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Northwestern Health Sciences University tops our 2026 ranking of the most diverse colleges in Minnesota. The school's overall diversity score is 82.0 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 67.6, alongside a 92.6 gender-diversity score.
by our College Data Analytics Team
If you’re seeking a diverse and multi-faceted college experience, you’ve come to the right place. We have ranked 77 schools ranked on overall diversity in Minnesota, using our 2026 methodology.
Our ranking weighs several factors of the student body: racial/ethnic makeup, geographic origin, gender balance, and age range. So you can compare your options, College Factual analyzed 77 colleges, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Your ideal mix depends on what matters most to you. Refine the list by location, or explore the overall, racial-ethnic, gender, economic, and age diversity rankings, or other rankings below.
Want to compare schools head to head? Check out College Combat to build custom comparisons using the factors most important to you.
Here are the top-ranked colleges:
Northwestern Health Sciences University tops our 2026 ranking of the most diverse colleges in Minnesota. The school's overall diversity score is 82.0 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 67.6, alongside a 92.6 gender-diversity score.
You'll find a welcoming community at North Central University, which ranked #2 this year. It scores 76.5 out of 100 for overall diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 62.3, alongside a 100.0 gender-diversity score.
Out of the 77 colleges in Minnesota in this year's ranking, Walden University landed the #3 spot. On overall diversity, it scores 72.8 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 64.0, and gender diversity 64.6.
Concordia University-Saint Paul came in at #4 on this year's Most Diverse Colleges ranking in Minnesota. On overall diversity, it scores 72.5 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 69.8, with a gender-diversity score of 94.7.
A rank of #5 makes Capella University one of the most diverse colleges in Minnesota. Capella University scores 72.4 out of 100 for overall diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 64.9, alongside a 64.2 gender-diversity score.
Crown College earned the #6 position in Minnesota. On overall diversity, it scores 72.1 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 48.3, and gender diversity 99.8.
Rasmussen University-Minnesota ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the most diverse colleges. The school's overall diversity score is 71.8 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 66.5, and gender diversity 61.6.
Minneapolis College of Art and Design landed the #8 spot in Minnesota this year. On overall diversity, it scores 71.7 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 62.1, with a gender-diversity score of 89.0.
Augsburg University placed #9 among the most diverse colleges in Minnesota. It scores 70.8 out of 100 for overall diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 74.8, and gender diversity 96.9.
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities landed the #10 spot in Minnesota this year. The school's overall diversity score is 70.6 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 67.1, and gender diversity 99.1.
University of Minnesota-Crookston placed #11 among the most diverse colleges in Minnesota. University of Minnesota-Crookston scores 70.1 out of 100 for overall diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 50.5, with a gender-diversity score of 97.9.
Hamline University landed the #12 spot in Minnesota this year. Hamline University scores 69.7 out of 100 for overall diversity. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 62.3, alongside a 92.2 gender-diversity score.
Saint Cloud State University landed the #13 spot in Minnesota this year. On overall diversity, it scores 69.4 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 60.4, with a gender-diversity score of 98.9.
Minneapolis Community and Technical College came in at #14 in this year's ranking. The school's overall diversity score is 68.9 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 72.8, alongside a 98.2 gender-diversity score.
St Olaf College landed the #15 spot in Minnesota this year. On overall diversity, it scores 68.6 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 53.5, and gender diversity 98.3.
Saint Paul College landed the #16 spot in Minnesota this year. On overall diversity, it scores 68.3 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 74.6, with a gender-diversity score of 97.8.
Carleton College earned the #17 position in Minnesota. It scores 68.1 out of 100 for overall diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 69.8, with a gender-diversity score of 100.0.
Normandale Community College earned the #18 position in Minnesota. The school's overall diversity score is 68.1 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 71.3, with a gender-diversity score of 98.3.
Macalester College placed #19 among the most diverse colleges in Minnesota. On overall diversity, it scores 67.7 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 68.3, and gender diversity 98.2.
Metropolitan State University came in at #20 in this year's ranking. It scores 67.5 out of 100 for overall diversity. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 69.8, with a gender-diversity score of 98.3.
Century College landed the #21 spot in Minnesota this year. It scores 67.4 out of 100 for overall diversity. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 67.2, and gender diversity 98.7.
North Hennepin Community College placed #22 among the most diverse colleges in Minnesota. The school's overall diversity score is 67.2 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 71.3, alongside a 97.2 gender-diversity score.
University of Minnesota-Morris placed #23 among the most diverse colleges in Minnesota. The school's overall diversity score is 67.0 out of 100. On racial-ethnic diversity it scores 66.4, alongside a 99.5 gender-diversity score.
Bethany Lutheran College ranked #24 on our 2026 list of the most diverse colleges. On overall diversity, it scores 66.9 out of 100. Racial-ethnic diversity scores 50.0, and gender diversity 99.9.
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota placed #25 among the most diverse colleges in Minnesota. The school's overall diversity score is 66.3 out of 100. Its racial-ethnic diversity score is 64.4, alongside a 92.9 gender-diversity score.
Not far behind, these colleges also rank among the most diverse this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This ranking is based on several factors of the student body: racial/ethnic makeup, geographic representation, gender balance, and age range. The racial-ethnic minorities percentage is calculated by taking the total number of students, subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity is unknown, and dividing by total enrollment.
These rankings are produced by College Factual, 2026 edition.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.