Minnesota State University-Mankato vs. Winona State University vs. St. Cloud State University vs. University of St Thomas

Should I go to Minnesota State University Mankato or Winona State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Minnesota State University-Mankato or Winona State University is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

You are comparing the maximum of four schools. Remove a college to compare additional schools.
Minnesota State University Mankato vs. Winona State University vs. Saint Cloud State University vs. University of St Thomas comparison
Minnesota State University Mankato Winona State University Saint Cloud State University University of St Thomas
Minnesota State University Mankato Winona State University Saint Cloud State University University of St Thomas
Remove Remove Remove Remove

Overview

Minnesota State University-Mankato Winona State University St. Cloud State University University of St Thomas
Location Mankato, MN Winona, MN Saint Cloud, MN Houston, TX
Setting Remote Town Distant Town Small City Large City
Enrollment 14,709 6,058 10,514 3,813
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #804 #528 #622 #462
Religious Affiliation - - - Roman Catholic
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website mnsu.edu winona.edu stcloudstate.edu stthom.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

Minnesota State University-Mankato Winona State University St. Cloud State University University of St Thomas
Tuition (In State) $8,356 $8,388 $8,811 $32,900
Tuition (Out of State) $17,726 $15,120 $8,811 $32,900
Room & Board $11,224 $9,924 $9,630 $10,248
Avg Net Price $17,227 $18,919 $14,648 $20,469
Avg Grant Aid $5,798 $4,499 $7,348 $23,688
% Receiving Grant Aid 65% 96% 74% 93%

Admission

Minnesota State University-Mankato Winona State University St. Cloud State University University of St Thomas
Applied 8,974 6,159 5,026 1,591
Admitted 8,196 4,220 4,772 1,485
Acceptance Rate 91.3% 68.5% 94.9% 29.5%
Enrolled % 29.4% 27.5% 18.8% 14.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.37 3.44 3.4 3.53
Typical High School Grades B+ B+ B+ B+
Admissions Standards Easy Moderate Average Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 19/24 19/25 18/25 22/28
SAT Range 980/1250 970/1280 1075/1340
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jul 1, 2026 Aug 15, 2026 Aug 15, 2026

Academics

Minnesota State University-Mankato Winona State University St. Cloud State University University of St Thomas
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 15:1 17:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Education (18%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Business (27%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Social Sciences (5%)
  • Business (3%)
  • Social Sciences (1%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (1%)
  • Communication (1%)
  • Psychology (1%)

Outcomes

Minnesota State University-Mankato Winona State University St. Cloud State University University of St Thomas
Graduation Rate 50% 54% 48% 44%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,300 $46,100 $46,700 $57,200
Making Student Loan Payments 72% 75% 67% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,575 $24,000 $22,500 $22,000
Median Loan Payment $233 $248 $232 $227

Diversity

Minnesota State University-Mankato Winona State University St. Cloud State University University of St Thomas
% Men 4% 3% 8% 9%
% Women 9% 10% 12% 13%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low Low Very High
HBCU No No No No
% White 76% 87% 73% 28%
% Black 5% 2% 7% 7%
% Hispanic 4% 3% 3% 40%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2% 3% 2%
% International 6% 3% 7% 10%
% Unknown Race 2% 1% 1% 2%

Students

Minnesota State University-Mankato Winona State University St. Cloud State University University of St Thomas
% In-State 77% 67% 75% 96%
% Out-of-State 15% 31% 11% 2%

Campus

Minnesota State University-Mankato Winona State University St. Cloud State University University of St Thomas
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes Yes No
Learn More Details Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Minnesota State University Mankato is larger than than Winona State University based on total student enrollment (14,709 students vs. 6,058 students)

Minnesota State University-Mankato vs. Winona State University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Minnesota State University-Mankato or Winona State University?

  • Winona State University is 0.4% more expensive to attend than Minnesota State University-Mankato for in-state tuition ($8,388.00 vs. $8,356.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 17.2% higher at Minnesota State University-Mankato than Winona State University ($17,726.00 vs. $15,120.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Minnesota State University Mankato than Winona State University ($17,227 vs. $18,919)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Winona State University are 13.1% lower than costs at Minnesota State University Mankato ($9,924 vs. $11,224)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Winona State University than Minnesota State University Mankato (96% vs. 65%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Minnesota State University Mankato students is 28.9% larger than aid received Winona State University ($5,798 vs. $4,499)

Minnesota State University-Mankato vs. Winona State University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Minnesota State University-Mankato or Winona State University? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Winona State University or Minnesota State University-Mankato .

  • The average SAT score at Winona State University (1050) is 20 points higher than at Minnesota State University-Mankato (1030)
  • Incoming Winona State University students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Minnesota State University-Mankato (22)
  • Accepted freshman Winona State University students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.44) than students at Minnesota State University-Mankato (3.37)
  • Minnesota State University-Mankato has a higher acceptance rate (91.3%) than Winona State University (68.5%)

Minnesota State University-Mankato vs. Winona State University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Minnesota State University-Mankato or Winona State University? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Winona State University and Minnesota State University-Mankato.

  • The graduation rate at Winona State University is higher than Minnesota State University Mankato (54% vs. 50%)
  • Graduates from Minnesota State University Mankato earn on average $200 more per year than Winona State University graduates after ten years. ($46,300 vs. $46,100)
  • Minnesota State University Mankato students graduate with a $1,425 lower median federal student loan debt than Winona State University graduates. ($22,575 vs. $24,000)
  • Minnesota State University-Mankato graduates are paying $15 less per month on federal student loans than Winona State University graduates. ($233 vs. $248)
  • More Winona State University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Minnesota State University-Mankato students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 72%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/