Minnesota State University-Mankato
Mankato, Minnesota · Public · 88.4% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 62/100 · Fair Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Minnesota State University-Mankato scores 62 (Fair Value) on the CampusROI scale. The institution combines an 88.4% admission rate - effectively open access - with $9,572 in-state tuition, $19,139 net price, and 54.0% completion. Average 6-year earnings of $38,800 grow to a median $56,922 by year ten, producing a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.544 against $21,106 median debt and a 9.9-year payback period. Mankato's score is held back by the 54% completion rate (sub-score 48) more than by debt or earnings - the financial outcomes for graduates are workable, but only about half of admitted students get to the degree. The aviation, nursing, engineering, and construction-management pipelines pull the school's overall earnings number up; education, social work, and the broad slate of humanities and arts programs pull it down. Net price exceeds in-state tuition by roughly $9,500, reflecting the room/board and fees component of the residential cost structure.
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $9,572/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $18,942/yr |
| Average net price | $19,139/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $76,556 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $56,922 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $38,800 |
| Median debt at graduation | $21,106 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $224 |
| Estimated payback period | 9.9 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 53.9% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 11,703 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $9,572/year ($18,942/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $19,139/year, or roughly $76,556 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $12,339/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $22,798/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $21,106, which works out to about $224 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($38,800) and comes to 0.54, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $12,339 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $12,750 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $15,137 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $18,921 |
| $110,001+ | $22,798 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The 0-30000 income bracket pays $12,339 per year at Mankato, and the 30001-48000 bracket pays $12,750 - both materially below the institutional net price and well-aided relative to the published $9,572 in-state tuition plus room and board. Four-year totals of $49,000-$51,000 are workable for low-income families, especially for students entering the nursing, engineering, or construction-management pipelines where first-year earnings of $70K+ produce rapid payback. Pell rate of 21% suggests the aid model is functional but not aggressive.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The 48001-75000 bracket pays $15,137 and the 75001-110000 bracket pays $18,921. Middle-income families face a moderate-cost regional public bill totaling $60,000-$76,000 over four years. The financial math works for students entering the high-earning programs (nursing, CS, engineering, construction) and is tight but defensible for accounting, finance, and aviation. For education, social work, and humanities tracks, the same cost against $40K-$50K first-year earnings produces debt-to-earnings ratios that violate the income rule - the major selection matters more than the school selection at this cost level.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $22,798 per year - about $91,200 over four years. Full-pay at Mankato makes sense primarily when the student is entering one of the strong-earning programs (nursing, engineering, construction, aviation, CS) and is expected to complete - the 54% institutional completion rate is the risk factor that does not show up in the four-year cost number.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Minnesota State University-Mankato with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $82,429 | B+ |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $70,486 | C+ |
| Psychology | $52,859 | C |
| Marketing | $68,772 | C |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $57,506 | D |
| Air Transportation | $103,858 | C+ |
| Finance and Financial Management | $74,852 | C+ |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $64,585 | C+ |
| Teacher Education | $48,632 | C |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $95,398 | B+ |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is Mankato's flagship program by volume: 353 graduates, $75,655 year-one earnings, $82,429 at four years. Median debt of $25,257 produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.334 (B+ ROI grade). The Minnesota nursing labor market absorbs Mankato graduates into the Twin Cities health systems, regional Mayo affiliates, and rural-Minnesota hospital networks. Year-one earnings above $75K with under $26K in debt is a payback of roughly four years - one of the cleanest financial profiles in the school's catalog. The high graduate count means this is also a stable pipeline, not a small-sample outlier.
Construction Management
Construction Management produces 59 graduates per year with $75,682 first-year earnings and $102,090 at four years. Median debt of $26,499 against early-career earnings yields a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.350 (B grade). The four-year jump to $102K reflects the trajectory into project-management roles in the upper Midwest commercial and infrastructure construction market. This is a high-leverage track - the program is moderate-sized but the earnings outcomes are strong.
Computer and Information Sciences
CS produces 82 graduates per year, with $71,742 year-one earnings, $95,398 at four years, and B+ ROI grade (debt-to-earnings 0.287, $20,625 median debt). The Twin Cities tech cluster (Target, US Bank, UnitedHealth, Best Buy headquarters, plus the local fintech and medtech ecosystem) absorbs Mankato CS graduates well. The four-year jump to nearly $100K reflects movement into senior software-engineering and lead roles. Lower median debt than the engineering programs makes the financial profile especially clean.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering produces 45 graduates with $68,919 year-one earnings, growing to $85,286 at four years. Median debt of $27,886 yields debt-to-earnings of 0.405 (B grade). Mankato's engineering programs feed Minnesota's medical-device, agricultural-equipment, and aerospace manufacturing sectors - a regional labor market that values applied engineering talent. The financial profile is solid; debt is somewhat higher than the CS pipeline because engineering students often take longer to complete.
Air Transportation
Aviation is a notable outlier at Mankato: 105 graduates per year with $45,193 year-one earnings but $103,858 by year four (debt-to-earnings 0.454, C+ grade). The trajectory reflects the FAA-required hours-building phase that pilots work through before reaching regional and major-carrier captain seats. Mankato is one of a small number of universities with a structured collegiate aviation pipeline; the four-year earnings number makes the financial math work even though early-career pay is constrained by the regulatory timeline. Students should plan for the cash-flow gap in years one through three.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 78.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 82.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 77.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 83.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Minnesota State University-Mankato’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 88.4% |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 21-25 |
| Enrollment | 11,703 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 21.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $11,257 |
At 88.4%, Mankato is essentially open-access among prepared applicants. ACT mid-range is 21-25 (SAT data not reported in current Scorecard), reflecting a typical regional-public academic pool drawing primarily from greater Minnesota. The selectivity does not meaningfully filter for completion likelihood - the 54% completion rate is the more honest signal of who actually finishes here, which suggests significant attrition among admitted students who arrive academically or financially under-prepared. Selectivity is not the binding constraint on outcomes at Mankato; persistence is.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota State University-Mankato (this school) | 62 | $19,139 | $56,922 |
| Metropolitan State University | 72 | $16,863 | $64,705 |
| University of Nebraska at Omaha | 64 | $13,441 | $53,909 |
| University of Houston-Downtown | 62 | $10,542 | $53,551 |
| Bemidji State University | 60 | $15,261 | $53,755 |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | 55 | $18,749 | $54,501 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See Minnesota State University-Mankato side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
Enrollment of 11,703 with 21.0% Pell - a typical mid-size Minnesota regional public serving a mostly Minnesota-resident student body. The school fits applicants targeting nursing (353 graduates per year, $75,655 first-year earnings), construction management ($75,682), CS ($71,742), or one of the engineering disciplines (electrical, mechanical, civil all in the high-$60K to low-$70K range). The aviation program is an outlier with $45K first-year but $103K four-year earnings - a long-runway career trajectory. Students aiming at education, social work, theatre, or kinesiology will find programs that exist but produce notably weaker financial outcomes - D and F grades on debt-to-earnings appear in those tracks.
The Verdict: A Reasonable Bet - With Caveats
Minnesota State University-Mankato is a fair-value bet, but how well it pays off depends a lot on you. At $19,139 a year after aid ($76,556 over four years), with the typical graduate earning $56,922 a decade out, the cost takes about 9.9 years to earn back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
What it has going for it: high loan repayment success.
Median debt of $21,106 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $38,800 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.54, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Minnesota State University-Mankato: Common Questions
Is Minnesota State University-Mankato worth it?
In our view, it's a fair-value bet - whether Minnesota State University-Mankato is worth it depends a lot on your major and aid package. It scores 62/100 on our ROI scale. At $19,139 a year after aid ($76,556 over four years) against $56,922 in typical earnings a decade out, the cost takes about 9.9 years to earn back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Minnesota State University-Mankato cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $19,139 a year, or roughly $76,556 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Minnesota State University-Mankato graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $56,922 ten years after enrolling, roughly $15,122 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Minnesota State University-Mankato?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 9.9 years for Minnesota State University-Mankato. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Minnesota State University-Mankato graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $21,106, against average earnings of $38,800 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.54. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Minnesota State University-Mankato?
The six-year graduation rate is 53.9%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.