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Winona Commercial HD 02Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Winona

Winona is a college town: 24 of every 100 residents are students

Winona State University (5,146 students on campus) and Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (2,666) are inside the city. Across Minnesota, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town24% of residents are studentsWinona State UniversitySaint Mary's University of MinnesotaMinnesota State College Southeast

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Winona. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
3
9,085 students on campus
Nearest college
1.3 mi
Winona State
Residents in college
24%
Above MN (6%)
Nearest community college
3.1 mi
Minnesota State College Southeast · $6,432 tuition
Nearest public university
1.3 mi
Winona State · $10,576 in-state
Students on campus in Winona
9,085
next to 26,530 residents

What stands out about college in Winona

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town24 of every 100 Winona residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Minnesota.Three colleges within 3.1 milesWinona State University admits 75% of applicants; Saint Mary's University of Minnesota admits 93%. Together they have 9,085 students on campus.In-state price at Winona StateLiving in Minnesota, Winona State University charges $10,576 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $17,308. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 3.1 miles awayMinnesota State College Southeast in Winona: tuition and fees $6,432 a year for Minnesota residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Winona

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

24 of every 100 Winona residents are in college (MN: 6).

9,085students on campus at Winona’s 3 colleges, next to 26,530 residents (dorm students count as residents)
3,829college students live in Winona households rather than dorms
31.3median age · MN 38.8
52%of residents are women · MN 50% (±1.1 points)
42%of homes rented · MN 28%
$882median rent · 31% below the state
WinonaWinona, MN
Cost of living$882/mo median rentBSafetyCrime reported to the FBICHealthCDC estimatesB+Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC+HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Winona’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C+

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 23.4% of Winona residents are below the poverty line, 14.7% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 5 points either way). 66% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living B

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 24%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health B+

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Winona’s median age is 31.3 (Minnesota 38.8), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Winona

One private college within 1.4 miles, one public college within 1.3 miles, and Minnesota State College Southeast 3.1 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miWinona StateSaint Mary's University of MinnesotaMinnesota State College SoutheastWinona
University or collegeCommunity college
Winona State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 5,146 on campus · In Winona75%admitted$18knet price57%graduate$59kearningsSaint Mary's University of MinnesotaUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,666 on campus · In Winona93%admitted$12knet price66%graduate$58kearningsMinnesota State College SoutheastCommunity college · Public · 1,273 on campus · In Winona$16knet price47%graduate$44kearningsTuition and fees: $6,432 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Winona’s median household income ($56,337) falls.

Winona State UniversityIn Winona · sticker $23,683$13,814a year
Saint Mary's University of MinnesotaIn Winona · sticker $57,380$15,030a year
Minnesota State College SoutheastIn Winona · sticker $21,397 · tuition $6,432$16,036a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Winona: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Winona StateSaint Mary's University of MinnesotaMinnesota State College Southeast
Winona State University57% graduate$59k earnings$22k typical debt
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota66% graduate$58k earnings$22k typical debt
Minnesota State College Southeast47% graduate$44k earnings$13k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Winona

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Winona’s 3 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Health professions 22%Business 13%Education 11%Engineering tech 5%Psychology 4%Public administration 4%Everything else 42%

Biggest programs

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingWinona State University · 206 graduates a year
$80k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsWinona State University · 142 graduates a year
$47k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and OperationsWinona State University · 112 graduates a year
$62k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasWinona State University · 82 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out
Psychology, GeneralWinona State University · 80 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out
Biology, GeneralWinona State University · 68 graduates a year
$58k4 yrs out
Social WorkWinona State University · 67 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Communication and Media StudiesWinona State University · 59 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Winona

Is Winona a college town?

Yes. 24 of every 100 Winona residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Minnesota. Winona State University has 5,146 students on campus, next to 26,530 residents.

What colleges are in Winona?

Winona State University, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota and Minnesota State College Southeast are inside the city.

Why is Winona’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 23.4% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 14.7% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 5 points).

What is the closest community college to Winona, and what does it cost?

Minnesota State College Southeast in Winona, 3.1 miles away. Tuition and fees are $6,432 a year for Minnesota residents; the federal net price, $16,140, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Winona State University?

Winona State University admitted 75% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Winona. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →