Institution Type Definitions

The Office of Higher Education groups post-secondary institutions into the following seven types for enrollment reporting.

Public Institutions

Community and Technical Colleges are two-year institutions that are part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. There are six community colleges, nine technical colleges, and 12 combined community and technical colleges offering general education and career-related associate degrees and shorter programs.
State Universities are four-year comprehensive institutions that are part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. There are seven state universities offering bachelor's degrees and graduate programs leading to master's and advanced degrees.
University of Minnesota comprises five campuses. The Twin Cities campus is the state's land-grant research university, offering bachelor's degrees, professional education, and graduate education through the doctorate. The Morris campus offers an undergraduate liberal arts curriculum. The Crookston campus focuses on career and technology based undergraduate programs. The Duluth campus offers a broad undergraduate and graduate curriculum. The Rochester campus is the newest campus specializing in biotechnology and health science programs.

Private Institutions

Enrollment data are requested of private institutions that participate in Minnesota’s state financial aid programs.

Private Colleges and Universities are predominately not-for-profit four-year liberal arts or religious institutions. In addition to undergraduate education, some private colleges offer professional education and graduate degree programs in certain fields.
Private Career Schools are predominately for-profit institutions offering career specific certificates, diplomas, and degrees. While institutions in this group offer mostly programs that can be completed in two years or less, some institutions offer limited career specific bachelor's degree, and/or graduate programs in addition to their shorter programs.
The most predominant programs are offered in the following fields of study:
- Allied Health and Health Services
- Business, Management and Marketing
- Communication and Communication Technologies
- Computer and Information Sciences
- Design and Applied Arts
- Legal Support Services
- Personal and Culinary Services
- Transportation, Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Services
Private Career Online Schools have corporate offices in Minnesota. Their nation-wide enrollment is included. Nearly half of their enrollments are graduate students enrolled from out of state. Capella University and Walden University are the two institutions in this category.
Private Graduate and Professional Schools are institutions that predominately offer specialized graduate or first professional (theology, law, medicine, chiropractic) programs. In some cases, limited undergraduate programs may also be offered. These institutions may be for-profit or not-for-profit.