High school students and their parents take the next step in planning for college with introductory visits during Minnesota Private Colleges Week, which runs from Monday, June 24 to Friday, June 28. An annual tradition, the event involves more than 2,000 high school students and 18 private nonprofit colleges.

Families choose which colleges they want to visit and register at mnprivatecolleges.org/mpcw. Combining campus tours and general information sessions, these free visits start at 9:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. For high school students who will be sophomores, juniors and seniors in the fall, it’s an easy, no-pressure way to get started on their college search.

MINNESOTA PRIVATE COLLEGES WEEK DETAILS

Dates: Monday, June 24 to Friday, June 28

Times: Sessions start at 9:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. 

Participating institutions: Augsburg University; Bethany Lutheran College; Bethel University; Carleton College; College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University; The College of St. Scholastica; Concordia College, Moorhead; Concordia University, St. Paul; Gustavus Adolphus College; Hamline University; Macalester College; Minneapolis College of Art and Design; Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota; St. Catherine University, St. Olaf College; University of Northwestern – St. Paul; and University of St. Thomas.

Locations: Minnesota Private Colleges are located in Collegeville, Duluth, Mankato, Minneapolis, Moorhead, Northfield, St. Joseph, St. Paul, St. Peter and Winona.

Registration: Free registration at mnprivatecolleges.org/mpcw. It remains open through Thursday, June 27.

Questions: Visit mnprivatecolleges.org/mpcw, call 800-774-2655, email colleges@mnprivatecolleges.org or follow Minnesota Private Colleges on Facebook or Instagram.

Each of these 18 institutions is unique, from the majors offered to where the campus is located. But all are committed to undergrad teaching and providing students with the personal attention they’ll need to succeed. The four-year graduation rate for Minnesota Private Colleges is #1 in Minnesota and #1 in the Midwest.

Many students see the value: about one-third of Minnesota high school grads who go on to earn a bachelor’s degree in the state enroll at one of these private colleges.

For more information on the Minnesota Private College Council and its member institutions, visit mnprivatecolleges.org.

For profiles of each institution, visit mnprivatecolleges.org/our-colleges.

And for how private colleges can be surprisingly affordable given grants and scholarships, visit mnprivatecolleges.org/paying-college/student-aid-colleges