Southwest Minnesota State University
Marshall, Minnesota · Website
$51,342
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$51,342
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Southwest Minnesota State University is a public 4-year college in Marshall, Minnesota with 2,315 undergraduates and 479 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $15,291 a year (tuition and fees $10,361). It admits 62% of applicants and 45% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $51,342 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $20,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$15,291
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$10,361
US median $11,837
Admission rate
62%
US median 78%
Completion rate
45%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$20,500
About $217 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$51,342
Rank 1,379 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $15,291
- Tuition and fees
- $10,361
- Cost of attendance
- $24,757
- Students with a need-based grant
- 12%
- Students with federal loans
- 15%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $10,559
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $11,175
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $13,153
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $18,283
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $20,701
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $8,326 in 2015-16 to $10,361 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 62%
- Average SAT
- 1,050
- Undergraduates
- 2,315
- Graduate students
- 479
- Part-time students
- 29%
- Women
- 67%
- Students per teacher
- 16
- Completion rate
- 45%
- Retention rate
- 74%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 73
- Endowment
- $20.9M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,379 of 5,094 US colleges and 28 of 96 in Minnesota (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | MN median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $15,291 | $16,908 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $10,361 | $9,706 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 62% | 85% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 45% | 53% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 74% | 73% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $20,500 | $14,750 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $43,282 | $42,217 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $51,342 | $45,628 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 66% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 75% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
73 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education, GeneralOnlineMaster's | Master's | 99 | $17,448 | $55,867 | $60,873 | $65,824 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 70 | $13,875 | $71,933 | $83,735 | $88,910 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 42 | $21,977 | $41,333 | $43,904 | $47,382 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 41 | Withheld | $69,142 | $68,009 | $103,485 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 38 | $18,000 | $32,802 | $54,554 | $54,562 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 38 | $20,500 | $49,245 | $55,559 | $68,257 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 25 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $86,288 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 24 | $29,000 | $43,875 | $47,219 | $51,389 |
| Special Education and TeachingOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 21 | $24,883 | $44,510 | Withheld | $50,499 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 20 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,125 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $76,194 |
| Education, GeneralOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $49,808 |
| Social WorkOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 15 | Withheld | $46,368 | $45,467 | $51,790 |
| Psychology, GeneralOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | $25,125 | $33,099 | $47,249 | $50,706 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | $26,000 | Withheld | $64,654 | $55,378 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasOnlineMaster's | Master's | 13 | Withheld | $52,342 | $67,751 | $63,707 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 13 | $23,500 | $31,765 | Withheld | $57,214 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,367 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 11 | $21,500 | $47,734 | $59,824 | $83,343 |
| MarketingOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 11 | $19,747 | $48,939 | $58,574 | $69,303 |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $107,009 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Special Education and TeachingOnlineMaster's | Master's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $64,397 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $39,775 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Marshall and Minnesota on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Minnesota
- Homes: Homes for sale in Minnesota
Questions and answers
How much does Southwest Minnesota State University cost?
$15,291 a year is the average net price at Southwest Minnesota State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $10,361, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $24,757. Families earning under $30,000 pay $10,559 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Southwest Minnesota State University?
62% of applicants are admitted to Southwest Minnesota State University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,050. The median admission rate of colleges in Minnesota is 85%.
How much do Southwest Minnesota State University graduates earn?
$51,342 a year is the median pay of former Southwest Minnesota State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($43,282 after 6 years). That ranks 1,379 of 5,094 US colleges and 28 of 96 in Minnesota. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's) at $71,933.
How much student debt do Southwest Minnesota State University graduates have?
$20,500 is the median federal student loan debt of Southwest Minnesota State University graduates, about $217 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 15% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Southwest Minnesota State University?
45% of first-time, full-time students at Southwest Minnesota State University finish within 6 years. 74% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Southwest Minnesota State University?
Education, General (99 master's graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (70 bachelor's graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (42 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 73 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.