Colleges in Minnesota

Colleges in Minnesota are divided into two separate public post-secondary systems, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system (MnSCU) and The University of Minnesota system. All Minnesota colleges are served by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, an agency responsible for assistance programs such as post-secondary financial aid for those students wanting to earn degrees from schools in Minnesota. This agency is a successor to Minnesota school's Higher Education services. The agency tracks data and information in addition to registering and licensing private post-secondary Minnesota schools of higher education. It is created by state law and is advised by two advisory councils.

The MnSCU system is comprised of 25 two-year colleges and seven four-year colleges located across the state. These Minnesota colleges provide general, occupational, baccalaureate, graduate and certain applied doctoral degrees. The MnSCU chancellor's office is headquartered in St. Paul.

The University of Minnesota has five campuses and is a major research institution. The system provides graduate, undergraduate and professional education as well as research outreach centers for Minnesota residents. Central administration and the main campus are located in the Twin Cities.

MnSCU is governed by a board of trustees and state law. By law, the state's governor appoints 15 trustees with the state Senate's advice and consent. Eight of the trustees must live in Minnesota's eight congressional districts respectively, and three members must be students in the system. The remaining trustees serve six-year terms that must be staggered. The board has all the power for governing the MnSCU system in addition to appointing the chancellor.

The University of Minnesota system of higher education is governed by a board of regents, state constitution and state laws. Twelve regents are elected by state legislature and serve staggered six-year terms. The board of regents has the power to manage all facilities in the system as well as appoint a university president.

Seventeen Minnesota colleges and universities were listed among the top 650 schools in the United States in the Forbes’ 2012 Best Colleges and Universities list. Two were among the top 100. Carleton College ranked 31st on the list. Carleton is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. Macalester College, a private undergraduate liberal arts college in St. Paul, ranked 78th on the list. St. Olaf College, ranked as 142nd, is a four-year liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. It is also located in Northfield. The University of St. Thomas completes the state's top five at 172nd. It is a private Catholic liberal arts college located in St. Paul.

Economy

Timberlands, fur-trading and fertile prairie soil was at the heart of Minnesota's early industrial development. The state became the flour milling center of America in the late 1800s. After the turn of the century, the largest industries were canning and meat packing. Although the state's economy has diversified greatly over the years, food and food products are still important to the state's economy. Even though less than one percent of residents are employed in the agricultural sector, the state still ranks 6th in the nation for the value of products sold. It is the nation's leading producer of sweet corn, green peas, sugar beets and farm-raised turkeys for processing. Forestry remains important to the state's economy and includes logging and pulpwood processing for paper production.

Minnesota was at one time a significant producer of the world's iron ore. In 2004, 75 percent of the nation's usable iron ore came out of Minnesota which gave a boost to the port of Duluth. The port remains important for the shipping of coal, ore and agricultural products. Although the iron ore is now depleted, taconite mining continues.

In 1997, manufacturer's total value of shipments exceeded $78 billion. The twin cities in the Minnesota's southeastern had the heaviest concentration of industry. By the year 2003, Minnesota was headquarters for 13 Fortune 500 companies.

High technology industries and biomedical firms are important to the state's economy today. They have enhanced rather than replaced food processing and heavy industry. The state provides jobs and receives revenues from high-tech industries such as computer manufacturing, scientific instrument manufacturing, printing and publishing and fabricated metal production.

The earnings of Minnesota residents was $93.8 billion in 1997. The year 1998 brought a significant increase of 8.2 percent and raised the total earnings to $101.5 billion. The state's largest industries in 1998 were in services which accounted for 26.3 percent of all earnings. This was followed by durable goods manufacturing at 12.6 percent. State and local government jobs accounted for 10.8 percent of the earnings. In that decade, income from state and local government jobs showed the slowest job growth rate. Transportation and public utilities jobs had the fastest job growth rate.

The total value of shipments by manufacturers in 1997 exceeded $78 billion. Industry is concentrated in the state's southeast region, especially in the Twin Cities area. Minnesota is the headquarters of 13 Fortune 500 companies as of 2000.

Minnesota also produces ethanol fuel. It was the first US state to mandate a 10 percent mix of the fuel. By 2005 more than 310 gas stations across the state supplied E85 fuel. By December 2006, the state was the nation's fourth largest in the use of wind power.

Excellent higher education in Minnesota will likely contribute to the continuing growth and diversity of the state's economy in the future.