Cost, debt & salary

Is Southwest Minnesota State University worth it? What it costs, and what graduates earn

You would borrow a median $20,500 — about $233 a month for ten years. Graduates earn a median $51,342 ten years after starting, so the debt clears in roughly 1.7 years of the salary premium.

D

Is it worth the money?

Be careful — the salary here takes noticeably longer than average to clear the debt.

You borrow $20,500 median federal debt at graduation
You repay $233/mo standard 10-year federal plan
You earn $51,342 median, 10 years after entry · beats 33%
Debt clears in 1.7 yrs ranked 540 of 810

What that feels like each month Repayment against the salary that has to cover it.

Gross monthly pay
$4,279
Loan repayment
$233
Share of your pay
5.4%
0%15% — the comfort line25%

Under roughly 15% of gross pay, repayment is generally considered manageable alongside rent and living costs.

Cut the debt before you borrow it

We do not list an award tied specifically to Southwest Minnesota State University yet — but national, country and subject scholarships still apply to students heading there, and each one cuts the $20,500 above.

Browse scholarships for the USA →

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How Southwest Minnesota State University compares Against the 810 US universities we grade on payback.

The typical graded university clears its debt in 1.3 years on median earnings of $57,146 against $22,500 of debt. Southwest Minnesota State University takes longer than that, and its graduates earn $11,822 a year more than a US worker with only a high-school diploma.

Nearby universityGradeDebtEarningsPayback
University of Minnesota - Morris Minnesota C $18,995 $50,919 1.7 yrs
Minnesota State University Moorhead Minnesota D $20,000 $50,527 1.8 yrs
Lake Superior College Minnesota D $12,775 $46,449 1.8 yrs
Bemidji State University Minnesota C $19,750 $53,755 1.4 yrs
Concordia College - Moorhead Minnesota C $26,847 $59,317 1.4 yrs

Southwest Minnesota State University — the money questions

How much do graduates of Southwest Minnesota State University earn?
Median earnings are $51,342 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled — from tax records, not a survey. That is higher than 33% of the US universities we hold figures for.
How much debt will I have at Southwest Minnesota State University?
The median graduate leaves with $20,500 of federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $233 a month — roughly 5.4% of the median graduate's monthly pay before tax.
How long does a degree from Southwest Minnesota State University take to pay for itself?
About 1.7 years of the salary premium — the amount graduates earn above the $39,520 a US worker with only a high-school diploma makes. That ranks it 540 of 810 US universities we grade on payback.
Can scholarships reduce this debt?
We do not currently list a scholarship tied specifically to Southwest Minnesota State University, but national and subject-based awards still apply — start from our scholarships listing.
Do these numbers apply to my subject?
No. The Department of Education publishes one figure per institution, so nursing, engineering and fine art students at Southwest Minnesota State University all sit inside the same median. Treat it as the size of the financial risk, not a salary forecast for your course.
Southwest Minnesota State University profile Programmes at Southwest Minnesota State University Southwest Minnesota State University scholarships Southwest Minnesota State University review & grade Compare with University of Minnesota - Morris Payback across Minnesota What Southwest Minnesota State University costs Student loan record SAT scores & admission Fastest-paying US degrees Lowest student debt How we calculate this

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard — earnings and debt cover students who received federal financial aid and blend every subject taught at the institution. Figures imported 28 Aug 2026. This page is information, not financial advice.