2026 Best Value Secondary Education Schools in Minnesota
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in secondary education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Secondary Education Schools
Concordia University Saint Paul tops our 2026 list of the best value secondary education schools in Minnesota. Set in the city of Saint Paul, Concordia University Saint Paul is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $25,600. Typical student debt for secondary education graduates is $25,500. Soon after graduation, secondary education degree recipients from Concordia University Saint Paul generally make around $42,105. That is a strong return on a $25,500 median debt. Roughly 79% of applicants are accepted.
Minnesota State University Mankato is a great value for students pursuing a degree in secondary education, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Mankato, Minnesota State University Mankato is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,572, while out-of-state students pay about $18,942. Students borrow a median of $26,603 to complete the secondary education program here. Soon after graduation, secondary education degree recipients from Minnesota State University Mankato generally make around $49,867. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes North Central University one of the best values for secondary education. North Central University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Minneapolis. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $32,220. Students borrow a median of $26,400 to complete the secondary education program here. Soon after graduation, secondary education degree recipients from North Central University generally make around $40,927. That is a strong return on a $26,400 median debt. The acceptance rate is 99%.
Students looking for strong value in secondary education will find it at Augsburg College, which ranked #4. Augsburg College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Minneapolis. In-state tuition and fees average $45,452. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete the secondary education program here. Early-career secondary education graduates make about $59,409. Set against $31,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 82%.
University Of St Thomas Minnesota is a great value for students pursuing a degree in secondary education, landing the #5 spot this year. University Of St Thomas Minnesota is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Saint Paul. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $54,398. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the secondary education program here. Soon after graduation, secondary education degree recipients from University Of St Thomas Minnesota generally make around $47,728. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. University Of St Thomas Minnesota admits about 85% of applicants.
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
[Secondary Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/secondary-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
