Our 18 colleges and universities are a vital component of Minnesota’s higher education sector. Consider this:

• 68 percent of our undergraduate students are from Minnesota.
• 34 percent of recent Minnesota high school graduates pursuing a bachelor’s degree attend our colleges.
• 33 percent of our new first-year students are students of color and Native American students. (This figure mirrors the demographics of Minnesota high school graduates and excludes international students.)
• 24 percent  of our students receive the Pell Grant.
• 20 percent of our students are first-generation students.

The result: our 18 institutions awarded 31 percent of all baccalaureate degrees in Minnesota in 2020-21, with 68 percent of recent graduates staying in Minnesota.

When it comes to graduate education, our institutions also awarded 46 percent of all master’s degrees.