More selective than 6% of Minnesota colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $25,172. College Scorecard.
Higher than 8% of Minnesota colleges we cover and 31% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 76% of Minnesota colleges we cover and 79% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Metropolitan State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 542 applicants, Metropolitan State University admitted 523 and 158 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Metropolitan State University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Minnesota residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Metropolitan State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Metropolitan State University took 4.7 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Minnesota. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $15,238 | $71,161 | 2.7 years |
| $30–48k | $16,656 | $77,784 | 2.9 years |
| $48–75k | $16,659 | $77,798 | 2.9 years |
| $75–110k | $18,994 | $88,702 | 3.3 years |
| $110k+ | $21,905 | $102,296 | 3.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.7 years, the average time graduates took (19% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($64,705) minus $38,184 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $26,521 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Metropolitan State University majors, earnings & careers
Metropolitan State University offers 47 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 10
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Technology & Computing · 6
- Science & Math · 5
- Education · 4
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Arts & Design · 2
- Communications & Media · 2
Highest-earning majors at Metropolitan State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $92,342 | $27,008 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $85,000 | $26,113 |
| Information Technology | $83,558 | $42,396 |
| Nursing | $83,504 | $35,762 |
| Information Science / Studies | $81,539 | $25,000 |
| Finance | $74,237 | $31,000 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | $73,027 | $27,000 |
| Accounting | $72,457 | $32,828 |
Quick list of all 47 majors
- Accounting$72,457
- Applied Mathematics—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$63,149
- Business Administration$71,209
- Chemistry$63,580
- Communications$61,355
- Computer and Information Sciences$85,000
- Computer Programming—
- Computer Science$92,342
- Criminal Justice$64,481
- Data Science—
- Dental Support Services and Allied Professions$73,027
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$49,025
- Education (Subject Teaching)$48,948
- English$39,572
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$45,801
- Finance$74,237
- Health Administration—
- History—
- Hospitality Management—
- Human Resources$70,299
- Human Services$51,009
- Information Science / Studies$81,539
- Information Technology$83,558
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International Business—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$60,352
- Management Information Systems$70,500
- Marketing$67,031
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions$60,780
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$58,568
- Nursing$83,504
- Philosophy—
- Psychology$55,824
- Psychology (Research)$40,230
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Social Sciences$48,486
- Social Work$60,755
- Special Education—
- Studio Art—
- Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language—
- Theatre—
- Writing$59,779
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Minneapolis
Overall prices in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,734. Housing costs 12% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 29 inches of rain a year, 40 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Ramsey County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Ramsey County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Metropolitan State University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Minnesota by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan State University | 99% | $16,863 | 44% | $64,705 | This school |
| Saint Cloud State University | 95% | $13,529 | 40% | $55,813 | |
| University of Minnesota-Duluth | 89% | $18,743 | 65% | $62,616 | |
| Winona State University | 75% | $17,503 | 57% | $58,532 | |
| University of Minnesota-Crookston | 88% | $12,212 | 50% | $58,056 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Metropolitan State University would cost you $3,334 more per year than Saint Cloud State University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Metropolitan State University.
- Metropolitan State University gives aided families $722 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Minnesota resident | Metropolitan State University | Saint Cloud State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sticker price | $25,172 | $21,116 | +$4,056 |
| Average grants | −$8,309 | −$7,587 | −$722 |
| You pay | $16,863 | $13,529 | +$3,334 |
“+” means Metropolitan State University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Metropolitan State University
What is the Metropolitan State University acceptance rate?
Metropolitan State University accepts 99% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 523 of 542 applicants were admitted.
How much does Metropolitan State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $25,172 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $16,863 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $15,238 and families earning $110k+ pay $21,905.
How much do Metropolitan State University graduates earn?
Former Metropolitan State University students earn a median $64,705 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Metropolitan State University graduation rate?
44% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 68% return for their second year.
How long does a Metropolitan State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Metropolitan State University costs about $77,798 after grants ($16,659 a year for 4.7 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $64,705 ten years after starting, $26,521 more than high school graduates in Minnesota ($38,184), so the cost is repaid in 2.9 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Metropolitan State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/metropolitan-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).