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Metropolitan State University

Students comparing Metropolitan State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.

CompareOfficial site
Saint Paul, Minnesota5,616 undergraduatesMean consensus percentile 62Public universityUrban campusResearch university

The short answer

Metropolitan State University: U.S. News ranks it #103 on Regional Universities (Midwest) (2026); Money lists it on Best Value Colleges (2026) — 4.5 stars. It enrolls 5,616 undergraduates, admits 98.7% of applicants, and posts a 43.6% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $9,840; aid recipients pay $16,863 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $64,705.

The six numbers that matter most

Acceptance rate
98.7%

Above the dataset median of 76%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported entering class, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Average net price
$16,863

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardAverage for full-time first-time aid recipients, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median earnings, 10 yrs
$64,705

Above the dataset median of $54,053

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian earnings 10 years after entry, working and not enrolled, College Scorecard June 2026 release

6-year graduation rate
43.6%

Below the dataset median of 56%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent six-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median debt at graduation
$17,100

Above the dataset median of $23,250

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian federal loan debt of completers, College Scorecard June 2026 release

SAT middle 50%
Not reportedMetropolitan State University did not report an SAT score range for its most recent entering class.

U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard

Where Metropolitan State ranks, and why the answers differ

Each publisher's position, the list it belongs to, and how many institutions it was drawn from.

SourceListRank
US News2026Regional Universities (Midwest)#103of 165Regional univ. (Midwest)
Forbes2026America's Top CollegesNot ranked by this source
Washington Monthly2026Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) DollarsNot ranked by this source
WSJ2026Best Colleges in the U.S.Not ranked by this source
Niche2026Best Colleges (Overall)Not ranked by this source
Money2026Best Value Colleges4.5 starsListedBest value (Money)
Princeton Review2026Best Colleges (Overall)Not ranked by this source
QS2026World University RankingsNot ranked by this source

Ranking positions are the editorial property of their publishers and are reproduced here with attribution for comparison and commentary. Follow each source link for its full list and methodology.

About Metropolitan State

Metropolitan State University is a public institution in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Federal data show 67.5% first-year retention and a 14:1 student-faculty ratio. Figures on this page come from College Scorecard and IPEDS; publisher rankings shown here are transcribed from named sources and checked in our dataset.

Strengths and honest considerations

Strengths

  • Cost and outcome metrics on this profile come directly from federal collections, not self-reported marketing sheets.
  • Net price $16,863 reflects what aid recipients actually paid in the most recent federal reporting year.

Considerations

  • This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
  • Compare not reported sticker cost against $16,863 net price before ruling a school in or out on price alone.
  • Publishers we have not loaded yet, or lists that omit this school, show as “not ranked by this source” — that is expected.

Who this school genuinely fits

Students comparing Metropolitan State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.

What it costs

Published price, then what families actually pay after grants and scholarships.

In-state tuition & fees
$9,840

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Out-of-state tuition & fees
$9,840

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Room & board
Not reportedNot reported by Metropolitan State University in the most recent federal collection.

U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard

Published cost of attendance comes to roughly Not reported a year.

Net price varies enormously by income band, so run Metropolitan State's net price calculator for your own household before drawing conclusions. Why net price is the only cost number that matters.

Programs and academics

Most popular majors

  1. 1Business
  2. 2Biology
  3. 3Psychology
  4. 4Computer Science
  5. 5Economics

Standout programs

    Student-faculty ratio
    14:1

    IPEDS / National Center for Education StatisticsIPEDS 2023 fall enrollment

    First-year retention
    67.5%

    U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent first-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

    Undergraduate enrollment
    5,616

    U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

    Metropolitan State: questions families ask

    Out-of-state tuition is $9,840 and on-campus room and board is not reported, for a published total of not reported before aid. The average net price for first-time full-time students receiving aid is $16,863.

    The most recent federal admissions rate reported to the Department of Education is 98.7%. Test policy as reported in IPEDS: see the admissions section on this page for the institution's own category.

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