Forbes recently released its 2024 List of America's Top Colleges, and the top colleges and universities are pretty familiar names, think Princeton, Harvard, Yale, etc. But where did Minnesota colleges and universities rank on the Forbes list? Well, the first school from Minnesota didn't show up until #75. Here's where Minnesota schools rank on the Forbes 2024 list.

How does Forbes rank the colleges?

How does Forbes determine the top colleges and universities? They looked at various measurables and weighted them to get to the rankings. Some areas they looked at were Alumni Salaries, Debt, Graduation Rate, Retention, and Academic Success.

Finally according to Forbes: "Thirty-eight of our top 100 schools admit more than 30% of applicants, and 16 of them admit 50% or more—in other words, these are great schools with less admissions stress. Also new this year, since school size doesn’t figure in our rankings, we’ve created a sublist of the top 50 small colleges for students who seek the supportive environment and small classes these schools offer."

Minnesota schools on Forbes Top Colleges In America 2024 list

#75 The University of Minnesota - Twin Cities - "A large research institution with robust academics and school spirit, the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is the flagship campus of Minnesota’s public university system. The U of M offers around 150 majors, with popular programs in biology, computer science, and economics."

#222 Carleton College - Northfield - A private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minn., Carleton College combines a strong liberal arts education with a host of unique traditions. With just over 2,000 students, the school offers more than 1,000 courses in 33 majors with 38 minors.

#232 Gustavus Adolphus College - St. Peter - Gustavus Adolphus is a liberal arts college spanning 240 acres in Saint Peter, MN. The school values its Swedish-American heritage and Lutheran affiliation and aims to teach students the values of community, justice, service, and faith.

#269 St. Olaf College - Northfield - St. Olaf College is a private liberal arts school grounded in Lutheran traditions and located in Northfield, Minnesota. The college offers a collection of Bachelor of Arts programs and five Bachelor of Music programs, including a major in Church Music. 

#293 Macalester College - St. Paul - Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minn. offers a strong liberal arts education grounded in internationalism, multiculturalism and service. The highly selective college admitted less than 30% of its applicant pool into the Fall 2023 entering class.

#304 University of St. Thomas - The largest private university in Minnesota, the University of Saint Thomas in St. Paul is a Catholic institution that values academic excellence, faith, the common good and the pursuit of truth. The university enrolls more than 9,000 students and offers more than 100 undergraduate majors and minors.

#356 St. John's University - Collegeville - The all-men Saint John’s University is one half of a pair of liberal arts institutions located in central Minnesota. The partnership between Saint John's and the College of Saint Benedict, its sister school with a campus six miles away, offers a combination of the benefits of a large school and that of a small school, the schools say.

#373 Concordia College - Moorhead - Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, is a private Christian college founded by a group of Norwegian-American Lutherans in 1891. Business, education, and biology top the list of the school’s most popular majors.

#377 University of Minnesota - Duluth - A mid-sized public university on scenic Lake Superior, the University of Minnesota Duluth is best known for its dominance on the ice. Hockey is king at UMD. The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs’ women’s hockey team has captured five NCAA Division I national championships, while the men’s squad has won three national titles. 

#391 St. Catherine's University - Saint Paul - For St. Catherine University, a diverse student experience is key. The Catholic university in Minneapolis, MN, is designated as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving Institution, and 35% come from multicultural backgrounds.

#427 St. Cloud State University - St. Cloud - An hour west of Minneapolis, St. Cloud State University is a large, hockey-focused public school in St. Cloud, MN. St. Cloud State’s campus is 100 acres and located along the Mississippi River.

#469 College of St. Benedict - St. Joesph - The College of St. Benedict, in St. Joseph, MN, is an all-women’s Catholic liberal arts college. It partners with local St. John’s University, allowing students to take classes and make the most of all resources offered on both campuses. 

#498 St. Mary's University - Winona - Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is a small, Catholic liberal arts college in Winona, MN, that emphasizes ethics and leadership. Students at Saint Mary’s can choose from more than 40 majors that range from the liberal arts to professional programs in nursing, secondary education, and ministry.

As you saw St. Cloud State made the top-500 colleges and universities, and so did St. John's and St. Ben's.

Notable missing colleges from Minnesota were Mankato, Bemidji, Rochester's U of M campus, and Concordia St. Paul.