Public · Community college

Minnesota State Community and Technical College

Fergus Falls, Minnesota · Fringe rural

47%
Transfer rate
$12,556
Avg net price
47%
Grad / completion
$45,591
Median earnings

Minnesota State Community and Technical College is a public associate-granting institution in Fergus Falls, Minnesota (fringe rural setting), enrolling 2,942 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.

PublicMidsize · 2,942 undergradsFringe ruralNJCAA Division IIICold wintersSnowy

About Fergus Falls, Minnesota

Fergus Falls is a city in and the county seat of Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The falls from which the city gets part of its name were discovered by Joe Whitford (a Scottish trapper) in 1856 and promptly named in honor of his employer, James Fergus. Fergus Falls is home to several arts and culture organizations and has a reputation of being a cultural hub in West Central Minnesota. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Fringe rural
Highest degree offered
Associate
Nearest big city
52 miles to Fargo, ND
To Great Lakes shore
192 miles
Nearest airport
55 miles to Hector (FAR)

How Minnesota State Community and Technical College compares

Graduation rate47%

Higher than 33% · #22 of 42 in Minnesota

First-year retention69%

Higher than 41%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$45,591

Higher than 85% · #16 of 40 in Minnesota

Average net price$12,556

Cheaper than 60% · #17 cheapest of 43 in Minnesota

Median debt at graduation$12,000

Lower than 29%

Student–faculty ratio18 : 1

Lower than 39%

Undergraduate enrollment2,942

Larger than 86%

Percentiles compare Minnesota State Community and Technical College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Minnesota.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

2,942undergrads
  • Women1,60955%
  • Men1,33345%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White68%
  • Black15%
  • Hispanic6.7%
  • Asian2.3%
  • Other or multiracial8.2%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,942
Student–faculty ratio
18 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
25%
First-generation students
30%
Students over 25
19%
Median family income
$32,398
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$84,537
Endowment
$7,679,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Cost

In-state tuition
$5,908
Room & board
$8,820
Books & supplies
$2,020
Total cost of attendance
$17,194
Average net price
$12,556

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated
47%
First-year retention
69%
Transferred to another college
47%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$41,829
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$45,591
Median debt at graduation
$12,000
Students with federal loans
23%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
45%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
47%
Low-income (Pell)
18%
First-generation
19%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
121
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
4%
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NJCAA Division III
Varsity athletes
114 (91 men · 23 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (6)

Football53
Basketball21
Baseball15
Softball11
Golf7
Volleyball7

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
2
Property offenses (2022–2024)
26

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 4 campuses (5,645 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

9.3reported offenses a year
0.7 violent a year8.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
8.3
Aggravated assault
0.7
Motor vehicle theft
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$9,111
$30–48k
$9,741
$48–75k
$11,208
$75–110k
$14,279
$110k+
$16,081

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

6%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$1,779
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 6% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,779. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 530 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$45,591
Typical debt at graduation
$12,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
26%
Out-earn a HS grad
60%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$41,168
Men
$51,827

Men out-earn women by $10,659 (26%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
81°F
Winter low
0°F
Annual rain
26.9″
Annual snow
49.6″

Average temperature

HighLow
-10°40°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.14.3JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Fergus Falls, MN US station (1 mi from campus).

What Minnesota State Community and Technical College graduates study — and earn

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Minnesota State Community and Technical College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Minnesota State Community and Technical College side by side →

Colleges near Minnesota State Community and Technical College

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.