These Are Minnesota’s Most Liberal And Most Conservative Colleges

ST. PAUL, MN — From progressive liberal arts campuses to faith-centered universities, Minnesota colleges run the full political spectrum.

A new set of 2026 rankings from Niche highlights the most liberal and most conservative schools in the state, based on student surveys.

Macalester College in St. Paul was ranked the most liberal, while the University of Northwestern–St. Paul topped the list of the most conservative.

Methodology

Niche’s rankings are based on self-reported student surveys of political leanings. For both lists, 80 percent of the weight comes from students reporting their personal political preferences, and 20 percent comes from students reporting the leanings of their campus community.

Most Liberal Colleges In Minnesota (2026)

1. Macalester College — Overall Niche Grade: A
2. Hamline University — Overall Niche Grade: C+
3. St. Catherine University — Overall Niche Grade: B+
4. University of Minnesota Twin Cities — Overall Niche Grade: A
5. St. Olaf College — Overall Niche Grade: A-

Most Conservative Colleges In Minnesota (2026)

1. University of Northwestern–St. Paul — Overall Niche Grade: B-
2. Bethel University — Overall Niche Grade: B
3. Bemidji State University — Overall Niche Grade: B
4. Concordia University–St. Paul — Overall Niche Grade: B
5. Winona State University — Overall Niche Grade: B

National rankings

Niche also released its 2026 rankings of the most liberal and conservative colleges in America.

Top five most liberal colleges in the U.S.:

1. American University (Washington, D.C.) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
2. University of Vermont (Burlington, VT) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
3. SUNY Purchase College (Purchase, NY) — Overall Niche Grade: C
4. George Washington University (Washington, D.C.) — Overall Niche Grade: A
5. Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH) — Overall Niche Grade: B+

Top five most conservative colleges in the U.S.:

1. Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
2. Grove City College (Grove City, PA) — Overall Niche Grade: B-
3. Brigham Young University–Idaho (Rexburg, ID) — Overall Niche Grade: B
4. Colorado Christian University (Lakewood, CO) — Overall Niche Grade: B
5. Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC) — Overall Niche Grade: B

See the full rankings at Niche.