Public Associate Good 65/100

Minnesota West Community and Technical College

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

Compare This College

Granite Falls, Minnesota

About Minnesota West Community and Technical College

Thinking about Minnesota West Community and Technical College, a college in Minnesota where more students graduate in Health 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 West Community and Technical College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Granite Falls, Minnesota. It enrolls 1,762 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
Open
Graduation
37.4%
Net Price
$11,191
Median Earnings (10yr)
$45,285
Enrollment
1,762
Student : Faculty
19:1

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 (2-Year), 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 · 2-Year
Outcomes 59
Value 56
Affordability 28
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

As a two-year college, Minnesota West Community and Technical College admits essentially everyone who qualifies, so plan around cost and completion instead of your odds of getting in.

Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

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 $11,191 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
$11,191
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
16%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
13%
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
$6,491
Room & Board (on-campus)
$6,500
Room & Board (off-campus)
$6,500
Books & Supplies
$1,200
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,900
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,900
Total Cost of Attendance
$17,408

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
    $8,950
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $9,317
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $10,083
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $13,563
  • Over $110,000
    $16,499

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.

$2,500
10% percentile
$4,750
25% percentile
$10,987
Median percentile
$16,500
75% percentile
$27,219
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 $9,997 ↓ $990
No Pell $7,733 ↓ $3,254
Dependent students $6,353 ↓ $4,634
Independent students $10,500 ↓ $487
Female students $10,500 ↓ $487
Male students $6,500 ↓ $4,487
Pell recipients: 19.4% (2,129 students)No Pell: 15.0% (1,647 students)Dependent students: 12.3% (1,353 students)Independent students: 20.4% (2,236 students)Female students: 20.4% (2,236 students)Male students: 12.6% (1,384 students)Overall Median$10,987
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,700, close to what completers borrow ($10,987) but without the degree to show for it.

Graduation Rate & Retention

37% of students who start here finish within six years, and 69% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. 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
37%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
69%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $45,285 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)
$45,285
Earning > $25K
73%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$39,000$41,000$43,000$44,000$46,0006 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
$30,800

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

Male graduates
$45,400

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$31,400

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

Family income (middle third)
$41,100

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

Family income (highest third)
$42,200

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $14,600, about 32% 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 ↑ 15.5 pts across 6 years
64.4%1yr68.2%3yr75.7%5yr80%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 80% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,762 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 37% are the first in their family to go to college, and 50% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
1,762
Part-Time
50%
First-Generation
37%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 67.1% 1,182
Hispanic 16.0% 282
Black 6.8% 120
Other 3.6% 63
International 2.4% 42
Asian 2.3% 41
White: 67.1% (1,182 students)Hispanic: 16.0% (282 students)Black: 6.8% (120 students)Other: 3.6% (63 students)International: 2.4% (42 students)Asian: 2.3% (41 students)Total1,762

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Minnesota West Community and Technical College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Rural: Remote Granite Falls, Minnesota
Housing
Limited on-campus housing 14 beds
Adult Learners
33% 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 Construction graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Minnesota West Community and Technical College offers a varied set of programs: 37 distinct programs across 13 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.

10 Programs
1 Program
5 Programs
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 19 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
19:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$9,701
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$1.2M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$74,769
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

77 instructional faculty across 1 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
Instructors 77 100% $74,769

Pros & Cons of Minnesota West Community and Technical College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Minnesota West Community and Technical College 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
  • Open admissions
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
  • Class sizes are on the higher side
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Minnesota West Community and Technical College is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Minnesota West Community and Technical College

The questions families ask most about Minnesota West Community and Technical College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Minnesota West Community and Technical College hard to get into?
Not especially. Minnesota West Community and Technical College admits most qualified applicants, and reports no competitive acceptance rate. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Minnesota West Community and Technical College?
No acceptance rate is reported, which for a college like this normally means admission is open to anyone meeting the basic requirements. Confirm with the admissions office rather than assuming it.
How much does Minnesota West Community and Technical College cost?
Budget around $11,191 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 West Community and Technical College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $45,285 a year against a net price of $11,191, about 4.0 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 West Community and Technical College known for?
Mostly Practical Nursing, Liberal Arts, Electrical and Power Transmission Installers. 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 West Community and Technical College graduates earn?
About $45,285 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 West Community and Technical College accredited?
Yes. Minnesota West Community and Technical College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Minnesota West Community and Technical College?
1,762 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Minnesota West Community and Technical College?
37% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Minnesota West Community and Technical College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Minnesota West Community and Technical College located?
Minnesota West Community and Technical College is located in Granite Falls, Minnesota.
What programs does Minnesota West Community and Technical College offer?
37 different programs, most commonly Practical Nursing, Liberal Arts, Electrical and Power Transmission Installers. 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 West Community and Technical College?
19 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Continue Exploring

Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.