🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable on average — net price runs around $18,743/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • Solid academic profile (SAT 1128–1335 · ACT 23–28 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
  • In-state residents (tuition ~$14,610 — major value play)
  • Students drawn to Business, Management, & Marketing or Engineering (the two biggest majors)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1128, or ACT below 23, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
M1: Master's - Larger Programs
Total enrollment
7,336
5,000 - 9,999
In-state tuition
$14,610
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$20,130
+$5,520 vs in-state
Admit rate
81.8%
Accepts the majority
SAT middle 50%
1128–1335
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
23–28
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$62,616
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$52,840
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$62,616
4-year completion
65%
Median debt (completers)
$22,024
Cost of attendance
$27,680
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
19%

💰 True ROI

8.4× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$74,972
$18,743/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$35,748
vs sticker $110,720
10-yr earnings total
$626,160
$62,616/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.2 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At University of Minnesota-Duluth, the average net price is $18,743/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$7,256/yr
Family income $30-48k
$8,145/yr
Family income $48-75k
$11,965/yr
Family income $75-110k
$17,056/yr
Family income $110k+
$24,453/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use University of Minnesota-Duluth's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from University of Minnesota-Duluth →

Opens on University of Minnesota-Duluth's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at University of Minnesota-Duluth

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what University of Minnesota-Duluth actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
327 degrees · 29.5%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
2. Engineering
297 degrees · 26.8%
Typical career outcomes
Mechanical Engineer $100k Electrical Engineer $107k Civil Engineer $93k Chemical Engineer $112k
Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.
3. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
198 degrees · 17.9%
Typical career outcomes
Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.
4. Psychology
152 degrees · 13.7%
Typical career outcomes
HR Specialist $68k Market Research Analyst $75k Clinical Psychologist (post-PhD) $93k Social Worker $58k
Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.
5. Social Sciences
133 degrees · 12.0%
Typical career outcomes
Economist $118k Political Scientist $130k Sociologist $93k Market Research Analyst $75k
Economics + poli sci sub-disciplines pay much more than sociology + anthropology.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at University of Minnesota-Duluth

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Industrial Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 13 $77,781 $97,732
Computer Science. Bachelor's Degree 78 $73,224 $91,911
Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 106 $67,764 $88,965
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 41 $74,197 $88,305
Chemical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 57 $67,152 $85,667
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications. Bachelor's Degree 30 $51,291 $79,939
Civil Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 55 $65,175 $79,485
Mathematics. Bachelor's Degree 26 $55,482 $75,633
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 57 $56,146 $74,360
Marketing. Bachelor's Degree 122 $53,800 $74,079

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at University of Minnesota-Duluth

CS degrees (annual)
78
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

University of Minnesota-Duluth vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to University of Minnesota-Duluth

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that University of Minnesota-Duluth doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 auto-merit scholarships on file
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
23 auto-merit scholarships on file
Mississippi State University
MS · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($18,610 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($15,285 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($14,027 less)
Indiana University-Kokomo
IN · Public
$10,593/yr for $110k+ families ($13,860 less)
Cedar Crest College
PA · Private nonprofit
$11,008/yr for $110k+ families ($13,445 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
Saint Cloud State University
MN · Public
95% admit rate (vs 82% here)

Building a college list?

Use these to fit University of Minnesota-Duluth into your overall strategy:

See your admit odds → Improve your score → Find merit aid →