​Here Are The Best MN Colleges, According To New Rankings

MINNESOTA — Macalester College is the best college in Minnesota, according to rankings released Monday by Niche, a college ranking and review platform.

Niche said its 2024 Best Colleges Rankings reflect the declining importance of SAT and ACT scores and the increasing importance prospective students and their families place on value and economic mobility — that is, the ability of students to improve their economic status after graduation.

The platform evaluated 4,048 public and private four-year colleges nationwide and developed separate lists for the best academic value, food, dorms, and college life.

The top five colleges in Minnesota are:

1. Macalester College
Overall Niche grade: A+
Acceptance rate: 31 Percent
Net price: $30,939
SAT range: 1340-1480

2. Carleton College
Overall Niche grade: A
Acceptance rate: 18 percent
Net price: $71,718
SAT range: 1370-1550

3. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Overall Niche grade: A
Acceptance rate: 73 percent
Net price: $17,468
SAT range: 1310-1490

4. St. Olaf College
Overall Niche grade: A-
Acceptance rate: 47 percent
Net price: $27,729
SAT range: 1240-1430

5. University of Minnesota—Crookston
Overall Niche grade: A
Acceptance rate: 48 percent
Net price: $11,925
SAT range: 1000-1180

Other Minnesota schools ranked by Niche are found on the website.

To rank the schools, Niche analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Education along with reviews and ratings from current students, alumni and parents. The new economic mobility index takes into account the percentage of students receiving Pell Grants, the net tuition price for students from low-income households and the median earnings of those students six years after they get their first post-graduation jobs.

The top schools nationwide are, respectively: Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut;

Stanford University, Stanford, California; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Harvard University, Cambridge; and Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey.

The best value colleges are, respectively, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, California; Stanford University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; California Institute of Technology, Pasadena; and Clarmont-McKenna Colle