Minnesota State University Moorhead
Moorhead, MN 56563
About Minnesota State University Moorhead
Minnesota State University Moorhead is a public research university in Moorhead, Minnesota, serving roughly 3,072 students. Admission is moderately selective for first-time degree-seeking undergraduates reporting admissions data to the Education Department. The acceptance rate is about 58.76% in the latest College Scorecard admissions data. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $50,527 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Minnesota State University Moorhead charges about 1.9× the national public median tuition ($10,428).
- Versus the Minnesota median, sticker tuition is 7% above.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 57.32%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $50,527.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Minnesota State University Moorhead is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 602% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Finding
Minnesota State University Moorhead awards credentials across a wide program mix.
IPEDS completions cover more than 84 distinct degree programs at this campus.
Interpretation: Institutional averages blend very different fields; program-level completions and earnings matter more than the campus mean alone.
Limitation: Completions counts are not enrollment demand and do not measure program quality.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota State University Moorhead | $10,428 | $17,997 | 1 |
| Public (national median) | $5,512 | — | 1,688 |
| Minnesota (state median) | $9,706 | $13,322 | 92 |
| Rural (locale median) | $14,160 | $18,700 | 1,649 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
How expensive is Minnesota State University Moorhead really?
Key findings
- Minnesota State University Moorhead charges about 1.9× the national public median tuition ($10,428).
- Versus the Minnesota median, sticker tuition is 7% above.
Minnesota State University Moorhead tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $10,428
Finding Minnesota State University Moorhead charges about 1.9× the national public median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $10,428. That is about 1.9× the national public median ($5,512). Versus the Minnesota median ($9,706), sticker tuition is 7% above. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is 12% below.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to public and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Minnesota State University Moorhead versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Minnesota State University Moorhead versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Minnesota State University Moorhead is $17,997.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $17,997 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $4,675 above the Minnesota median net price. Versus rural campuses, net price runs $703 below the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway At Minnesota State University Moorhead, average net price exceeds published tuition alone because net price uses a fuller cost-of-attendance base.
Minnesota State University Moorhead: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Minnesota State University Moorhead—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$10,428
Avg. net price
$17,997
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $11,129 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $11,547 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $13,907 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $18,644 |
| $110,001+ | $22,420 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $41,712. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Minnesota State University Moorhead is known for
Top program completions
- Educational Leadership and Administration, General117
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse103
- Business Administration and Management, General82
- Social Work70
- Elementary Education and Teaching64
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Selective — about half of applicants (or fewer) are admitted.
- Yield: 25% of admitted students enrolled.
- Average SAT: 1090
- Midpoint ACT: 22
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is Minnesota State University Moorhead a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Minnesota State University Moorhead is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Minnesota State University Moorhead.
Campus
Location
Moorhead, MN
City / state
- ZIP
- 56563
- NCES locale
- Rural distant
Compared with Rural campuses nationally, net price is 4% below the median for Rural campuses ($18,700 median).
Control
Institution type
Public
Control
- Region
- Plains
- Carnegie
- Master's Colleges and Universities: Medium Programs
Size
Enrollment
3,072
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 4,333
- Graduate
- 1,011
- Full-time share
- 85%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$20,000
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 27.95%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Minnesota State University Moorhead.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Minnesota State University Moorhead was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Minnesota State University Moorhead in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $7,816 | $14,714 | $14,430 |
| 2014 | $7,816 | $14,714 | $15,183 |
| 2015 | $8,096 | $15,232 | $15,240 |
| 2016 | $8,114 | $15,250 | $15,593 |
| 2017 | $8,468 | $15,878 | $16,096 |
| 2018 | $8,496 | $15,906 | $16,944 |
| 2019 | $8,954 | $16,586 | $16,893 |
| 2020 | $8,980 | $16,612 | $17,680 |
| 2021 | $9,468 | $17,564 | $17,653 |
| 2022 | $10,236 | $19,072 | $17,330 |
| 2023 | $10,336 | $10,336 | $17,816 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
This institution is selective, accepting about half of all applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Average 1090 (middle 50% not reported)
Midpoint 22 (middle 50% not reported)
Scores for enrollees who submitted tests (College Scorecard).
Academic Requirements
Estimated from admission selectivity and test scores. Scorecard does not publish admitted-student GPA for most institutions.
Estimated range · median 3.20
Estimated GPA band from selectivity and test scores — not an official requirement.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Minnesota State University Moorhead reported total enrollment of about 3,072 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 37% male and 63% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (76.1%), Black or African American (5.5%), and Hispanic or Latino (5.5%). About 27.95% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 20.1% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
84.6% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2024 is 3,072 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 4,333 students. Graduate enrollment is about 1,011 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
75.0%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
40.38% 100% Completion Time
57.32% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 40.38% of students graduating from Minnesota State University Moorhead completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Educational Leadership and Administration, General: 33% male / 67% female
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse: 5% male / 95% female
- Business Administration and Management, General: 60% male / 40% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Minnesota State University Moorhead graduates earn a median of $50,527 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Minnesota State University Moorhead.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $50,527. Median federal loan debt: $20,000. Average net price used in cost models: $17,997.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Minnesota State University Moorhead graduates report median earnings of $50,527 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Minnesota State University Moorhead.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (84 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Minnesota State University Moorhead.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Minnesota State University Moorhead graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Minnesota State University Moorhead—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$35.8M
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- Minnesota median 2.5× the median ($14.3M)
- Plains median 1.5× the median ($24.1M)
- U.S. median 1.4× the median ($26.4M)
- Minnesota median near the median ($8,738)
- Plains median 0.58× the median ($15,020)
- U.S. median 0.72× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 66.3%
- Minnesota median 13.7 pp above median (52.6%)
- Plains median 1.6 pp above median (64.7%)
- U.S. median 8.4 pp above median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $10,729
- Minnesota median 1.2× the median ($9,138)
- Plains median 1.5× the median ($7,194)
- U.S. median 1.4× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $9,492
- Minnesota median 1.1× the median ($8,795)
- Plains median 1.2× the median ($8,150)
- U.S. median 1.3× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Minnesota State University Moorhead at a glance
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Minnesota State University Moorhead is a public institution in Moorhead, MN, classified as Master's Colleges and Universities: Medium Programs.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Educational Leadership and Administration, GeneralRegistered Nursing/Registered NurseBusiness Administration and Management, General
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian76.1%Black or African American5.5%Hispanic or Latino5.5%
Schools near Minnesota State University Moorhead
Other campuses in Moorhead, MN when available, plus nearby institutions in Minnesota.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade C) within Minnesota, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Minnesota State University Moorhead located?
Minnesota State University Moorhead is located in Moorhead, MN.
What is Minnesota State University Moorhead's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at Minnesota State University Moorhead is 58.8% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 4,654 applicants and 2,449 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is Minnesota State University Moorhead's tuition?
Minnesota State University Moorhead tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $10,428 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $17,997 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Minnesota State University Moorhead cost?
Reported tuition is $10,428 and average net price is $17,997 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $10,994 annually.
What explains Minnesota State University Moorhead's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($17,997), completion (57.3% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($50,527). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Minnesota State University Moorhead?
Minnesota State University Moorhead reports undergraduate enrollment of about 4,333 students, White (76.1%), Black or African American (5.5%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Minnesota State University Moorhead?
About 20.1% of students at Minnesota State University Moorhead are first-generation college students.
What test scores do students need for Minnesota State University Moorhead?
Among enrolled students who submitted scores, Minnesota State University Moorhead reports midpoint SAT about 1090 and midpoint ACT about 22.
What do graduates of Minnesota State University Moorhead earn?
Median earnings are $45,873 six years after entry and $50,527 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Minnesota State University Moorhead?
The 150%-time completion rate is 57.3% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Minnesota State University Moorhead students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $20,000.
Is Minnesota State University Moorhead public or private?
Minnesota State University Moorhead is a public institution located in Moorhead, MN.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.