| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public two-year community and technical college in the Minnesota State system; campus-based, with many programs online |
| Locations | 5 campuses in southwest Minnesota (Canby, Granite Falls, Jackson, Pipestone, Worthington) and the Luverne Center for allied health |
| Credentials | AA, AS and AAS degrees, diplomas and certificates; the college lists 90+ programs |
| Accreditation | Higher Learning Commission; accreditation continued in February 2022, next reaffirmation 2031-32 |
| Federal aid | Yes (Pell Grants and Direct Loans) |
| Cost | Current posted rate $237.10 per credit with fees in person, $249.60 online; one rate for all students; some programs charge more |
| Students | 3,695 in fall 2024, 32% full-time |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Minnesota West: a public college spread across southwest Minnesota
Minnesota West Community & Technical College is a public two-year college in Minnesota State, the state’s system of colleges and universities. Instead of one large campus it has five, in Canby, Granite Falls, Jackson, Pipestone and Worthington, plus the Luverne Center, a former hospital now used for allied-health programs. Each location teaches a different mix, so the campus decides which programs are within reach.
The college lists more than 90 awards, from transfer degrees to career diplomas and certificates. Many of its career programs are in nursing and allied health and in energy trades: powerline, substation and wind energy training are taught here alongside welding, electrical and diesel. Fall 2024 enrollment was 3,695, and 68% studied part-time.
Career programs and where they are taught
The table shows the main career programs with the college’s own “typical” per-semester cost, tuition and fees included, where the program page gives one. The college publishes no year with these estimates.
| Program | Credential | Length | Where | Prepares for | College’s typical cost per semester |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical Nursing (LPN) | Diploma, 39 credits | 3 semesters | Granite Falls, Pipestone, Worthington, online | NCLEX-PN | $3,775 |
| Nursing (RN), LPN licence required | AS, 64 credits | 5 semesters | Granite Falls, Pipestone, Worthington, online | NCLEX-RN | $3,717.25 |
| Dental Assistant | Diploma, 48 credits; AAS, 60 | 3 or 4 semesters | Canby; Luverne Center satellite | National and state exams toward Minnesota licensure | $3,794 (diploma) |
| Medical Assistant | Diploma, 44 credits; AAS, 60 | 3 or 4 semesters | Luverne Center only | CMA (AAMA) | $3,478 (diploma) |
| Medical Laboratory Technician | AAS, 67 credits | – | Granite Falls, Luverne Center | Board certification exam | $2,670.40 |
| Radiologic Technology | AAS, 84 credits | 6 semesters (about 24 months) | Luverne Center only | ARRT radiography | $19,990.11 whole program |
| Surgical Technology | AAS, 60 credits | 4 semesters | Granite Falls and Luverne Center (Zoom lectures) | CST | $3,915.75 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | AAS, 72 credits | 5 semesters | Worthington | NBCOT COTA | $3,600 |
| Powerline | Diploma, 40 credits; AAS | Summer II, fall, spring | Granite Falls, Jackson | Includes CDL permit and CDL courses | – |
| Wind Energy Technology | AAS, 60 credits; diploma; certificate | – | Canby | – | – |
| Electrician | AAS; diploma, 74 credits | 4 semesters (diploma) | Canby; Jackson | Board of Electricity-approved program | – |
| Welding | Diploma, 32 credits; two certificates | 2 semesters | Granite Falls, Jackson | AWS D1.1 structural welding | – |
| Diesel Technology | AAS, 72 credits; diploma; certificates | Includes a summer internship | Canby | – | – |
| Peace Officer | AAS, 72 credits | – | Worthington | Minnesota peace officer licensing | – |
| Cosmetology | Diploma, 58 credits | 3 semesters | Jackson, Pipestone | Minnesota board written and practical exams | – |
Programmatic accreditation, as the college lists it: ACEN for Practical Nursing and the RN degree, CODA for Dental Assistant, CAAHEP for Medical Assistant and Surgical Technology, NAACLS for Medical Laboratory Technician, JRCERT for Radiologic Technology, ACOTE for Occupational Therapy Assistant and the ASE Education Foundation for Automotive. The Electrician programs are approved by the Minnesota Board of Electricity and Peace Officer by the Minnesota POST Board.
There is no paramedic program (EMT is the top EMS level) and no standalone truck-driving course; the CDL courses sit inside Powerline. The Marshall MERIT Center, which the City of Marshall owns and the college runs, is used mainly for customized and emergency-responder training, and a Surgical Technology site at Mayo Clinic in Rochester is for Mayo employees only.
What the main programs cover
Practical Nursing and the LPN-to-RN degree
Nursing here is a two-step ladder. The Practical Nursing diploma takes three semesters and needs prerequisites first: a nursing assistant or home health aide course of at least 75 hours, anatomy taken within five years and BLS CPR. Licensed LPNs can then apply to the Nursing AS by 15 February and must hold the licence by 15 July; LPNs from outside the program need 80% on the NLN NACE I exam. Both are offered at three campuses or online, and online students travel to clinical sites in southwest Minnesota.
Radiologic Technology
Radiologic Technology is taught only at the Luverne Center and takes six semesters, about 24 months, for the 84-credit AAS. Graduates are prepared for the ARRT radiography exam, and JRCERT has given the program an eight-year award. The college’s program page describes the center as tied to the Pipestone campus. Of the 2026 class, 13 of 15 students completed the program, and first-attempt ARRT results were 93% (13 of 14) in 2025 and 100% (13 of 13) in 2026. Beyond tuition, students should budget for books, uniforms, other fees and the ARRT exam fee.
Surgical Technology
The 60-credit AAS takes four semesters. Lectures are given live over Zoom between Granite Falls and the Luverne Center, and labs are in person at both. The catalog names Luverne as the main site and Granite Falls as the distance site, but the college’s program page says the reverse, so ask the college which is the main site before choosing. Graduates sit the CST exam. Mayo Clinic employees can train at a separate Rochester site. Retention has been uneven: 40%, 60% and 71% in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Dental Assistant
Canby is the home program, admitting 24 students a year, and the Luverne Center runs a 12-seat satellite. Students choose a 48-credit, three-semester diploma or a 60-credit, four-semester AAS, and a distance option still requires on-campus labs. Ten weeks of the program are spent in extramural clinic in area dental offices. Graduates prepare for the national and state exams that lead to Minnesota dental assisting licensure. CODA approves the program without reporting requirements.
Occupational Therapy Assistant
The 72-credit AAS runs over five semesters, and its OTA courses meet in person at the Worthington campus only, so students elsewhere in the region commute or relocate. Admission is by a separate cohort application; the college said in October 2026 that the window for the 2027 cohort would open that fall. Students complete 16 weeks of Level II fieldwork before sitting the NBCOT exam for the COTA credential. ACOTE granted full accreditation in September 2024, with no areas of non-compliance, when 14 students were enrolled.
Powerline and substation training
The 40-credit Powerline diploma starts in the second summer session and continues through fall and spring at Granite Falls or Jackson; a Powerline Technology AAS extends it. The diploma includes 3 credits of CDL permit and CDL coursework. Jackson adds a 60-credit Electric Utility Substation Technology AAS for students who want to work on substations rather than lines. The Marshall MERIT Center, which the college runs, has a driving track and a wind-tower climbing prop used in customized training.
Tuition and how students pay
Minnesota West posts one set of rates for all students, with no separate rate for non-residents. The tuition page names no year and says rates are set each year, so the figures below are the current posted rates (checked October 2026). The Minnesota State board approved an average 6.25% undergraduate tuition increase for 2026-27 on 20 May 2026.
| Current posted rate, per credit | In person | Online |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $214.64 | $227.14 |
| Student life fee | $5.50 | $5.50 |
| Student association (MSCSA) fee | $0.61 | $0.61 |
| Technology fee | $11.00 | $11.00 |
| Health service fee | $3.00 | $3.00 |
| Access/parking fee, with tax | $2.35 | $2.35 |
| Total with fees | $237.10 | $249.60 |
Many career programs charge differential tuition above the standard $214.64 per-credit rate:
| Program courses | Differential tuition per credit |
|---|---|
| Welding | $289.34 |
| Nursing | $267.95 |
| Peace Officer | $264.14 |
| Nursing Assistant (HC1175) | $239.08 |
| Surgical Technology | $238.59 |
| Radiologic Technology | $238.27 |
| Dental courses | $224.54 to $241.05 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | $219.73 |
| Medical Laboratory Technician | $216.68 |
Other charges include a $30 late fee and a $30 payment-plan fee. Senior citizens pay $20 per credit plus fees. College Navigator lists 2024-25 tuition and fees of $6,491 for a year. The college takes federal student aid, including Pell Grants and Direct Loans, and its programs are approved for veterans’ benefits by the Minnesota State Approving Agency for Veterans Education.
Open admission, with separate entry for health programs
The college admits applicants openly, but several programs have their own application and limited seats: the RN degree (LPN licence required, applications due 15 February), Practical Nursing (prerequisites), Occupational Therapy Assistant (cohort application) and Dental Assistant (24 seats at Canby and 12 at Luverne each year). Many programs list online as a location. Through NC-SARA, the college says, online enrollment is open to students in 49 states, but licensing programs such as nursing still require clinicals in southwest Minnesota. In fall 2024, 31% of students studied only online.
Accreditation and results
Minnesota West is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission on its Open Pathway. HLC’s Institutional Actions Council continued the college’s accreditation at its February 2022 meeting, and the next reaffirmation is due in 2031-32; HLC’s letter named no interim monitoring.
| Measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| RN, first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 87.5% of 16 testers (Minnesota ADN average 81.74%) | 2025, Minnesota Board of Nursing |
| RN, first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 100% of 23 testers | 2024, Minnesota Board of Nursing |
| Practical Nursing, first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate | 96.97% of 33 testers (Minnesota average 86.12%) | 2025, Minnesota Board of Nursing |
| Radiologic Technology, ARRT first attempt | 84% (52 of 62); job placement 100% | 2021-2025 five-year average, college program page |
| Medical Laboratory Technician, board exam | 93% three-year average; graduation and employment 100% | 2023-2025, college program page |
| Surgical Technology, CST pass rate | 80%; retention 71% | 2025, college program page |
| Graduation rate | 52% within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time students entering fall 2021, College Navigator (IPEDS) |
| Retention | 68% of full-time and 61% of part-time students returned | Fall 2023 to fall 2024, College Navigator |
Nursing classes are small, so a few results move the rates a lot: the RN pass rate fell from 100% in 2024 to 87.5% in 2025, and was 76.47% in 2023. Surgical Technology’s CST pass rate was 25% in 2021 before reaching 100% in 2022-2024.
Before you enroll
- The RN degree is for licensed LPNs only. Students starting from scratch take the three-semester Practical Nursing diploma first, then apply to the RN program.
- Location matters: Radiologic Technology, Medical Assistant and Phlebotomy are taught only at the Luverne Center, OTA courses only at Worthington, and wind and diesel only at Canby. Student housing is at Canby and Worthington.
- The standard $214.64 per-credit tuition ($237.10 with fees) is not what everyone pays: welding courses carry differential tuition of $289.34 per credit, nursing $267.95 and peace officer $264.14.
- Surgical Technology has had low retention (40% to 71% in 2023-2025), and the college’s own pages disagree on its main site.
- Some programs claim less than their names suggest: Plumbing graduates enter as apprentices, Pharmacy Technician is a 10-credit online certificate with no accreditation listed, and Health Information Technology names no current accreditor or RHIT eligibility.
Five campuses and the Luverne Center
| Location | Address | Programs found only here |
|---|---|---|
| Canby | 1011 First Street West, Canby, MN 56220 | Wind energy, solar PV, diesel; Dental Assistant home site |
| Granite Falls | 1593 11th Ave, Granite Falls, MN 56241 | Early Childhood (on campus), Biofuels Technology |
| Jackson | 401 West Street, Jackson, MN 56143 | Electric Utility Substation Technology, Automotive Technician |
| Pipestone | 1314 North Hiawatha, Pipestone, MN 56164 | Carpentry, Plumbing Technology |
| Worthington | 1450 Collegeway, Worthington, MN 56187 | Occupational Therapy Assistant, Peace Officer, Mechatronics |
| Luverne Center | 311 North Spring Street, Luverne, MN 56156 | Radiologic Technology, Medical Assistant, Phlebotomy Technician |
Practical Nursing and the RN degree are taught at Granite Falls, Pipestone and Worthington; Welding and Powerline at Granite Falls and Jackson; Cosmetology, Esthetician and Nail Technician at Jackson and Pipestone; and EMT, accounting and business management at all five campuses. The Worthington campus includes the Center for Career Education at 1215 3rd Ave., where the Mechatronics labs are.
Housing and child care
Carr Residence Hall is on the Canby campus. Bluejay Villas at Worthington offers furnished units with utilities included, individual leases and roommate matching. Puddle Jumpers Learning Center provides child care on the Granite Falls campus.
Sources
Checked October 2026: Minnesota West locations · 2026-27 catalog programs · Tuition and fees · Accreditations · Minnesota Board of Nursing NCLEX-RN results 2022-2025 · NCLEX-PN results 2022-2025 · Radiologic Technology program page · College Navigator
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Practical Nursing (LPN)
- Nursing (RN): LPN-to-RN AS
- Nursing Assistant
Health Sciences
- Dental Assistant
- Medical Assistant
- Medical Laboratory Technician
- Radiologic Technology
- Surgical Technology
- Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Phlebotomy Technician
- Pharmacy Technician (online)
- Emergency Medical Technician
Health Information (online)
- Health Information Technology
- Health Information Technician Assistant
- Medical Coding Specialist
Energy and Utilities
- Powerline
- Powerline Technology
- Electric Utility Substation Technology
- Wind Energy Technology
- Wind Energy Mechanic
- Windsmith
- Solar Photovoltaic Technician
- Biofuels Technology
Construction and Electrical
- Electrician (Canby)
- Electrician (Jackson)
- Carpentry
- Plumbing Technology
Manufacturing, Welding and Transportation Technology
- Welding
- Welding GMAW
- Mechatronics
- Automotive Technician
- Diesel Technology
- Diesel Mechanics
Cosmetology
- Cosmetology
- Hair Technician
- Esthetician
- Nail Technician
Business
- Accountant
- Business Management
- Management
- Small Business Management
- Entrepreneurship
- Supervisory Leadership
Computers and IT
- Computer & Networking Technology
- Information Technology
Education, Public Safety and Agriculture
- Early Childhood
- Peace Officer
- Peace Officer Skills
- Agriculture (transfer and AAS programs)
Campus Locations
Canby, MN 1011 First Street West, Canby, MN 56220
Granite Falls, MN 1593 11th Ave, Granite Falls, MN 56241
Jackson, MN 401 West Street, Jackson, MN 56143
Pipestone, MN 1314 North Hiawatha, Pipestone, MN 56164
Worthington, MN 1450 Collegeway, Worthington, MN 56187
Luverne, MN 311 North Spring Street, Luverne, MN 56156