Minnesota State University-Mankato
Mankato, Minnesota · Public · 88.4% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 62/100 · Fair Value
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. Median 6-year earnings of $38,800 grow to $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. The repayment rate of 82.3% at three years is strong for a regional public, suggesting graduates stay current on loans even when entry-level earnings look modest. 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 |
| Median 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 sticker price at Minnesota State University-Mankato is $9,572/year ($18,942/year out-of-state). But sticker price isn't what most students pay. After grants, scholarships, and financial aid, the average student pays a net price of $19,139/year, or roughly $76,556 over four years.
That net price varies significantly by family income. The lowest-income families (under $30,000/year) pay an average of $12,339/year, while families earning over $110,000 pay $22,798/year.
The median graduate leaves with $21,106 in federal loan debt, translating to an estimated monthly payment of $224 on a standard 10-year repayment plan. Against median earnings of $56,922 ten years out, the debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.54 - within the recommended range but worth monitoring.
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. At a 9.9-year payback and $38,800 median earnings, full-pay families are accepting a much weaker financial profile than what they would get at a more selective school with stronger institutional aid or a flagship public. 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 flagship-tier.
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 -- modest for a STEM track -- 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 | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 78.0% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 82.3% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 77.2% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 83.0% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
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.
Mankato's Scorecard peer set includes Bemidji State University (MN), Metropolitan State University (MN), University of Houston-Downtown (TX), University of Nebraska-Omaha (NE), and University of Alabama-Birmingham (AL). The two Minnesota peers are direct in-state regional comparisons; Bemidji State scores lower (smaller, more isolated, weaker labor-market access), while Metro State serves a more urban Twin-Cities adult population. Nebraska-Omaha (ROI roughly 65) is the closest peer in size and mission, with similar earnings and slightly stronger completion. UAB scores higher because of its medical-research-driven graduate-degree pipeline, which is not a fair comparison to Mankato's predominantly undergraduate regional-public model.
| 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 |
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 offers fair financial value, though the ROI depends heavily on individual circumstances. The net cost of $19,139 per year leads to $76,556 over four years, while graduates earn a median of $56,922 a decade out. The payback period of 9.9 years is about average - not bad, but not a standout either.
The data highlights several strengths: high loan repayment success.
Median debt of $21,106 against $56,922 in earnings is reasonable, though major choice matters significantly. Students in higher-earning programs will see better returns.
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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.