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University or college · Public

Metropolitan State University

St. Paul, MN2,849 online only

Metropolitan State University is a public university in St. Paul, MN, with about 3,156 students on campus and 2,849 more studying only online.

Visit www.metrostate.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
3,156
plus 2,849 studying only online
Admission rate
99%
higher than at 94% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$16,863
lower than at 64% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
44%
lower than at 71% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$64,705
higher than at 89% of U.S. colleges
In brief

Metropolitan State University, in brief

Many students are adults coming back to school

54% of undergraduates are 25 or older, and 48% study part-time. Graduation rates count only first-time, full-time students, so they leave many of these students out. The students ↓

What you study here makes a big difference to pay

Among Metropolitan State University’s biggest bachelor’s programs, computer science graduates earn a median $92,342 four years out. Human services graduates earn $51,009. Majors ↓

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

★ What stands out · Who goes there

The students

5,616 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 33%Hispanic 8%Black 35%Asian 16%Two or more 5%International 2%

Women and men

Women 57%Men 43%
15 : 1
students per teacher
48%
get Pell grants (lower income)
31%
take federal loans
54%
undergrads 25 or older
48%
study part time
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Metropolitan State University?

99%

of applicants admitted

About 20 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

ACT
16–21

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1020.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $25,172 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees (in state) $9,840Books & supplies $1,500Other costs $13,832

After grants, the average family on aid pays $16,863.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$16,659

About $66,636 over 4 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
44%
within 6 years · Pell students 41%
Come back for year two
68%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$64,705
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$17,100
about $181 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

4%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$181 a month against about $4,569 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

57%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 70% 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
$57k
Middle income$30–75k
$72k
Higher incomeover $75k
$73k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Business 25%Computer science 18%Interdisciplinary 10%Health professions 10%Psychology 8%Public administration & social work 8%Everything else 20%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

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

Business Administration, Management and Operations245 graduates a year · typical debt $17,500
$71k4 yrs out
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other140 graduates a year · typical debt $17,500
$59k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing107 graduates a year · typical debt $12,541
$84k4 yrs out
Computer Science105 graduates a year · typical debt $19,287
$92k4 yrs out
Psychology, General102 graduates a year · typical debt $17,750
$56k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections83 graduates a year · typical debt $16,146
$64k4 yrs out
Social Work63 graduates a year · typical debt $17,698
$61k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services60 graduates a year · typical debt $18,976
$72k4 yrs out
The town around it

Living in St. Paul

8% of St. Paul’s 306,684 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ St. Paul pages.

St. Paul →
St. PaulSt. Paul, MN
$1,281/momedian rent · about the state median$291Ktypical home valueDSafety Grade7° / 83°January low / July high · 40" of snowB+Health GradeAll colleges in and near St. PaulCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Metropolitan State University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Saint Paul CollegeCommunity college · Public · St. Paul
1.8 mi4,000 students
Mitchell Hamline School of LawUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · St. Paul
3.3 mi1,167 students
Concordia University-Saint PaulUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · St. Paul
4 mi3,243 students
Hamline UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · St. Paul
4.4 mi2,064 students
Macalester CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · St. Paul
4.8 mi2,142 students
University of St ThomasUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · St. Paul
5.7 mi8,486 students
St Catherine UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · St. Paul
5.8 mi2,461 students
Luther SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · St. Paul
6.3 mi258 students

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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.