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Signing up for MyHigherEd is easy. Look for the Sign Up link on the right column of the top menu. You can register by only providing your email address.

If you have problems with your registration, please contact us via email at email to contact@myhighered.mn.gov.

As a student or parent you may find beneficial some of the following perks that comes with registering to the site:

• A customized experience - By registering, the system will create a profile with your information that you can view through your dashboard. The more information you provide through your profile, the more customization you will view on your dashboard. For instance, by providing information about your family size and annual income you can view on your dashboard helpful insights about financial aid you you may be eligible for, such as estimated awards in federal and state grants.
  Additionally, your dashboard will show you graduation employment outcomes for your preferred programs, so you may compare median wages obtained according to types of programs and degrees. Plus, your dashboard will also offer you recommendations for specific resources that you could take advantage of.
• View favorite institutions and how they fare against each other: On your dashboard you can view and compare your favorite colleges selected while using the College Search Tool.
• Saving your searches: You may you the searches you created while using the Collerge Search Tool.

No problem. MyHigherEd has an integrated chatbot named Hugo.  He can help you find the information you are looking for, including specific postsecondary institutions in Minnesota.  

If you find a technical issue while navigating the website, please let us know by using the contact form or sending an email to contact@myhighered.mn.gov.

Our chatbot feature is easy to use. You only need to write your question or information request in the dialogue box. For example, if you would like to look up college near you, then type in “find colleges are near me” or “which colleges are located in [city]?

Hugo, the chatbot, will respond by offering you options or requesting more information from you, if needed, to provide the right information. Responses will usually include a link to a webpage, website, or college profile on MyHIgherEd.

Minnesota has nearly 200 colleges and universities, many which offer flexible schedules and student support services to accommodate students with a variety of backgrounds and responsibilities. Here are some factors to consider when deciding which college or university to attend: 

Part-time and flexible scheduling 

Some colleges have programs that are specifically geared to adult students, allowing the student to complete the entire program of study in the evenings or on weekends. Other schools provide some, but not all, classes in the evening or on weekends. 

Online options 

Maybe you’d prefer to pursue your degree exclusively online. More and more institutions are offering programs using the Internet. Online opportunities may provide you with the option of learning in flexible, convenient and personalized formats. The quality of online education can be excellent, providing students with experiences, exercises and assessments that rival the traditional classroom. 

However, it’s important to be aware that the Internet also offers new ways for educational scams and diploma mills to reach out to people who are looking for genuine education. It is not always easy to identify phony operations from a casual look. Most of the questions you should ask any school before enrolling also apply to online education. 

College or university, public or private

While there is no magic formula for choosing a college, one way to narrow down the list is to ask yourself some questions. For instance, do you prefer a two-year college or four-year university? Would you prefer to attend a public or private institution?  

• Public two-year colleges: These institutions accept all students with a high school diploma or GED and offer a variety of educational options. Students can earn a credential focusing on a specific occupation, or can take up to the first two-years of courses to complete a bachelor's degree upon transfer to a four-year university. Additionally, some colleges offer opportunities to participate in athletics, clubs, activities, and music or the arts.
• Public four-year universities: Minnesota State and the University of Minnesota offer a wide variety of undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Most offer a wide range of athletics and intramural sports as well as programs in theater, music and the arts. 
• Private for-profit career colleges:  They offer programs focusing on specific careers. Some colleges focus on one specific career, such as cosmetology schools, while others offer several career programs. Programs generally range from a few months to two years.
• Private four-year private colleges: Most of private universities in Minnesota are liberal arts colleges, which emphasize broad knowledge in the arts, sciences, social sciences and humanities. Many are affiliated with a religious denomination. Some colleges only focus on students wishing to receive a bachelor's degree, while others only offer graduate training or a combination of both. 

Here are some other factors to consider:

• Campus environment and activities
• Geographic location
• School size
• Cost and Net Price
• Available health and mental health services
• Accommodations for special needs
• Diversity of student population
• Faculty experience and expertise
• Graduation statistics for that institution
• Academic reputation and credibility 
• Tutoring and academic support services 
• Transportation availability and cost 
• Campus safety

With that information in mind, use our College Search Tool to discover what Minnesota colleges and universities have to offer and find programs that will help meet your goals.

The College Search Tool on this website offers a fun and easy way to search for postsecondary institutions and compare institutions in Minnesota. Users can determine the parameters of a search by filtering their options according to:

• School name
• Area of study
• Award level
• Campus setting
• Size of student body
• Student to faculty ratio
• Location

Colleges and postsecondary institutions in Minnesota offer a wide variety of programs to students. In order to find an institution that offers a program of your choice, you should filter your search by Area of Study and Award Level. The areas of study listed on the website correspond to the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), a taxonomic coding scheme of primarily postsecondary instructional programs categorized by major field of study to create standard classifications for reporting purposes. Please refer to the Areas of Study page to find out which programs are included for each area of study listed on the search filtering options. 

Once you have made your selection and the search results are prompted on your screen, you may select the Compare button to open the school profile on a comparison chart. You may select up to four institutions to compare, one next to the other. You may also explore each institution by selecting View Profile.

As a registered user, you may select any institution and save it as a favorite. The college or school will be saved on your dashboard for your consideration and further review whenever you log in.

The College Search Tool provides information and reported data for postsecondary institutions in Minnesota that are either:

• Licensed and registered by the Office of Higher Education 
• A Minnesota State Colleges and Universities campus, or 
• A campus of the University of Minnesota

Can't find a school? See the Student Record Contact Information list for schools that have closed, changed their names, or merged with another institution.

About and College Profile

Information provided in this section has been submitted and reported by the institution. Data displayed are for undergraduate students attending Minnesota postsecondary institutions in the fall of academic year 2019-2020. Totals represent unduplicated headcounts at an institution (students enrolled at more than one institution are counted once per institution). Counts less than 10 have been suppressed to protect student privacy.

Data Source: Minnesota Office of Higher Education

Cost

Information provided in this section includes the institution's published tuition and fees, which is the amount of tuition and required fees covering a full academic year most frequently charged to students. These values represent what a typical student would be charged and may not be the same for all students at an institution. Also on this section, you may find data pertaining to the average costs of attendance reported by the institution and used by the financial aid office to determine a student’s financial need and eligibility for federal financial aid.

Data sources: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), 2019-2020.

Financial Aid

Data displayed on this section shows the reported number of undergraduate students at the institution receiving Minnesota State grants, federal grants, and other state financial aid, including the average amount of financial aid awarded to full-time first-time undergraduate students during the 2019-2020 academic year. Finally, when available this section displays the cumulative median debt of students graduating at the institution, if eligible to participate in a Minnesota-funded financial aid program.

Data sources: Minnesota Office of Higher Education and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

Student Success

Data displayed on this section shows the reported percent of new undergraduate students at the institution who continued to enroll in the next academic year and persisted through their studies until completion of their program. This section also displays graduation rates at the institution by type of credential within 150% on-time completion. For students pursuing a bachelor’s degree, 150% on-time completion is six years; for students pursuing an associate degree or a sub-baccalaureate certificate, 150% on-time completion is three years.

Data sources: Minnesota Office of Higher Education and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

Admissions Information

Information provided in this section pertains to the institution's published admissions requirements and considerations, which may include the institution's acceptance of dual credit courses (PSEO and Concurrent Enrollment) and exam-based credit (Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and CLEP). Additionally, the institution may be identified for awarding credit for previous military training and offering programs and courses that lead to career advancement included in the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development's Eligible Training Providers List.

Data sources: Minnesota Office of Higher Education, Credit Survey, SIMON, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), 2019-2020.

Programs

Programs included in this section are listed as reported by the institution to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education via the postsecondary institutional survey.

Data Source: Minnesota Office of Higher Education

Graduate Employment Outcomes

The data shown pertaining to graduate employment outcomes provides percent of graduates with full-time employment in the 3rd year after college graduation and the median annual wages by award level, according to the Minnesota unemployment insurance records. Data does not include federal employees, self-employed, military, or individuals who moved out of state for a job.

Data source: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development

If you wish to deactivate or delete your account, please send your request by email to contact@myhighered.mn.gov.