Moorhead located?
Minnesota State University Moorhead is located in Moorhead, Minnesota.
What programs does Minnesota State University Moorhead offer?
72 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Nursing, Educational Administration. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Minnesota State University Moorhead?
17 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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