Metropolitan State University
Tuition, net price, acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, graduation rate, and graduate salary · Saint Paul, Minnesota
Net price / year
$16,863
after grants & scholarships
higher than 75% of public 4-year colleges
Acceptance rate
99%
Graduation rate
42%
within 150% of normal time
lower than 62% of public 4-year colleges
Median earnings
$67,658
4 years after graduating
higher than 77% of public 4-year colleges
Metropolitan State University at a glance
- What is the tuition at Metropolitan State University?
- Undergraduate tuition and fees are $9,840 for the 2024-25 academic year, the same for in-state and out-of-state students.
- What is the cost of attendance at Metropolitan State University?
- The average cost of attendance is $25,172 a year before financial aid (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses.
- What is the net price at Metropolitan State University?
- The average net price for in-state students is $16,863 a year after grants and scholarships (2023-24).
- What is the acceptance rate at Metropolitan State University?
- About 99% of applicants were admitted (fall 2024).
- What SAT and ACT scores are typical at Metropolitan State University?
- The middle 50% of admitted students who submitted ACT scores had a composite of 16–21 (fall 2024). Test policy reported: Considered if submitted, but not required.
- What is the graduation rate at Metropolitan State University?
- 42% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time, or 6 years (entering classes through fall 2018).
- How much do graduates of Metropolitan State University earn?
- The median graduate earns $67,658 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled (2024 dollars).
Key takeaways
- The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 2.3 years of work (not counting income forgone while studying).
- Graduates earn a median $67,658 four years after finishing, more than 77% of public 4-year colleges.
- At $16,863 a year, the average net price is higher than 75% of public 4-year colleges.
- Families earning under $30,000 pay about $15,238 a year on average, versus $21,905 for families earning over $110,000.
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services is the largest field of study here, at 25% of the degrees and certificates awarded.
Tuition and cost of attendance at Metropolitan State University
Average net price (in-state)
$16,863 per year
Cost of attendance minus average grants and scholarships, for first-time full-time students receiving federal aid.
Estimate your own price with the Metropolitan State University net price calculator ↗
Estimated total net cost
$67,452
Net price × 4 years, at today's prices and assuming on-time completion. Your actual cost depends on your aid.
Net price by family income
Average yearly net price for students receiving federal aid.
- $0–30k $15,238
- $30–48k $16,656
- $48–75k $16,659
- $75–110k $18,994
- $110k+ $21,905
Where the sticker price goes· Cost of attendance $25,172
- Tuition & fees$9,840
- Books & supplies$1,500
- Room & board$15,864
- Other expenses$9,064
- Tuition & fees (in-state)
- $9,840
- Tuition & fees (out-of-state)
- $9,840
Metropolitan State University acceptance rate and SAT/ACT scores
Acceptance rate
Share of applicants admitted.
Test policy: Considered if submitted, but not required
Graduation rate and salary after graduating from Metropolitan State University
Graduation rate
42%
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time.
Retention rate
70%
Full-time first-years who return the next fall.
Typical monthly payment
$181
On a standard 10-year federal plan.
Years of earnings premium to cover cost
2.3 years
Net cost ÷ (graduate earnings − high-school graduate earnings). Excludes income forgone while studying and assumes today's earnings. A rough guide, not a prediction.
Earnings vs debt
Of graduates working and not enrolled, in 2024 dollars.
- Debt-to-earnings
- 0.3×Median debt divided by median earnings 4 years after graduating.
- Share of pay going to loans
- 3.2%
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0%
Outcomes by student group
The Scorecard reports some outcomes separately for groups of students. A group is left out when it is too small to report. These are school-level figures and say nothing about any individual student.
Completion within 150% of normal time, by group
Share of students who entered in 2018 and completed within 150% of normal time (six years at a four-year college, three at a two-year college).
All students, same entering cohort: 44%
Group rates and the all-student rate come from the same 2018 entering cohort, so they can be compared directly. Groups at small colleges can rest on very few students. Data period: Entering cohort 2018 (IPEDS).
Earnings ten years after entry
All students who entered this college, whether or not they graduated, in 2022 dollars, ten years after entry.
Typical range: middle half of students
25th percentile $44,236 · median $64,705 · 75th percentile $89,487
Median by family income
Median by sex
This is not the same as the graduates' earnings shown above. It covers everyone who entered, including students who left without a degree, ten years after entry and in 2022 dollars. The graduates' figure covers only completers, four years after finishing, in 2024 dollars. Do not compare the two directly.
Data period: Students who entered in academic years 2009-10 and 2010-11 (pooled), earnings measured in 2020 and 2021, 2022 dollars (Treasury).
Median federal student debt, by group
Median federal loan debt of students who borrowed, when they left school, by group.
By Pell Grant status
By first-generation status
By family income
By gender
Data period: Loans in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (pooled, NSLDS).
How borrowers are doing
One year after leaving school and entering repayment, here is where the 4,311 federal-loan borrowers from this college stood. It covers borrowers only, not students who did not take federal loans.
Repayment status one year after entering repayment
- Paid in full 6%
- Making progress 10%
- Not making progress 12%
- Delinquent 2%
- Default 0%
- Forbearance 57%
- Deferment 12%
- Discharged 1%
What the terms mean
- Paid in full:
- The borrower has paid off the loans completely.
- Making progress:
- Payments are reducing the loan balance, not just covering interest.
- Not making progress:
- The borrower is paying, but not enough to shrink the balance.
- Delinquent:
- Payments are late but the loan is not yet in default.
- Default:
- The borrower has missed payments for so long that the loan is officially in default.
- Forbearance:
- Payments are temporarily paused or reduced, and interest may keep adding up.
- Deferment:
- Payments are on hold for an approved reason, such as returning to school.
- Discharged:
- The loan was cancelled, for example because of a disability or a school closure.
4,311 borrowers · Data period: Borrowers who entered repayment in the AY2018-19 and AY2019-20 cohorts (pooled, NSLDS).
Programs and majors at Metropolitan State University ranked by earnings
| Program | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Earnings over time | Compared with the U.S. median for this field | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 115 | $92,342 | 1 yr$72,8654 yrs$92,3425 yrs$99,864 | U.S. median $107,009 U.S. middle half $74.8K–$152K · Below the U.S. median | $19,287 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General Bachelor's · Graduates: 30 | $85,000 | 1 yr$59,1584 yrs$85,000 | U.S. median $92,374 U.S. middle half $64.2K–$128.2K · Below the U.S. median | — |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management Bachelor's · Graduates: 34 | $83,558 | 1 yr$54,0254 yrs$83,5585 yrs$81,130 | U.S. median $85,063 U.S. middle half $59.3K–$117.6K · Below the U.S. median | $22,786 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Bachelor's · Graduates: 377 | $83,504 | 1 yr$77,4214 yrs$83,5045 yrs$92,966 | U.S. median $88,910 U.S. middle half $67.9K–$114.5K · Below the U.S. median | $12,541 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 77 | $81,539 | 1 yr$64,3824 yrs$81,5395 yrs$82,008 | U.S. median $85,294 U.S. middle half $59.8K–$116.9K · Below the U.S. median | $17,640 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services Bachelor's · Graduates: 68 | $74,237 | 1 yr$51,5444 yrs$74,2375 yrs$62,374 | U.S. median $83,343 U.S. middle half $60.8K–$111.5K · Below the U.S. median | $18,750 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions Bachelor's · Graduates: 33 | $73,027 | 1 yr$60,8494 yrs$73,027 | U.S. median $68,061 U.S. middle half $51.2K–$83.4K · Above the U.S. median | $15,250 |
| Accounting and Related Services Bachelor's · Graduates: 158 | $72,457 | 1 yr$54,1374 yrs$72,4575 yrs$67,821 | U.S. median $76,194 U.S. middle half $56.2K–$97.2K · Below the U.S. median | $18,976 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's · Graduates: 408 | $71,209 | 1 yr$56,3144 yrs$71,2095 yrs$69,606 | U.S. median $68,257 U.S. middle half $47.6K–$93.6K · Above the U.S. median | $17,500 |
| Management Information Systems and Services Bachelor's · Graduates: 45 | $70,500 | 4 yrs$70,5005 yrs$93,586 | U.S. median $83,290 U.S. middle half $58.8K–$111.6K · Below the U.S. median | — |
Show all 29 programs
| Human Resources Management and Services Bachelor's · Graduates: 84 | $70,299 | 1 yr$48,9994 yrs$70,2995 yrs$64,963 | U.S. median $68,069 U.S. middle half $50.2K–$90.6K · Above the U.S. median | $22,789 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 70 | $67,031 | 1 yr$49,4394 yrs$67,0315 yrs$61,040 | U.S. median $69,303 U.S. middle half $49.7K–$93.2K · Below the U.S. median | $16,625 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections Bachelor's · Graduates: 211 | $64,481 | 1 yr$52,1254 yrs$64,4815 yrs$60,410 | U.S. median $55,378 U.S. middle half $40.2K–$74.4K · Above the U.S. median | $16,146 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 22 Small sample | $63,580 | — | U.S. median $65,120 U.S. middle half $48.3K–$84K · Below the U.S. median | — |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 55 | $63,149 | 1 yr$42,1284 yrs$63,1495 yrs$64,316 | U.S. median $57,214 U.S. middle half $38.9K–$79.2K · Above the U.S. median | $15,286 |
| Communication and Media Studies Bachelor's · Graduates: 90 | $61,355 | 1 yr$46,3204 yrs$61,3555 yrs$60,038 | U.S. median $56,359 U.S. middle half $39.6K–$76.1K · Above the U.S. median | $20,364 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions Bachelor's · Graduates: 60 | $60,780 | 1 yr$56,5164 yrs$60,7805 yrs$58,761 | U.S. median $52,119 U.S. middle half $38.4K–$68.6K · Above the U.S. median | $21,335 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 76 | $60,755 | 1 yr$47,6374 yrs$60,7555 yrs$57,301 | U.S. median $51,790 U.S. middle half $39.2K–$64.2K · Above the U.S. median | $17,698 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Bachelor's · Graduates: 35 | $60,352 | 1 yr$49,0834 yrs$60,3525 yrs$70,018 | U.S. median $53,072 U.S. middle half $35.8K–$73.3K · Above the U.S. median | $16,499 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies Bachelor's · Graduates: 30 | $59,779 | 1 yr$39,5584 yrs$59,7795 yrs$50,935 | U.S. median $48,471 U.S. middle half $32.2K–$67.3K · Above the U.S. median | $13,095 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other Bachelor's · Graduates: 282 | $58,568 | 1 yr$49,7514 yrs$58,5685 yrs$61,930 | U.S. median $55,693 U.S. middle half $40.3K–$72.2K · Above the U.S. median | $17,500 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 117 | $55,824 | 1 yr$40,9584 yrs$55,8245 yrs$49,480 | U.S. median $50,706 U.S. middle half $35.7K–$67.2K · Above the U.S. median | $17,750 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 109 | $51,009 | 1 yr$45,7514 yrs$51,0095 yrs$51,794 | U.S. median $48,597 U.S. middle half $35.2K–$62.7K · Above the U.S. median | $16,547 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Bachelor's · Graduates: 65 | $49,025 | 1 yr$42,4714 yrs$49,0255 yrs$47,590 | U.S. median $47,382 U.S. middle half $38.4K–$56.1K · Above the U.S. median | $27,778 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Bachelor's · Graduates: 30 | $48,948 | 1 yr$46,4904 yrs$48,9485 yrs$68,407 | U.S. median $51,389 U.S. middle half $40.5K–$63.1K · Below the U.S. median | $19,922 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 20 Small sample | $48,486 | 1 yr$41,9544 yrs$48,4865 yrs$50,858 | U.S. median $53,366 U.S. middle half $36.6K–$72.3K · Below the U.S. median | $16,125 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies Bachelor's · Graduates: 16 Small sample | $45,801 | — | U.S. median $51,710 U.S. middle half $34.9K–$68.1K · Below the U.S. median | — |
| Research and Experimental Psychology Bachelor's · Graduates: 23 Small sample | $40,230 | 1 yr$36,6004 yrs$40,230 | U.S. median $55,695 U.S. middle half $38.1K–$76.5K · Below the U.S. median | — |
| English Language and Literature, General Bachelor's · Graduates: 22 Small sample | $39,572 | 1 yr$33,9994 yrs$39,5725 yrs$40,744 | U.S. median $48,590 U.S. middle half $33.7K–$63.8K · Below the U.S. median | $13,500 |
Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, 4 years after completing, in 2024 dollars.
The U.S. median and middle half (25th to 75th percentile) are for graduates of the same field and credential level at all colleges, 4 years after completing.
The 1-year, 4-year and 5-year figures come from different graduating cohorts and dollar years (1-year: AY2018-19 and AY2019-20 graduates, 2022 dollars; 4-year: AY2017-18 and AY2018-19 graduates, 2024 dollars; 5-year: AY2014-15 and AY2015-16 graduates, 2022 dollars), so read them as three separate measures, not a single career path.
Small samples are noisy: the Scorecard adds privacy noise to program figures and some rows are based on only a handful of graduates, so rows marked “small sample” can move a lot from year to year.
What students study
The largest fields among the degrees and certificates this college awarded, grouped by two-digit CIP code (the federal Classification of Instructional Programs). Fields under 1% are left out.
Share of degrees and certificates awarded, by field
A large share means many awards, not necessarily many students or higher earnings. Data period: Awards in academic year 2024-25 (IPEDS).
Who attends
A snapshot of the undergraduate student body as this college reported it to the federal government. Shares are shown as published; they can differ slightly from 100% because of rounding.
Race and ethnicity
- White 33.3%
- Black or African American 35.2%
- Hispanic or Latino 8.2%
- Asian 15.8%
- American Indian or Alaska Native 0.5%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0%
- Two or more races 4.8%
- U.S. nonresident 1.6%
- Race and ethnicity unknown 0.6%
Federal reporting categories. Students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents are counted as nonresident, and students who did not report are counted as unknown. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Gender
- Men 43.1%
- Women 56.9%
Federal reporting uses two categories. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Students aged 25 or older
54%
of undergraduates
Many adult students work or have families while enrolled. Data period: Fall 2023 (IPEDS).
Students and campus
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 5,616
- Part-time students
- 48%
- Receive Pell Grants
- 48%
- Receive federal loans
- 31%
- Students per faculty member
- 15 : 1
- Setting
- City
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Frequently asked questions
How much is tuition at Metropolitan State University?
For the 2024-25 academic year, Metropolitan State University reported undergraduate tuition and fees of $9,840, the same for in-state and out-of-state students. This is the published price before grants and scholarships; what you pay depends on your aid.
What is the cost of attendance and net price at Metropolitan State University?
The average cost of attendance at Metropolitan State University is $25,172 a year (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses. After grants and scholarships, the average net price is $16,863 a year. That is higher than 75% of public 4-year colleges.
How much financial aid do students at Metropolitan State University get?
48% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. 31% receive federal loans. The average net price runs from $15,238 a year for families earning under $30,000 to $21,905 for families earning over $110,000 (2023-24).
What is the acceptance rate at Metropolitan State University?
Metropolitan State University admitted about 99% of applicants in fall 2024. That means most applicants are admitted.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Metropolitan State University?
Among admitted students who submitted ACT scores, the middle 50% had a composite of 16–21 (fall 2024). That is a guide, not a cutoff. Reported test policy: Considered if submitted, but not required.
What are the graduation rate and retention rate at Metropolitan State University?
42% of first-time, full-time students at Metropolitan State University finish within 150% of normal time. 70% of full-time first-years return the next fall.
How much do Metropolitan State University graduates earn after graduation?
The median graduate earns $67,658 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled in further study (2024 dollars). One year after finishing, the median is $53,416.
Is Metropolitan State University worth it?
There is no single answer: it depends on your major, your aid and whether you finish. For Metropolitan State University, the data shows this. The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 2.3 years of work. Graduates who borrowed have a median debt of $17,100, about 0.3 times their median earnings four years after finishing. 42% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time. These are averages, not predictions, and they do not count income forgone while studying.
Sources and data periods
All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 2026 release). Periods differ by measure:
- Average net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Acceptance rate: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation rate: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25 pooled with previous years (# of total pooled years found in POOLYRS)
- Median earnings: Treasury AY2017-18, AY2018-19 pooled cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Median graduate debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
Some figures are blank because the school did not report them or the group was too small to publish. How we calculate things