Much like the country itself, Minnesota’s population is diverse in religion and culture. More than nine in 10 Minnesotans are certain or fairly certain God exists, and religion plays an important role in the lives of 83% of the population. Minnesota’s religious composition is similar to that of the country’s: more Protestant than Catholic, but with a mix of denominations and faiths. A greater percentage of Minnesotans identify with a religion than many parts of the country — while 16% of Americans are religiously unaffiliated, only 13% of Minnesota residents are.

Education in Minnesota

Higher education in Minnesota has seen growth and improvements in recent years. With a college enrollment growth of 28.7% from 2005 to 2010, the state became seventh in growth nationwide, compared to 20.2% nationally. Minnesota boasts a six-year college graduation rate of 56.4%, which is slightly above the national average of 56%. The state’s college-bound students do better academically than the national average, earning an average of 22.8 on the standardized ACT test, compared to 21.1 nationally.

Minnesota is home to colleges that are not only well-known and well-respected, but that also are among the biggest in the nation. The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, is the 10th-largest campus-based college in the country, with more than 50,000 students. Minnesota Christian colleges are also known for size and quality. Saint Paul-based University of St. Thomas serves more than 10,000 students, making it one of the largest Catholic colleges in the country.

There are also many smaller Christian colleges in Minnesota, such as interdenominational Oak Hills Christian College in Bemidji, which serves just more than 100 students, and protestant Northwestern College in Saint Paul, which serves just more than 3,000 students. The state’s Christian colleges cater to students of a variety of faiths, and with a variety of academic and extracurricular preferences.

Working in Minnesota

Through 2019, many career fields in Minnesota are expected to see growth. Overall, the state expects 8.9% employment growth between 2009 and 2019, but careers in a few fields will see growth beyond that. By far, biomedical engineers will see the biggest growth, at 76.7%. Other quickly-growing careers include physician assistants, at 43.5%; biochemists and biophysicists, at 40.9%; athletic trainers, at 40.4%; network and data analysts, at 40.3%; and financial examiners, at 39.6%.

Well prepared for the challenges of educating the state’s heavily scientific future workforce, colleges in Minnesota spend 67.7% of their research funds on life sciences, while the rest of the funding is split between engineering, environmental sciences, math and computer sciences, physical sciences, psychology, social sciences, other sciences, and fields other than science and engineering. Students may benefit from pursuing degrees in biochemistry, engineering, exercise science, computer science, or finance. Christian colleges in Minnesota offer such degrees, as well as degrees in ministry, theology, and Biblical languages, and all from a Christian perspective.

To find the Christian college in Minnesota that’s right for you, search our list below.