Match #1
Metropolitan State University-Minnesota
Saint Paul, MN
Profile closeness84/100
Admit rate99%
- 5,616 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 46%, close to 44%
- Enrollment 5,616 students, close to 5,088
The colleges most similar to Saint Cloud State University are Metropolitan State University-Minnesota, Winona State University, and Southwest Minnesota State University. Saint Cloud State University admits 95% of applicants and has an average net price of $16,062 a year; 0 of its 10 alternatives cost less and 3 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 Saint Cloud State University. 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 Saint Cloud State University
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
Winona State University
Winona, MN
Profile closeness79/100
Admit rate75%
- 5,144 students
- Public
- Town: Distant
- Enrollment 5,144 students, close to 5,088
- Average net price $17,413, close to $16,062
Match #3
Southwest Minnesota State University
Marshall, MN
Profile closeness77/100
Admit rate62%
- 2,315 students
- Public
- Town: Remote
- Graduation rate 48%, close to 44%
- Average net price $16,501, close to $16,062
Match #4
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Mankato, MN
Profile closeness76/100
Admit rate88%
- 11,703 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Acceptance rate 88%, close to 95%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #5
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Moorhead, MN
Profile closeness75/100
Admit rate59%
- 3,072 students
- Public
- Suburb: Midsize
- Average net price $17,601, close to $16,062
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #6
Bemidji State University
Bemidji, MN
Profile closeness72/100
Admit rate56%
- 3,139 students
- Public
- Town: Remote
- Graduation rate 51%, close to 44%
- Average net price $16,327, close to $16,062
Match #7
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Main Campus
Minneapolis, MN
Profile closeness35/100
Admit rate80%
- 31,855 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Average net price $17,330, close to $16,062
- Same control type (public)
Match #8
Black Hills State University
Spearfish, SD
Profile closeness78/100
Admit rate96%
- 1,928 students
- Public
- Town: Distant
- Graduation rate 42%, close to 44%
- Acceptance rate 96%, close to 95%
Match #9
University of South Dakota
Vermillion, SD
Profile closeness77/100
Admit rate99%
- 5,439 students
- Public
- Town: Distant
- Enrollment 5,439 students, close to 5,088
- Acceptance rate 99%, close to 95%
Match #10
Dakota State University
Madison, SD
Profile closeness77/100
Admit rate88%
- 2,071 students
- Public
- Town: Distant
- Graduation rate 49%, close to 44%
- Acceptance rate 88%, close to 95%
Questions about Saint Cloud State University alternatives
What colleges are similar to Saint Cloud State University?
The closest matches to Saint Cloud State University are Metropolitan State University-Minnesota, Winona State University, Southwest Minnesota State University, Minnesota State University-Mankato, and Minnesota State University Moorhead. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is Saint Cloud State University hard to get into?
Saint Cloud State University admitted 95% of its 4,228 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is not very selective: it admits most applicants. 3 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
