Community Colleges in Minnesota
Community college pricing in Minnesota is remarkably uniform. The 16 colleges we rank charge between $5,061 and $6,679 a year, only $1,618 apart.
The median college charges $6,135, $1,589 (35%) above the national community college median of $4,546. The median net price is $12,825, above the median tuition, because net price also counts books, transportation and living costs that tuition leaves out. That is why a community college can show a net price higher than its sticker price.
North Hennepin Community College ranks first at $5,061, ahead of Anoka-Ramsey Community College ($5,682) and Lake Superior College ($5,785).
How this list is built
A college appears here only if it meets every condition below.
- Colleges considered
- Public community colleges and state colleges whose main award is the associate degree
- Ranked by in-state tuition & fees, lowest first. Ties are broken by larger undergraduate enrollment, then by name.
- Main campuses only, with at least 60% of core data fields reported
- Main campus located in Minnesota
- At least 500 undergraduate students enrolled (fall 2024)
- A reported in-state tuition & fees value (schools without one are not ranked)
- Schools that report no tuition or a $0 price are not ranked
- State colleges that also grant a few bachelor's degrees but mostly award associate degrees are included and marked in the table
- This page is published only when at least 10 schools qualify; Minnesota has 16
- Data period
- In-state tuition and fees: full-time undergraduate sticker price, academic year 2024-25. Some community colleges report the in-district rate.
- Out-of-state tuition and fees: academic year 2024-25. Shown for public colleges only, because private colleges charge everyone the same price.
- Net price: average for students receiving aid, academic year 2023-24.
- Graduation rate: first-time, full-time students who started in fall 2018 (4-year) or fall 2021 (2-year), finishing within 150% of normal time.
- Enrollment: undergraduate students, fall 2024.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
Showing all 16 qualifying schools. Select a column heading to re-sort the table.
| 1 | North Hennepin Community College Brooklyn Park, MN Public · 2-year | $5,061 | $5,061 | $12,186 | 19% | 3,451 |
| 2 | Anoka-Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids, MN Public · 2-year | $5,682 | $5,682 | $16,434 | 27% | 4,201 |
| 3 | Lake Superior College Duluth, MN Public · 2-year | $5,785 | $5,785 | $15,492 | 40% | 2,471 |
| 4 | Minnesota State Community and Technical College Fergus Falls, MN Public · 2-year | $5,908 | $5,908 | $12,556 | 47% | 2,942 |
| 5 | Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College Cloquet, MN Public · Also grants some bachelor's degrees | $6,006 | $6,006 | $12,677 | 23% | 557 |
| 6 | Minnesota North College Hibbing, MN Public · 2-year | $6,022 | $6,022 | $10,432 | 42% | 2,013 |
| 7 | Ridgewater College Willmar, MN Public · 2-year | $6,121 | $6,121 | $10,046 | 48% | 2,162 |
| 8 | St Cloud Technical and Community College Saint Cloud, MN Public · 2-year | $6,124 | $6,124 | $9,635 | 44% | 3,113 |
| 9 | Inver Hills Community College Inver Grove Heights, MN Public · 2-year | $6,146 | $6,146 | $11,636 | 22% | 2,193 |
| 10 | South Central College North Mankato, MN Public · 2-year | $6,146 | $6,146 | $9,082 | 34% | 1,946 |
| 11 | Alexandria Technical & Community College Alexandria, MN Public · 2-year | $6,236 | $6,236 | $13,691 | 60% | 1,533 |
| 12 | Central Lakes College-Brainerd Brainerd, MN Public · 2-year | $6,249 | $6,249 | $13,869 | 51% | 1,614 |
| 13 | Northland Community and Technical College Thief River Falls, MN Public · 2-year | $6,289 | $6,289 | $13,975 | 52% | 1,554 |
| 14 | Normandale Community College Bloomington, MN Public · 2-year | $6,329 | $6,329 | $12,972 | 23% | 7,044 |
| 15 | Rochester Community and Technical College Rochester, MN Public · 2-year | $6,389 | $6,389 | $14,435 | 27% | 3,365 |
| 16 | Dakota County Technical College Rosemount, MN Public · 2-year | $6,679 | $6,679 | $13,548 | 52% | 2,168 |
How to compare these colleges
Community college tuition is often quoted at the in-district or in-state rate, and the out-of-state column shows what a nonresident would pay. Colleges marked as also granting some bachelor's degrees are state colleges that mostly award associate degrees. If you plan to transfer, check the receiving university's transfer agreements before choosing on price alone.
Guides worth reading first
More lists for Minnesota
Cheapest colleges in Minnesota
34 schools
Cheap colleges in Minnesota for out-of-state students
27 schools
Best value colleges in Minnesota
33 schools
Highest graduate earnings in Minnesota
36 schools
Most affordable private colleges in Minnesota
22 schools
Same list in nearby states
Community colleges in California
87 schools
Community colleges in Texas
42 schools
Community colleges in New York
39 schools
All 60 colleges in Minnesota See the national version of this ranking