Minnesota State University Moorhead
Moorhead, MN · Public · Midsize suburb · MSU Moorhead or MSUM · MSUM
Public institution in Moorhead, MN · 3,120 undergraduates · 53% acceptance rate · $50,527 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 14%Out-of-state tuition & fees
- Top 19%Acceptance rate
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $17,816879th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $10,336628th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $10,336288th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $24,419647th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $20,000625th lowest of 1,865 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $50,5271,038th highest of 1,954 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $45,873808th highest of 1,950 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 54.6%976th highest of 2,014 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 72.4%1,120th highest of 1,837 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 52.6%296th most selective of 1,596 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1090704th highest of 1,022 reporting
- Median ACT
- 22604th highest of 952 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 3,120676th largest of 2,144 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 17.0:11,581st smallest of 2,141 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 27.5%1,330th highest of 2,122 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 218 mi (MSP)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 62 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction ManagementBusiness | bachelors | $67,660 | $64,865 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $67,660 | $64,865 |
| Computer Science | bachelors | $54,869 | $66,325 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $47,260 | $46,999 |
| SociologySocial Sciences | bachelors | $45,128 | $45,500 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $44,890 | $41,689 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsHomeland Security & Law Enforcement | bachelors | $41,426 | $36,166 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $39,729 | $43,240 |
| Social WorkPublic Administration | bachelors | $39,609 | $37,964 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherMultidisciplinary Studies | bachelors | $38,829 | $31,133 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsHealth Professions | bachelors | $38,289 | $30,771 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesHealth Professions | bachelors | $38,289 | $39,009 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1919source
- Athletic nickname: "Dragons"source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIsource
- School colors: Red and White and Greysource
- Motto: "Sacrifice, Service, Loyalty"source
- Campus size: about 140 acressource
- Formerly known as "Moorhead Normal School" (1888–1921)source
- Formerly known as "Moorhead State Teachers College" (1921–1957)source
- Formerly known as "Moorhead State College" (1957–1975)source
- Formerly known as "Moorhead State University" (1975–2000)source
- Athletic conference: NSICsource
- Notable alum: Kevin Sorbosource
- Notable alum: Barkhad Abdisource
- Notable alum: Patrick Volkerdingsource
Athletics — 10 sports
NCAA Division II with football · NCAA Division II
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $1,659,830 (M $987,604 · W $672,226)
- Basketball
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and Diving (combined)
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Similar-size colleges
Nearest undergraduate enrollment to Minnesota State University Moorhead’s 3,120 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.
In MN
- Bemidji State UniversityBemidji, MN · 3,120 undergrads
- St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MN · 3,049 undergrads
- Concordia University-Saint PaulSaint Paul, MN · 2,786 undergrads
- Augsburg UniversityMinneapolis, MN · 2,429 undergrads
- St Catherine UniversitySaint Paul, MN · 2,393 undergrads
- Macalester CollegeSaint Paul, MN · 2,131 undergrads
Elsewhere
- Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY · 3,122 undergrads
- Abilene Christian UniversityAbilene, TX · 3,129 undergrads
- SUNY at Purchase CollegePurchase, NY · 3,110 undergrads
- Point Loma Nazarene UniversitySan Diego, CA · 3,132 undergrads
- Clark State CollegeSpringfield, OH · 3,134 undergrads
- University of PortlandPortland, OR · 3,104 undergrads
Key links
- Official websitemnstate.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 174358)
- Compare colleges in MNRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in MinnesotaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Compare with Bemidji State UniversitySide by side on every Scorecard measure — closest in-state school by enrollment
- Showdown: Minnesota State University Moorhead vs Bemidji State UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 10 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.