Match #1
Winona State University
Winona, MN
Profile closeness79/100
Admit rate75%
- 5,144 students
- Public
- Town: Distant
- Graduation rate 59%, close to 56%
- Average net price $17,413, close to $19,702
The colleges most similar to Minnesota State University-Mankato are Winona State University, Saint Cloud State University, and Metropolitan State University-Minnesota. Minnesota State University-Mankato admits 88% of applicants and has an average net price of $19,702 a year; 9 of its 10 alternatives cost less and 4 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with Minnesota State University-Mankato. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Top 10 alternatives to Minnesota State University-Mankato
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN
Profile closeness76/100
Admit rate95%
- 5,088 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Acceptance rate 95%, close to 88%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #3
Metropolitan State University-Minnesota
Saint Paul, MN
Profile closeness71/100
Admit rate99%
- 5,616 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Same control type (public)
Match #4
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Moorhead, MN
Profile closeness71/100
Admit rate59%
- 3,072 students
- Public
- Suburb: Midsize
- Graduation rate 53%, close to 56%
- Average net price $17,601, close to $19,702
Match #5
Southwest Minnesota State University
Marshall, MN
Profile closeness64/100
Admit rate62%
- 2,315 students
- Public
- Town: Remote
- Graduation rate 48%, close to 56%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #6
Bemidji State University
Bemidji, MN
Profile closeness63/100
Admit rate56%
- 3,139 students
- Public
- Town: Remote
- Graduation rate 51%, close to 56%
- Same control type (public)
Match #7
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Main Campus
Minneapolis, MN
Profile closeness53/100
Admit rate80%
- 31,855 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Average net price $17,330, close to $19,702
- Acceptance rate 80%, close to 88%
Match #8
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, ND
Profile closeness84/100
Admit rate77%
- 9,981 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Graduation rate 61%, close to 56%
- Enrollment 9,981 students, close to 11,703
Match #9
South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD
Profile closeness84/100
Admit rate98%
- 9,198 students
- Public
- Town: Remote
- Graduation rate 62%, close to 56%
- Enrollment 9,198 students, close to 11,703
Match #10
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA
Profile closeness80/100
Admit rate93%
- 7,529 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Acceptance rate 93%, close to 88%
- Same Carnegie classification
Questions about Minnesota State University-Mankato alternatives
What colleges are similar to Minnesota State University-Mankato?
The closest matches to Minnesota State University-Mankato are Winona State University, Saint Cloud State University, Metropolitan State University-Minnesota, Minnesota State University Moorhead, and Southwest Minnesota State University. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is Minnesota State University-Mankato hard to get into?
Minnesota State University-Mankato admitted 88% of its 9,859 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is not very selective: it admits most applicants. 4 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
Which Minnesota State University-Mankato alternatives cost less?
9 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than Minnesota State University-Mankato ($19,702 a year), including University of Northern Iowa ($16,038), Saint Cloud State University ($16,062), and Bemidji State University ($16,327). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.
