Saint Cloud State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. It enrolls 5,088 students (a large 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.
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
62/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes21
Value85
Affordability51
Selectivity18
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Saint Cloud State University admits 94.8% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
94.8%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1025 – 1260
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
17 – 25
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized 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 Saint Cloud State University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
4.9 pts
since 2019
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 $13,529 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.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$10,245
Room & Board (on-campus)
$10,596
Room & Board (off-campus)
$10,596
Books & Supplies
$1,400
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,600
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,600
Total Cost of Attendance
$21,116
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
$8,909
$30,001 – $48,000
$9,871
$48,001 – $75,000
$12,034
$75,001 – $110,000
$14,781
Over $110,000
$18,989
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.
$3,25010%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$21,058Medianpercentile
$25,16275%percentile
$32,50090%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 $15,783
↓ $5,275
No Pell $12,702
↓ $8,356
Dependent students $14,000
↓ $7,058
Independent students $16,611
↓ $4,447
Female students $14,400
↓ $6,658
Male students $14,250
↓ $6,808
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,750, less than completers ($21,058), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
46% 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
46%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
69%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $55,813 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$55,813
Earning > $25K
84%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
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
$43,300
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$55,200
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$45,600
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$46,700
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$51,400
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $11,900, about 22% 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 ↑
17.5 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 92% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 5,088 students, a large student community.
Total Enrolled
5,088
Part-Time
21%
First-Generation
27%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 58.5%2,978
International 13.9%706
Black 12.9%658
Hispanic 5.3%270
Other 4.5%229
Asian 4.2%211
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Saint Cloud State University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Saint Cloud State University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
108 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.
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
$15,085
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$42M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$100,368
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
331 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
171
52%
$113,108
Associate Professors
85
26%
$94,941
Assistant Professors
64
19%
$79,019
Instructors
11
3%
$68,467
Pros & Cons of Saint Cloud State University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Saint Cloud State University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, Saint Cloud State University is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions about Saint Cloud State University
The questions families ask most about Saint Cloud State University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Saint Cloud State University hard to get into?
Not especially. Saint Cloud State University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 94.8%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Saint Cloud State University?
94.8% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Saint Cloud State University?
Aim for 1260 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1025 and 1260 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Saint Cloud State University?
Aim for 25 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 17 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 Saint Cloud State University cost?
Budget around $13,529 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 Saint Cloud State University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $55,813 a year against a net price of $13,529, about 4.1 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 Saint Cloud State University known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Nursing. 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 Saint Cloud State University graduates earn?
About $55,813 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 Saint Cloud State University accredited?
Yes. Saint Cloud State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Saint Cloud State University?
5,088 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Saint Cloud State University?
46% 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 Saint Cloud State University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Saint Cloud State University located?
Saint Cloud State University is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota.
What programs does Saint Cloud State University offer?
108 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Nursing. 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 Saint Cloud State University?
17 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Minnesota
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Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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