Public · Community college
Minnesota West Community and Technical College
Granite Falls, Minnesota · Remote rural
- 15%
- Transfer rate
- $11,191
- Avg net price
- 52%
- Grad / completion
- $45,285
- Median earnings
Minnesota West Community and Technical College is a public certificate-granting institution in Granite Falls, Minnesota (remote rural setting), enrolling 1,762 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Granite Falls, Minnesota
Granite Falls is a city located mostly in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota, of which it is the county seat with a small portion in Chippewa County, Minnesota. In 1870 a post office began operating at Granite Falls. The town was platted in 1872 and named for deposits of granite rock in the area. In 1874 the county seat was moved to Granite Falls and a small one courtroom courthouse was erected. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Remote rural
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 105 miles to Sioux Falls, SD
- To Great Lakes shore
- 214 miles
- Nearest airport
- 78 miles to Watertown (ATY)
How Minnesota West Community and Technical College compares
Higher than 39% · #18 of 42 in Minnesota
Higher than 40%
Higher than 84% · #19 of 40 in Minnesota
Cheaper than 66% · #13 cheapest of 43 in Minnesota
Lower than 36%
Lower than 39%
Larger than 80%
Percentiles compare Minnesota West 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
- Women99657%
- Men76643%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White67%
- Black6.8%
- Hispanic16%
- Asian2.3%
- Other or multiracial7.8%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,762
- Student–faculty ratio
- 18 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 16%
- First-generation students
- 37%
- Students over 25
- 33%
- Median family income
- $31,859
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $82,908
- Endowment
- $1,098,000
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $6,491
- Room & board
- $6,500
- Books & supplies
- $1,200
- Total cost of attendance
- $17,408
- Average net price
- $11,191
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
- 52%
- First-year retention
- 68%
- Transferred to another college
- 15%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $39,894
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $45,285
- Median debt at graduation
- $10,987
- Students with federal loans
- 13%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 48%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
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
- 14
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 1%
- Housing charge (year)
- $2,600
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division III
- Varsity athletes
- 190 (148 men · 42 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 (8)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.1 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 1
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 6 campuses (3,695 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.
By offense type, per year
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.
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.
Modest institutional aid: 2% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $457. 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 305 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)
- $45,285
- Typical debt at graduation
- $10,987
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 24%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 56%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.4 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
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.
Men out-earn women by $12,898 (32%) 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
- 85°F
- Winter low
- 3°F
- Annual rain
- 28.6″
- Annual snow
- 51.5″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Granite Falls, MN US station (0.6 mi from campus).
What Minnesota West 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 West Community and Technical College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Minnesota West Community and Technical College side by side →
Minnesota North College
Hibbing, Minnesota · Remote town · 58 mi to Duluth
- Students
- 2,013
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 18%
- Earnings
- $46k
Ridgewater College
Willmar, Minnesota · Remote town · 89 mi to Minneapolis
- Students
- 2,162
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 14%
- Earnings
- $44k
South Central College
North Mankato, Minnesota · Small suburb · 68 mi to Minneapolis
- Students
- 1,946
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 14%
- Earnings
- $45k
Northland Community and Technical College
Thief River Falls, Minnesota · Remote town · 91 mi to Fargo
- Students
- 1,554
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 11%
- Earnings
- $44k
Central Lakes College-Brainerd
Brainerd, Minnesota · Remote town · 105 mi to Duluth
- Students
- 1,614
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 13%
- Earnings
- $42k
Minnesota State Community and Technical College
Fergus Falls, Minnesota · Fringe rural · 52 mi to Fargo
- Students
- 2,942
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 47%
- Earnings
- $46k
Colleges near Minnesota West Community and Technical College
Southwest Minnesota State University
Marshall, MN · Public · Bachelor's · 2,315 students
Ridgewater College
Willmar, MN · Public · Associate · 2,162 students
University of Minnesota-Morris
Morris, MN · Public · Bachelor's · 936 students
Martin Luther College
New Ulm, MN · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 725 students
South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD · Public · Bachelor's · 9,198 students
Alexandria Technical & Community College
Alexandria, MN · Public · Associate · 1,533 students
Lake Area Technical College
Watertown, SD · Public · Associate · 1,812 students
Saint Johns University
Collegeville, MN · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,395 students
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.












