Northfield, Minnesota Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Colleges in Northfield, Minnesota: median public in-state tuition $64,326 (+1067.0% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $70,534 (+29.7% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 88.1% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $21,375 (+61.1% vs U.S.) 5,179 students enrolled statewide.
Key Facts
- Institutions in this profile: 2 campuses
- Total college enrollment: 5,179 students
- Median public in-state tuition: $64,326 (+1067.0% vs U.S.)
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $70,534 (+29.7% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 88.1% (+0.1 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $24,640 (+147.2% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $21,375 (+61.1% vs U.S. $13,271); regional median $16,750
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 86.8%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 94.3%
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Overview
Colleges and universities in Northfield serve students across Minnesota with associate, bachelor's, and graduate pathways. 2 reporting campuses in this city profile, with about 5,179 students enrolled in federal data, and median in-state tuition near $64,326. Tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, and standout institutions against Northfield, Minnesota and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Northfield vs Minnesota & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northfield, Minnesota | $64,326 | $24,640 | $21,375 | 86.8% | 5,179 |
| Minnesota (state median) | $6,249 | $13,322 | $14,750 | 58.0% | 228,926 |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,969 | $13,271 | 50.3% | 14,468,221 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Northfield, Minnesota vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northfield, Minnesota | $70,534 | 88.1% | 94.3% | 0.80% | — | 91.0% | 0.31 |
| Minnesota (state median) | $58,680 | 93.4% | 79.5% | 3.5% | — | 82.1% | 0.38 |
| United States | $54,384 | 88.0% | 76.4% | 5.0% | — | 73.7% | 0.41 |
Other cities in Minnesota (3+ campuses)
Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northfield, Minnesota | $64,326 | $24,640 | $21,375 | 86.8% | 5,179 | $70,534 | 88.1% |
| Minneapolis | $17,214 | $21,109 | $19,500 | 66.1% | 71,164 | $43,937 | 89.4% |
| Saint Paul | $44,226 | $20,744 | $21,500 | 64.7% | 28,385 | $62,435 | 92.4% |
| Mankato | $11,490 | $19,644 | $21,106 | 54.4% | 12,372 | $51,516 | 93.6% |
| Duluth | $14,610 | $18,743 | $20,000 | 67.6% | 11,572 | $64,275 | 95.0% |
| Duluth | $14,610 | $18,743 | $20,000 | 67.6% | 11,572 | $64,275 | 95.0% |
| Saint Cloud | $8,184 | $10,946 | $12,000 | 40.3% | 8,400 | $55,813 | 93.8% |
| Winona | $10,576 | $16,140 | $21,500 | 61.5% | 7,605 | $58,351 | 95.2% |
| Bloomington | $11,490 | $29,093 | $12,000 | 36.0% | 7,580 | N/A | N/A |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,969 | $13,271 | 50.3% | 14,468,221 | $54,384 | 88.0% |
Top 2 colleges in Northfield, Minnesota by graduation rate (150% time)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.
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Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 89.6%, Carleton College
Carleton College
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Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 84.0%, St Olaf College
St Olaf College
Top 2 colleges in Northfield, Minnesota by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 91.8%, St Olaf College
St Olaf College
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 84.4%, Carleton College
Carleton College
Top 2 most selective colleges in Northfield, Minnesota (lowest admission rate)
Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.
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Rank 1, Admission Rate, 20.4%, Carleton College
Carleton College
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Rank 2, Admission Rate, 48.3%, St Olaf College
St Olaf College
Top 2 colleges in Northfield, Minnesota by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $88,132, Carleton College
Carleton College
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $82,278, St Olaf College
St Olaf College
Top 2 colleges in Northfield, Minnesota by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $122,912, St Olaf College
St Olaf College
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $87,193, Carleton College
Carleton College
Top 2 colleges in Northfield, Minnesota by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $53,989, Carleton College
Carleton College
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $48,373, St Olaf College
St Olaf College
Top 2 colleges in Northfield, Minnesota by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $70,720, Carleton College
Carleton College
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $56,797, St Olaf College
St Olaf College
Top 2 colleges in Northfield, Minnesota by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $75,525, Carleton College
Carleton College
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $65,543, St Olaf College
St Olaf College
Top 2 colleges in Northfield, Minnesota by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $208,676, Carleton College
Carleton College
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $165,098, St Olaf College
St Olaf College
Top 2 most affordable colleges in Northfield, Minnesota (net price)
Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $23,874, St Olaf College
St Olaf College
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Rank 2, Net Price, $25,407, Carleton College
Carleton College
Top 2 colleges in Northfield, Minnesota by first-year retention (full-time)
Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 96.5%, Carleton College
Carleton College
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Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 92.2%, St Olaf College
St Olaf College
In-state tuition: Northfield, Minnesota vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Northfield, Minnesota median in-state tuition is $64,326, +1067.0% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Northfield, Minnesota vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Northfield, Minnesota is $21,375 (+61.1% vs U.S. median $13,271). Regional median: $16,750.
Median earnings (10 years out): Northfield, Minnesota vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Northfield, Minnesota center around $70,534 (+29.7% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Northfield, Minnesota vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 88.1% at the median Northfield, Minnesota campus (+0.1 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Northfield, Minnesota median public in-state tuition is $64,326, about +1067.0% vs the national median. Versus the Plains region, tuition is +933.4%.
Median graduate debt is $21,375 (+61.1% above the U.S. median of $13,271). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Northfield, Minnesota are $70,534, about +29.7% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,384).
The median campus reports 88.1% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 88.0% (+0.1 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 94.3% vs a U.S. median of 76.4%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 0.80% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 91.0% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include St Olaf College (91.8%), Carleton College (84.4%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Northfield, Minnesota is 86.8% (national institution average about 50.3%).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many colleges are in Northfield?
This city profile covers 2 campuses in Northfield, Minnesota with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Northfield?
Median in-state tuition in Northfield is $64,326 and median net price is $24,640. For Minnesota overall, medians are $6,249 and $13,322; U.S. medians are $5,512 and $9,969.
What do graduates earn in Northfield?
Median 10-year earnings for campuses in Northfield is $70,534 vs $58,680 for Minnesota and $54,384 nationally.
What is student debt like for Northfield colleges?
Median completer debt in Northfield is $21,375 vs $14,750 for Minnesota and $13,271 nationally.
What are the best colleges in Northfield?
Top campuses on this page include Carleton College (graduation) and Carleton College (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Northfield?
Among 2 campuses in Northfield, Minnesota, 1 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campus (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Evangelical Lutheran Church (1).
Sources & related
- Minnesota college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
- Download: JSON