Minnesota: school, college and career rules
Minnesota law sets 21.5 high school credits plus physical education and a personal finance course, has no graduation test, gives resident tuition to students with three years at a Minnesota high school, and pays State Grants and North Star Promise scholarships.
Linked from the State Population Totals 2020-2025 page (census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html); population and rank copied from the POPESTIMATE2025 and NRANK_POPEST2025 columns.Census
High school diploma
Minn. Stat. § 120B.024: students must complete these high school credits, each sufficient to meet the state academic standards in the subject, to graduate. MN Revisor
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| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| Language arts | 4 credits |
| Mathematics | 3 credits |
| Science | 3 credits: one each in earth and space science, life science, and chemistry or physics |
| Social studies | 3.5 credits, covering U.S. history, geography, government and citizenship, world history and economics |
| The arts | 1 credit |
| Physical education | Credit sufficient to meet the state standards |
| Electives | At least 7 credits |
21.5 listed credits, plus physical education (and health once the state adopts health standards rules).
State tests for the diploma
The graduation statute lists credits only, with no state test to pass; the MCAs (see State test) measure progress, and the law bars making the high school science test a diploma condition. MN Revisor
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Also good to know
- Students who start grade 9 in 2024-25 or later must also pass a personal finance course for credit in grade 10, 11 or 12.
MN Revisor
Minn. Stat. § 120B.024, Graduation requirements; course creditsMinnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- Students starting grade 9 in 2025-26 or later take a government and citizenship course in grade 11 or 12 (or an AP, IB or other rigorous equivalent) within social studies.
MN Revisor
Minn. Stat. § 120B.024, Graduation requirements; course creditsMinnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- Career and technical, agriculture, computer science, Project Lead the Way and ethnic studies credits can fill some math, science, arts or social studies credits when they meet those standards.
MN Revisor
Minn. Stat. § 120B.024, Graduation requirements; course creditsMinnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
State test: MCA
Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments. The MCAs are given each spring: reading and math in grades 3 to 8, a last reading test in grade 10 and a last math test in grade 11, and science three times. Students in special education who qualify take the MTAS in the same grades. education.mn.gov shows a bot wall to requests from India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2025-06-17 (20250617051523). Grades match Minn. Stat. § 120B.302.MDE
| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| MCA Reading | Reading | Grades 3–8 and 10 |
| MCA Mathematics | Mathematics | Grades 3–8 and 11 |
| MCA Science | Science | Grades 5 and 8 and once in high school |
Source: education.mn.gov shows a bot wall to requests from India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2025-06-17 (20250617051523). Grades match Minn. Stat. § 120B.302.MDE
What the scores are used for
- By law the state may not make passing a high school science test a condition of the diploma. Schools may use a high school student's state test score as part of a course grade or put it on the transcript.
MN Revisor
Minn. Stat. § 120B.302, Statewide assessments; high schoolMinnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- A college entrance exam is not a graduation requirement; while state funds last, districts pay for one exam in grade 11 or 12 for students eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
MN Revisor
Minn. Stat. § 120B.30, Statewide testing and reporting systemMinnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
National tests (SAT, ACT, AP, NAEP) are on the Exams hub.
Public colleges and universities
The state's public university system(s) and community colleges, from their own pages.
- University of Minnesota SystemUniversity system · The state's land-grant university system; its flagship Twin Cities campus is one of five U.S. universities with engineering, medical, law, veterinary and agriculture schools on one campus.
- Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (Minnesota State)Community colleges · 33 public state colleges and universities on 54 campuses and online, including the state's community and technical colleges.
Sources: University of Minnesota
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Every school in Minnesota, public and private, with cost and completion: 110 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 11 city pages.
In-state tuition: the residency rule
Public colleges charge less to state residents. Who counts as a resident is set by state law or the college system, not by where you went to school alone.
- Minn. Stat. § 135A.043: a student who attended high school in Minnesota for three or more years and graduated from a Minnesota high school (or earned the equivalent in the state) qualifies for resident tuition at state universities and colleges.
MN Revisor
Minn. Stat. § 135A.043, Resident tuitionMinnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- The University of Minnesota sets tuition by residency and publishes its official residency policy and resident-evaluation application in a booklet; residents of Wisconsin, North Dakota and Manitoba can get reciprocity rates, lower than nonresident tuition.
University of Minnesota
Tuition: residency, reciprocity and tuition ratesUniversity of Minnesota Morris, One Stop Student Services- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- For state grants, a resident student has lived in Minnesota for at least 12 months for reasons other than college (without taking more than five credits a term), or is a dependent whose parent or guardian lives in Minnesota.
MN Revisor
Minn. Stat. § 136A.101, Definitions (state grant program; subd. 8, resident student)Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.
State financial aid
Run by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE). Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
Minnesota State Grant
Need-based grants for Minnesota residents at eligible colleges, renewable with continued residency, satisfactory progress and need, up to 120 credits or a bachelor's degree. Students must file the FAFSA (or state aid application) every year. ohe.state.mn.us shows a bot wall to requests from India; the program is read from the statute the Office of Higher Education administers.MN Revisor
North Star Promise
Since fall 2024, a scholarship for students with family adjusted gross income below $80,000 that pays up to 100% of tuition and fees left after other gift aid at Minnesota public colleges and universities and Tribal colleges. It renews each semester for up to four full-time semesters toward a certificate or associate degree, or eight toward a bachelor's degree. MN Revisor
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Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a Minnesota license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | Minnesota board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | Minnesota State Board of Law Examiners | Uniform Bar Exam (MBE, MEE and MPT). MPRE required (passing score 85). NextGen UBE from July 2027. NCBEMinnesota: bar admission informationNational Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)
Bar admission agency, the NCBE exams the jurisdiction requires, MPRE passing score and NextGen UBE plans. NCBE advises checking the agency itself for the latest rules. View source |
| Physician How a medical license works | Minnesota Board of Medical Practice | USMLE (M.D.) or COMLEX-USA (D.O.) FSMBContact a State Medical BoardFederation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
Directory of every state's medical (and separate osteopathic) board. fsmb.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 14 Sep 2026; each board link was then opened on 22 Oct 2026, through the board's site or, where it blocks reads from India, its latest archive capture. View source |
| CPA How the CPA license works | Minnesota State Board of Accountancy | Uniform CPA Examination NASBAState Boards of AccountancyNational Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
Directory of the 55 boards of accountancy. nasba.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 15 Oct 2026; board links that had moved were replaced with the board's current page, opened on 22 Oct 2026. View source |
| Registered nurse How the RN license works | Minnesota Board of Nursing | NCLEX-RN · Not in the Nurse Licensure Compact NCSBNContact Minnesota Board of NursingNational Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
NCSBN / NLCNLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF)National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact)
|
Engineering, teaching, real estate, cosmetology and the trades have their own boards: all professional licenses · trades and apprenticeships.
State and city government jobs
Federal jobs are on USAJOBS; state and city governments hire through their own systems.
Careers in Minnesota State Government
Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB)
- Search openings across state agencies and apply on the State of Minnesota job application website (an accessible applicant portal is also offered).
- Sign up for the monthly State of Minnesota Open Jobs and Career Info email; separate pages cover internships and student work.
Source: MMB
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Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
Minnesota has a State Apprenticeship Agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. Apprenticeship.gov
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- Minnesota State Apprenticeship Agency (Department of Labor and Industry)Minnesota is a State Apprenticeship Agency state: the Department of Labor and Industry registers programs and keeps a directory of registered apprenticeship programs, alongside apprenticeship preparation, the Dual-Training Pipeline and the Youth Skills Training program.
- Trades and apprenticeshipsElectrician, plumber, HVAC and other trade routes on this site
Source: MN DLI
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Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- Annual Estimates of Resident Population Change for the United States, States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and State Rankings: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (NST-EST2025-POPCHG2020-2025, CSV) · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025) checked 2026-10-21
- Minnesota: bar admission information · National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact a State Medical Board · Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) checked 2026-10-22
- State Boards of Accountancy · National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact Minnesota Board of Nursing · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) checked 2026-10-22
- NLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF) · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact) checked 2026-10-07
- Minn. Stat. § 120B.024, Graduation requirements; course credits · Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes checked 2026-10-22
- Minnesota's Academic Standards-Based Assessments (MCA and MTAS) · Minnesota Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Minn. Stat. § 120B.302, Statewide assessments; high school · Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes checked 2026-10-22
- Minn. Stat. § 120B.30, Statewide testing and reporting system · Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes checked 2026-10-22
- About the University of Minnesota Twin Cities · Regents of the University of Minnesota checked 2026-10-22
- Minnesota State: a system of public colleges and universities · Minnesota State Colleges and Universities checked 2026-10-22
- Minn. Stat. § 135A.043, Resident tuition · Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes checked 2026-10-22
- Tuition: residency, reciprocity and tuition rates · University of Minnesota Morris, One Stop Student Services checked 2026-10-22
- Minn. Stat. § 136A.101, Definitions (state grant program; subd. 8, resident student) · Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes checked 2026-10-22
- Minn. Stat. § 136A.121, Grants (Minnesota State Grant program) · Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes checked 2026-10-22
- Minn. Stat. § 136A.1465, North Star Promise scholarship program · Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes checked 2026-10-22
- Careers in Minnesota State Government · Minnesota Management and Budget checked 2026-10-22
- Apprenticeship and dual training: Apprenticeship · Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry checked 2026-10-22
- State Offices: Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agency contacts by state · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21