Nursing schools in Minnesota: top programs, costs, and licensing

Minnesota is a strong state for nursing education and employment. The Twin Cities metro anchors a healthcare economy centered on major academic medical systems – Mayo Clinic, M Health Fairview, Allina Health, and Hennepin Healthcare among them – while regional and rural health systems across Greater Minnesota create steady demand for generalist RNs and advanced practice nurses. The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual RN wage in Minnesota at $101,510 (May 2025), roughly $4,000 above the national RN median of $97,550 and a reflection of the state’s competitive healthcare labor market.

One point worth getting right before you plan a career here: Minnesota is not a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) state. Compact legislation has been introduced repeatedly over more than a decade and has stalled each time. A Minnesota RN license authorizes practice in Minnesota only. Minnesota does maintain border-state recognition arrangements with North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Wisconsin under defined conditions, and it recognizes multistate licenses for certain declared emergencies, but neither of those is the same as holding a compact license. If you intend to travel-nurse or work across state lines, you will need separate licensure in each state where you practice.

Minnesota’s nursing school landscape runs the full range – from community college ADN programs designed for local workforce development to research-intensive BSN, MSN, and DNP programs at major universities.

Admission requirements

Minnesota nursing programs share a common prerequisite framework. Specific requirements vary by program level and institution, but the following reflects the standard across ADN and BSN programs in the state.

Standard prerequisites:

Most Minnesota programs require science prerequisites completed within the past 5–7 years.

Entrance exams: The ATI TEAS is the most widely used entrance exam across Minnesota nursing programs. Some programs accept the HESI A2. Competitive scores at community college ADN programs typically start at the 60th percentile; competitive BSN programs generally look for 75th percentile and above. For a full breakdown of which programs use which test, see ATI TEAS vs. HESI: which exam does your school require?

GPA: Minimum GPA requirements across Minnesota programs typically run 2.75–3.0 cumulative. For competitive BSN programs at the University of Minnesota or St. Catherine University, science GPA of 3.2 or higher is common among admitted students. If your GPA falls below the threshold for your target program, see our guide on nursing schools that accept lower GPAs.

Application timeline: Minnesota programs typically accept applications once or twice per year, with fall entry as the primary intake. Community college programs often use competitive point-based selection due to high demand. Apply early and keep your prerequisite record current.

Top nursing schools in Minnesota

University of Minnesota School of Nursing – Minneapolis The U of M’s School of Nursing is Minnesota’s flagship research nursing school, CCNE-accredited, and offers one of the most comprehensive program ladders in the state: BSN, MSN, DNP, and PhD tracks. The school is affiliated with M Health Fairview and University of Minnesota Medical Center, giving students access to high-acuity clinical environments in the Twin Cities. Graduate programs are particularly strong in nursing informatics, family nurse practitioner, and nursing leadership specialties.

St. Catherine University – St. Paul St. Kate’s is among the most recognized nursing schools in Minnesota, with a CCNE-accredited BSN, MSN, and DNP. The nursing program has a strong clinical training reputation and consistent NCLEX pass rates. The school’s location in St. Paul provides clinical access to Allina Health, HealthEast, and regional specialty centers.

Winona State University – Winona and Rochester WSU’s CCNE-accredited nursing program operates from both its main Winona campus and a Rochester site – situated near Mayo Clinic, one of the world’s most prominent medical centers. The Rochester presence gives BSN and graduate students proximity to complex clinical environments not available at most regional universities.

College of St. Scholastica – Duluth CSS offers CCNE-accredited nursing programs from BSN through DNP, with a focus on rural and community health. Duluth’s position as a regional healthcare hub in northeastern Minnesota gives students exposure to health systems serving both urban and rural populations.

Minnesota State University Mankato – Mankato MSU Mankato’s ACEN-accredited BSN program serves south-central Minnesota’s healthcare workforce needs. The program integrates clinical simulation and has established relationships with regional hospitals and health systems in the Mankato area.

NCLEX pass rates in Minnesota

The Minnesota Board of Nursing (MNBON) monitors NCLEX-RN first-attempt pass rates for all approved programs. The national benchmark to measure a program against is the first-time pass rate for US-educated candidates, which was 91.2% for calendar year 2024 (170,256 passes out of 186,760 first-time US-educated candidates, per NCSBN). Broken out by entry credential, baccalaureate programs posted 91.9%, associate degree programs 90.6%, and diploma programs 90.8%. Minnesota-educated graduates generally track near or above that national figure.

Be careful with pass-rate numbers you find elsewhere. Aggregate NCLEX-RN figures in the low 70s circulate widely, but those are all-candidate rates that fold in repeat test-takers and internationally educated candidates. For judging a Minnesota program’s teaching quality, the first-time US-educated rate is the number that matters.

First-attempt pass rates are the most reliable public quality indicator for nursing programs. When evaluating Minnesota schools, look at NCLEX pass rate data across at least three years rather than a single cohort – year-to-year variation is normal, but sustained underperformance is a meaningful signal. For school-level pass rate comparisons, see NCLEX pass rates by nursing school.

Licensing in Minnesota

State board: Minnesota Board of Nursing (MNBON) Website: mn.gov/boards/nursing

To become a licensed RN in Minnesota:

1. Graduate from a MNBON-approved nursing program
2. Apply to the MNBON and pay the licensure application fee
3. Complete a criminal background check through the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
4. Register for and pass the NCLEX-RN through Pearson VUE
5. Receive your Minnesota RN license

Application fees are approximately $105 for a new license by examination. Processing times vary; the MNBON publishes current processing estimates on its website.

NLC compact status: Minnesota has not joined the Nurse Licensure Compact. As of mid-2026 the NLC has been implemented in 40 states out of the 43 jurisdictions that have enacted it, and Minnesota is not among them. Bills to enter the compact have been introduced across multiple legislative sessions without passing into effect, so plan on single-state licensure.

Two practical consequences follow. First, if you hold a multistate license issued by a compact state and move to Minnesota, that license does not carry practice privileges into Minnesota – you apply to the MNBON for a Minnesota license by endorsement. Second, if you earn your Minnesota license and later want to work in a compact state, you apply to that state’s board; declaring residency in a compact state is what makes a multistate license possible. Minnesota’s border-state recognition arrangements with North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Wisconsin are narrower than compact privileges and carry their own conditions – confirm the current terms with the MNBON before relying on them.

For complete state-by-state licensing information, see nursing license by state.

Salary and job outlook

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025 put the median annual RN wage in Minnesota at $101,510 – above the national RN median of $97,550. The full state distribution gives a clearer picture than any single number:

Read that table as a career arc. New graduates in Greater Minnesota, particularly at critical access hospitals and long-term care facilities, generally start in the $80,000–$89,000 band that the 10th to 25th percentiles describe. RNs with a few years of experience in the Twin Cities metro cluster around the median. Experienced specialty nurses at Mayo Clinic, M Health Fairview, or Allina Health – ICU, OR, cath lab, transplant – reach the $115,000–$132,000 range that the 75th to 90th percentiles cover, with shift differentials, charge-nurse pay, and overtime pushing individual earnings above the published 90th percentile.

Major healthcare employers in Minnesota:

• Mayo Clinic – Rochester-based world-renowned academic medical center; employs thousands of RNs across inpatient and specialty care
• M Health Fairview – The University of Minnesota’s academic health system, operating across the Twin Cities metro
• Allina Health – Large nonprofit health system with hospitals and clinics across Minnesota and western Wisconsin
• Hennepin Healthcare – Minneapolis safety-net hospital with a Level I trauma center and major teaching program
• CentraCare – Dominant health system in central Minnesota, operating multiple hospitals and specialty clinics

Minnesota’s nursing shortage, particularly in rural communities and long-term care, is consistent with national trends. Critical access hospitals throughout Greater Minnesota actively recruit new graduates and offer loan forgiveness incentives for nurses willing to practice in underserved areas. BLS projects 5% national growth in RN employment from 2024 to 2034, with roughly 189,100 openings per year over that decade – most of them from retirements and workforce turnover rather than net new positions. Minnesota’s aging population and the retirement wave working through its own nursing workforce mean hiring demand here should pace or exceed the national figure.

How to choose a nursing school in Minnesota

Accreditation first. Only consider ACEN- or CCNE-accredited programs. Both are nationally recognized; either is sufficient for NCLEX eligibility, graduate program admission, and employer recognition. Accreditation status should be confirmed directly with the program before applying.

NCLEX pass rates. Request the program’s published first-attempt NCLEX-RN pass rate for US-educated candidates across three or more years, and compare it against the 91.2% national first-time rate for 2024. Programs sitting at or above that benchmark are solid performers. Programs running in the low 80s or below on a sustained basis warrant serious scrutiny – the NCLEX tests clinical knowledge and judgment, and program preparation is the most direct predictor of outcomes.

Clinical placement quality. Programs in the Twin Cities metro and Rochester have structural advantages in clinical placement access. If you’re studying in Greater Minnesota, ask specifically about the clinical sites the program uses and whether they include acute care settings beyond the immediate region.

Cost vs. outcomes. Community college ADN programs are significantly less expensive than private university BSN programs – often $10,000–$25,000 total versus $60,000–$100,000+ at private institutions. If cost is a constraint, an ADN from an ACEN-accredited program followed by an online RN-to-BSN is a proven pathway.

If your GPA makes competitive BSN programs difficult, see nursing schools that accept lower GPAs for alternative pathways. For a full decision framework, see how to choose a nursing school.

References

1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses – Minnesota,” May 2025 (state median $101,510; P10 $79,960, P25 $88,940, P75 $114,760, P90 $132,430).
2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, SOC 29-1141, Registered Nurses – National,” May 2025 (national median $97,550, mean $101,420).
3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Registered Nurses,” Employment Projections 2024–2034 (5% projected growth; approximately 189,100 annual openings), 2025.
4. National Council of State Boards of Nursing, “2024 NCLEX Examination Statistics,” NCSBN Research Brief Vol. 94, July 2025 (first-time US-educated NCLEX-RN pass rate 91.2%; baccalaureate 91.9%, associate 90.6%, diploma 90.8%).
5. National Council of State Boards of Nursing, “Nurse Licensure Compact – Member States and Implementation Status,” nursecompact.com, accessed July 2026 (40 implemented states of 43 enacted jurisdictions; Minnesota not a member).
6. Minnesota Board of Nursing, “Licensure by Examination and by Endorsement,” mn.gov/boards/nursing, accessed July 2026 (application requirements, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension background check, fee schedule).
7. Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, “CCNE-Accredited Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs,” ccneaccreditation.org, accessed July 2026.
8. Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, “Search ACEN-Accredited Nursing Programs,” acenursing.org, accessed July 2026.
9. American Association of Nurse Practitioners, “State Practice Environment,” aanp.org, 2026 (28 states plus the District of Columbia grant full practice authority; Minnesota is a full practice authority state).