M State and six other colleges in the Minnesota State system are among the 50 best schools in the nation for transferring from community college to university, according to a new ranking by Student Loan Hero.
M State is No. 26 on the list, which is based on the key factors of graduation rates and transfer rates. To determine its rankings, the study’s authors looked at which schools awarded more diplomas or saw more transfers to a four-year university within a student’s first three years of study.
“Students in Minnesota who want to save money by starting off in community college are in luck: 7 of the 50 best community colleges on our list are in this state,” Student Loan Hero states in its online report.
According to Student Loan Hero, 33 percent of M State students transfer out to a four-year college or university, and the average net cost of attendance after awards in 2016-17 was $9,662. Student Loan Hero previously found that students pursuing a bachelor’s degree could save an average of $11,377 by attending a community college for the first two years.