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Community college · Public

Central Lakes College-Brainerd

Brainerd, MN405 online only

Central Lakes College-Brainerd is a public community college in Brainerd, MN, with about 4,127 students on campus.

Visit www.clcmn.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
4,127
plus 405 studying only online
Admission rate
Open
open enrollment
Net price a year
$13,869
tuition and fees $6,249; the net price adds housing and food
Graduation rate
53%
lower than at 65% of 2-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$42,162
higher than at 54% of U.S. colleges
In brief

The short version on Central Lakes College-Brainerd

The only college for 30 miles

No other degree-granting college with students on campus is within 30 miles of Central Lakes College-Brainerd. Nearby ↓

Rent in Brainerd is below the state median

Median rent in Brainerd is $827 a month, 35% below the state median. Living in Brainerd ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; graduation rates count only first-time, full-time students.

Getting in

How hard is it to get into Central Lakes College-Brainerd?

Open

anyone with a high school diploma can enroll

Test scores of admitted students

No SAT or ACT ranges reported. Central Lakes College-Brainerd is likely test-optional.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $19,543 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees (in state) $6,249Books & supplies $1,000Other costs $12,294

After grants, the average family on aid pays $13,869.

Tuition and fees are $6,249 a year. The net price also counts housing, food and other costs at full price, so a student living at home pays less than it shows.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$12,970

About $25,940 over 2 years · 34% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
53%
within 3 years · Pell students 48%
Come back for year two
69%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$42,162
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$11,000
about $117 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

3.6%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$117 a month against about $3,282 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

50%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 58% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$36k
Middle income$30–75k
$47k
Higher incomeover $75k
$53k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Liberal arts 35%Health professions 18%Agriculture 10%Transportation 6%Computer science 5%Mechanic & repair 5%Everything else 21%

Associate degree programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities298 graduates a year · typical debt $9,425
$43k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing82 graduates a year · typical debt $19,391
$77k4 yrs out
Precision Metal Working11 graduates a year
$60k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections10 graduates a year
$58k4 yrs out
Natural Resources Conservation and Research9 graduates a year
—not reported
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians9 graduates a year
—not reported
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions9 graduates a year
—not reported
Design and Applied Arts8 graduates a year
—not reported
Who goes there

The students

1,614 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 82%Hispanic 4%Black 5%Asian 1%Two or more 4%

Women and men

Women 54%Men 46%
20 : 1
students per teacher
14%
get Pell grants (lower income)
12%
take federal loans
12%
undergrads 25 or older
40%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Brainerd

4% of Brainerd’s 14,428 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Brainerd pages.

Brainerd →
BrainerdBrainerd, MN
$827/momedian rent · 35% below the state$313Ktypical home valueC−Safety Grade1° / 80°January low / July high · 48" of snowB−Health GradeAll colleges in and near BrainerdCompare prices, admissions and outcomes

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.