I am not going to tell you whether it is "good" or "bad." That is not a question official data can answer, and anyone who answers it for you with a single word is trying to sell you something. What I can do is explain, using the information the United States government collects from this institution, what kind of school it is, how people get in, what it really costs, who stays and who leaves, and what questions you need to ask before your child signs anything.
What Kind of University It Is
Minnesota State University-Mankato is a public university offering programs of four years or more, located in Mankato, Minnesota, within Blue Earth County and the city's metropolitan area. The Carnegie classification system, which categorizes universities in the United States according to what they do, classifies it as a master's university with larger programs and reports that the highest level of institutional offering is the doctoral degree. That is an institution-level fact: it does not tell you whether the specific program your child is interested in reaches that level. You need to confirm that program by program.
One fact worth keeping in mind from the beginning: Carnegie classifies it as a primarily nonresidential institution. That label applies when fewer than 25 out of every 100 undergraduates live in institution-provided housing, or when fewer than half attend full time—the report does not clarify which of the two conditions applied here. It does not mean there are no residence halls; in fact, there are, as we will see later. It means that if your child will commute from home, you need to start accounting now for the bus, gas, and actual travel time, not the time shown on the map.
Another fact about its identity: Carnegie also places it among institutions that enroll many transfer students. If your child plans to come here after studying somewhere else, this does not tell you how many credits will transfer or how many will be lost along the way. Ask for that in writing before enrolling, not afterward.
And there is something this university is not: it is not listed as a historically Black college or university (HBCU), it is not a tribal college or university, and it is not a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this national directory, 138 have at least one of those three designations; this one has none. That does not tell you which communities it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask directly: what cultural centers exist today, what student organizations are available, and better yet, talk with someone who is already studying there.
The Size of the Community and Who Makes It Up
Minnesota State University-Mankato reported 14,709 students enrolled in the official fall count: it is a large school, within the government's 10,000-to-19,999 enrollment band for classifying institutional size. Of that total, 12,897 are undergraduates and 1,812 are graduate students—it is primarily an undergraduate institution.
Within that community, there are more women than men: out of every 100 undergraduates, 56 are women. Students ages 25 to 64, meaning those who return to school as adults, are a minority: 11 out of every 100.
And here is a number I want you to see clearly, without embellishment: of the undergraduates reported in the fall of 2023, 6 out of every 100 are Hispanic or Latino. That is a small minority. Compared with 519 selective-admission, public four-year schools in this same national census, the university ranks below the comparison-group midpoint.
Having few Latino students does not make the school bad, just as having many would not make it good by itself. This number only tells you who is enrolled. If your child will be one of the few, the right question is not "should my child go?" but "what student groups, what cultural center, and what Spanish-speaking person are available in the office my child will need to work with?" And talk with a student who is already there before deciding. That number describes the entire school; your child's experience in a specific program may look different.
How the Academic Year Works and What Prior Credit Is Recognized
The academic year at Minnesota State University-Mankato is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each, with fixed dates for everyone.
The university reported that it accepts credit for AP exams, as well as what IPEDS calls credit for life experience—learning acquired through independent study, work, portfolios, prior licenses, or military or government opportunities. It also reports enrolling high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program and accepting credit for military training.
Here is the part I do not want you to miss: the university's stating that it accepts AP does not mean your child will receive credit for every exam submitted. It does not say what scores are required or whether those credits will count toward the specific program your child chose. Ask for a written equivalency evaluation before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings of a semester until you have it in hand.
As for degree offerings: between July 2022 and June 2023, the university awarded 2,626 bachelor's degrees across 28 fields of study families—what the government calls CIP families. Business and management was the family with the most degrees, accounting for 23 out of every 100— it is the largest, but it does not account for a majority, not even close. Compared with 514 similar schools, it ranks in the top quarter for the number of fields of study families represented in its bachelor's-degree data. That reflects a broad offering, not 28 guaranteed majors: a "family" groups together multiple programs, and some rows in the report may show no degrees for that year. Verify the exact program your child is interested in by name.
Regarding the ratio of students to instructional staff: the university reports 21 full-time-equivalent students for every full-time-equivalent member of the instructional staff. Compared with 519 similar schools, it ranks in the highest quarter—three out of every four schools in that group reported the same ratio or a lower one. This is an aggregate ratio, not a class size. It does not tell you how many students will be in your child's first-year class. Ask directly.
The institution also reports structured academic opportunities: study abroad, noncredit developmental education, and teacher certification preparation, including the option to complete preparation there in certain teacher-specialization areas.
Getting In: What the University Requires and How Likely an Acceptance Is
Let us start with what is easiest to understand: out of every 100 people who applied for admission in the 2023 cycle, 91 received an offer of admission. In that sense, it is a very accessible university. Compared with 519 selective-admission, public four-year schools in this census, it is on the more open side: seven out of ten schools in that group, or more, accepted the same or a smaller percentage of their applicants.
Even so, some applicants did not receive an offer: 778 of the 8,974 applicants were not admitted. Being accessible does not mean admission is automatic. The application must be complete and submitted on time.
What do they review when making a decision? The university reported that it does not have open admission—there are application components that are evaluated. Of the nine possible considerations measured by this federal report, it marked four as required: the high school record, the high school GPA, completion of the college-preparatory coursework required by the university, and an English proficiency exam when applicable. Beyond those, only one additional item is considered if submitted: your child's rank within the high school graduating class. The essay and letters of recommendation are marked as not considered for admission.
If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, this applies directly to you: ask now whether your child must take the English proficiency exam and what would qualify for an exemption. This is one of those things families discover late, when it is already more difficult to address.
The undergraduate application fee is $20.
Regarding standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are not required. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application proceeds just the same. Among those who submitted the ACT, half scored 24 or higher. No SAT range was reported. Confirm directly with admissions whether submitting a score could help with any scholarship.
Now, a different but equally important figure: out of every 100 students the university admitted for the first year of 2023, only 29 ultimately enrolled there. The other 71 had an admission letter in hand and chose to go elsewhere. Compared with similar schools, that 29 is on the high side—at most of those schools, an even smaller share of admitted students enrolls. This number does not measure how difficult it is to get in, quality, or satisfaction. It only counts what other families decided after receiving their letters. When your child's letter arrives, that number does not make the decision for you: place the letters from different schools side by side and compare net price, program, and distance before the deposit deadline.
About Those Who Arrive and Those Who Leave by Transfer
This is something many families do not see coming. Of the cohort that entered in 2017 as full-time bachelor's-degree-seeking students, 31 out of every 100 transferred to another school without completing their degree here—a proportion on the high side compared with similar schools. At the same time, in the fall of 2023, 1,014 new students arrived after transferring from other institutions: that is a large incoming flow.
Keep this fact in mind when you compare graduation rates later in this article: a student who transfers to another school does not count as a Minnesota State University-Mankato graduate, even if that student completes a degree elsewhere. The report records the transfer, not the reason or that person's final outcome.
What It Costs and What Each Family Actually Pays
At Minnesota State University-Mankato, among 126 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $11,920. Among 195 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $15,200; among 592 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $21,860. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents' income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (126 students) and the average for the highest-income band (592 students) is $9,940. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $17,227.
$11,920 was the average net price for families in the lowest-income band in the 2022-23 academic year. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.
The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for grant or scholarship recipients, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
Financial Aid and Loans, on Their Own Terms
At this university, 57 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received aid that does not have to be repaid—grants or scholarships. That is more than half, but not everyone. Compared with similar schools, it falls in the quarter where grants and scholarships reach fewer students; among those who did receive them, the average for the year was $6,488.
The federal Pell Grant, reserved for low-income families with demonstrated need, reached 23 out of every 100 degree-seeking students. That is a smaller number than the number receiving grants and scholarships overall—the difference may come from other sources of aid, such as state, institutional, or other federal aid, and this breakdown does not show how much comes from each one. Ask directly which programs account for that difference.
Regarding loans: 42 out of every 100 undergraduates received a federal loan in 2022-23. Among those who borrowed, the average amount borrowed that year was $6,479. Compared with similar schools, this share of students with loans is in the common range, neither among the highest nor among the lowest.
An honest clarification: that $6,479 average is for a single year and includes only federal loans in the student's name. It does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes take out or debt from private banks. Nor is it the total debt someone has upon graduation—that would require adding together every year, and that information is not in this report.
What determines how much your child will need to borrow is not this national percentage. It is the written financial aid letter your child receives. Wait for that letter before ruling out the school and before committing to it.
The university also reports offering a tuition installment payment plan as a way to manage the cost.
Campus Life, Support, and Learning Format
Minnesota State University-Mankato does have its own housing, with a reported maximum capacity of 2,889 students. Not all full-time, first-time students are required to live there—the university indicated that there is no universal requirement, although that does not rule out such a requirement for a specific program. It also offers meal plans, with a fixed number of meals per week in the largest plan. The existence of an option does not guarantee a place: ask in writing for the year's price, the application deadline, and whether a space is guaranteed or you will be placed on a waiting list.
Regarding ROTC: the university indicated that an opportunity is available, and the only branch confirmed in writing is the Army. Navy and Air Force are not marked—that does not mean they are unavailable; it means you need to ask directly if your child is interested in another branch.
In athletics, the university competes at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported participation in football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. This does not say which division each sport competes in or whether athletic scholarships are available—ask the coach of the specific sport directly, and request the answer in writing.
Regarding distance education: the university offers it at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Out of every 100 undergraduates, 12 took their entire course load through distance education, while 88 took at least one in-person class. It also reports offering at least one program in which all required courses can be completed through distance education—that does not confirm that the program is specifically at the undergraduate level; confirm the exact level and program before assuming anything.
The library operates with paid staff and annual spending above the government's reporting threshold of $100,000, has physical and digital materials, and participates in interlibrary lending. That is the baseline, not a guarantee that it has specific databases for your child's program—ask using the program's name.
Finally, the university reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services after program completion, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program for veterans, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military members, a veterans student organization, and a webpage for disability services.
Who Stays, Who Graduates, and How Long It Takes
This may be the section where it is most worthwhile to pause, because it connects directly to the money you saw above.
Retention. Of the cohort that entered in the fall of 2022 as full-time bachelor's-degree-seeking students (2,281 students), 80 out of every 100 were still enrolled here or had already completed their degree one year later. Compared with similar schools, that figure ranks slightly above the comparison-group midpoint—neither among the best nor among the worst, but right in the middle. Importantly, not enrolling again is not the same as dropping out. In this number, a student who transferred to another university and continues studying there is counted the same as someone who left school entirely.
Graduation. Of the 2,251 students who entered full time in 2017, 1,205 had earned a degree from this school six years later: 54 out of every 100. At four years, the figure falls to 33 out of every 100—21 points lower. And here is something I want to tell you plainly: four years is the timeframe most families build into their budgets. That 21-point difference between the four-year and six-year marks does not tell you how many additional semesters each person attended, but it does tell you that asking "how long does it usually take to graduate from the program my child wants?" before signing is one of the most valuable questions you can ask. An additional semester is not a minor detail in a family budget.
Compared with similar schools, the six-year graduation rate ranks above the comparison-group midpoint.
At eight years. Expanding the window with a different cohort—students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016, including part-time students and those who already had prior college experience—56 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school by August 2023. Compared with similar schools, it ranks below the comparison-group midpoint.
Within that same cohort, there is a difference worth naming: among students who received a Pell Grant, 47 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate within eight years—12 points lower than among those who did not receive Pell. A family's qualifying for Pell today does not determine your child's individual outcome. What you can do is ask the school specifically: is an adviser assigned to each student? Is emergency aid available? Does the institution's grant or scholarship renew automatically each year, or must the student qualify again? And ask for the answers in writing.
What Is Up to You and What Is Up to Your Child
It is up to your child to study, explore, choose a program, and take responsibility for their part of the journey. It is not up to you to live your child's college life. But it is up to you to understand your family's finances, read the financial aid letter carefully, verify in writing what this university promises before it becomes a decision involving thousands of dollars, and offer support without leaving a teenager alone to navigate a system they are only beginning to understand.
You now have an in-depth understanding of one of the pieces you need to decide: what Minnesota State University-Mankato is, how people get in, what it really costs, and what happens to those who are already there. Combine it with what your child wants to study, what your child has accomplished so far in high school, and what your family can and is willing to pay. A plan comes from that combination, not from a single article.
Note on sources: the information in this article comes from official reports that Minnesota State University-Mankato submitted to IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System), part of the United States Department of Education, primarily for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, except where a different period is indicated. Best College Aid does not represent Minnesota State University-Mankato or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public data to help families understand it.