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Affording a Minnesota private college education

A private college education may be much more affordable than you think. In 2008-09 the average tuition and fees of our 17 institutions is $28,137. (With room and board added, the comprehensive charges average $35,481.) However, these numbers do not reflect what the average student actually pays.

  • Thanks to financial aid, in 2006-07, the average amount families paid for tuition was 54% of the posted price.
  • 94% of students receive financial aid — 88% receive grants and scholarships that don’t have to be paid back.
  • More than 23% of our students come from families with incomes less than $40,000 (about the same proportion as MnSCU and the University of Minnesota).
There are a number of options available to help students pay for college:

Financial aid

The Federal and state government, corporations, foundations, individuals, and colleges and universities provide students with financial assistance. Financial aid includes:
  • Need- and merit-based grants and scholarships that do not need to be repaid
  • Employment on or off campus (work study)
  • Low-interest loans that must be repaid after a student graduates

Our institutions award more than $288 million in institutional and private grants and scholarships each year. Students apply for some of these; others are distributed by each school based on student need. We also provide low-cost loans for students and families through T.H.E. Private College Loan Program.

Federal and state government financial aid travels with students to the colleges they select, whether public or private. Use the FAFSA4caster to obtain an estimate of eligibility for federal student aid. The federal government sponsors:

The State of Minnesota sponsors:

To qualify for financial aid, you must apply for it. Check out www.fafsa.ed.gov for information on the must-do application form you’ll need to fill out for government and institutional aid.

Our advice: Keep your options open. Private and public colleges alike will vary in the types of aid offered to their students. To find out what your financial aid package might be at a particular college, you first have to apply to that school. Meanwhile, talk to admissions counselors about the types of aid you might qualify for.

Saving

By saving in advance, you can lighten your outlay during the college years. Rewards for saving include tax breaks on the money you save, less dependence on loans and increased financial comfort with your college decision.

Tax incentives

Federal and state governments provide tax benefits to help taxpayers with higher education expenses.

Pay as you go

When the time comes to pay for college costs, many private colleges offer payment plans — annual, semi-annual, quarterly or monthly — to ease the cash flow burden. Check with individual colleges for more information.
Our colleges
Augsburg College
  • Located in Minneapolis with abundant opportunities to gain experience both inside and outside the classroom.
  • National recognition for an effective first-year program and for combining learning with service.
  • Top majors are business, science, teaching
  • A diverse community of 3,000 students
Bethany Lutheran College
  • Located in Mankato overlooking the Minnesota River Valley
  • A community of 540 students -- most live on campus
  • Popular majors include business administration, communication, psychology, and elementary education
  • Focus is on a solid, Christian education
Bethel University
  • Located on a residential, wooded campus in a Twin Cities suburb
  • Enrolls 5,600 students in 100 undergraduate, graduate, and seminary programs
  • Integrates faith, learning and the translation of Christian belief into global service
  • 20 international programs; top 3 percent ranking of students who study in foreign countries
Carleton College
  • Residential campus in the small community of Northfield
  • Ranked one of the country's top liberal arts colleges
  • Noted for its bright and talented students and strong faculty
  • Enrollment of 2,000 students of diverse backgrounds
College of Saint Benedict
  • Together with Saint John's -- 3,800 undergraduate students have many opportunities
  • Located on 3,200 acres of woods and lakes west of St. Cloud
  • A focus on globalism includes an extensive international study program
  • A commitment to experiential learning, research and internships
St. Catherine University
  • Largest and most comprehensive Catholic college for women in the U.S.
  • Beautiful campuses in St. Paul and Minneapolis
  • Committed to meeting the educational needs of women of all ages; offers liberal arts, healthcare and professional programs in traditional and weekend formats
  • Serves 5,000 students
College of St. Scholastica
  • Main campus in Duluth; also in St. Paul, St. Cloud, Brainerd
  • Undergraduate and graduate programs in traditional, accelerated and online formats
  • Top majors: Health information management, management, education, nursing
  • 3,200 students; 1,940 undergraduates on Duluth campus
  • U.S. News ranking in top tier of Midwestern universities
Concordia College
  • Located in the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area that includes 20,000+ college students
  • Serves more than 2,700 students
  • Top programs include the sciences, education and music
  • Recipient of NAFSA Simon Award for Campus Internationalization
  • Home of world-renowned Concordia Language Villages
Concordia University
  • Located in the St. Paul metro area
  • Serves 1,500 undergraduate and 300 graduate students of all ages and backgrounds
  • Top majors include Christian education, business and teacher education
  • A laptop university with 24/7 Web access
Gustavus Adolphus College
  • Oldest Lutheran college in Minnesota; Swedish heritage; home of the Nobel Conference
  • Beautiful residential campus located in St. Peter, overlooking the Minnesota River Valley
  • Prepares 2,500 undergraduates for lives of leadership, service and lifelong learning
  • Recognized science, writing, music, athletics, study-abroad, and service-learning programs
Hamline University
  • Ranked first in Minnesota among comprehensive universities according to U.S. News
  • 4,400 undergraduate, graduate, and law students
  • Located in residential neighborhood of St. Paul
  • Intimate environment of small classes and personal attention along with the opportunities of a comprehensive university
Macalester College
  • 1,900 undergraduates come from every state and 90 countries
  • Located in a friendly St. Paul neighborhood
  • Emphasis on global perspectives; more than half study abroad
  • Produced many Fulbright and Rhodes scholars
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
  • 700 students; 14 majors in fine arts, media and design
  • Located next to the Children's Theater and Minneapolis Institute of Arts
  • Studio-based and business-oriented programs; BFA, BS and MFA degrees
  • Only art and design school to be named a Best Midwestern College by Princeton Review
Saint John's University
  • Together with Saint Benedict -- 3,800 undergraduate students have many opportunities
  • Located on 3,200 acres of woods and lakes west of St. Cloud.
  • A focus on globalism includes an extensive international study program
  • A commitment to experiential learning, research, internships
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
  • Values-based, results-oriented education in the Catholic, Lasallian tradition
  • Outstanding environment for learning, living and recreation
  • 400-acre Winona campus in the bluffs of the Mississippi River Valley
  • 1,300 traditional undergraduates, with 4,100 graduate and professional students at other locations
St. Olaf College
  • Environmentally aware, 300-acre residential campus in historic Northfield
  • 3,000 students; top majors are music, mathematics and the sciences
  • Nation's top liberal arts college for study abroad
  • College of the Lutheran church -- where conversations about faith are part of daily life
University of St. Thomas
  • Minnesota's largest private university with 10,500 students (5,500 undergraduates)
  • 95 undergraduate majors
  • Main campuses located in a stately St. Paul neighborhood and in downtown Minneapolis (other campuses in Owatonna, Minn. and Rome, Italy)