The organization, Colleges of Distinction, is once again honoring University of Minnesota campuses.

For the 2026-27 academic year, Colleges of Distinction has named the Morris, Rochester and Twin Cities campuses all Colleges of Distinction, a designation reserved for institutions whose dedication to the undergraduate experience speaks for itself.

This award signifies the University’s adherence to what Colleges of Distinction calls its four distinctions: engaged students, great teaching, vibrant community and successful outcomes.

Since its founding in 2000, Colleges of Distinction has awarded schools for their successful implementation of high-impact educational practices and hands-on learning. Unlike traditional ranking systems based on numerical data, its selection process involves extensive research and detailed interviews with the institutions, selecting only those campuses that reflect a genuine, student-first philosophy.

View the recognitions for each campus below:

University of Minnesota Morris

• Best Affordable Colleges
• Best Public Colleges
• Equity & Inclusion Colleges of Distinction
• Top Business Colleges of Distinction
• Top Education Colleges of Distinction

University of Minnesota Rochester

• Best Affordable Colleges
• Best Colleges with Outstanding Career Services 
• Best Public Colleges
• Equity & Inclusion Colleges of Distinction

University of Minnesota Twin Cities

• Best Affordable Colleges
• Best Colleges for International Students 
• Best Colleges for Nursing
• Best Colleges for Transfer Students 
• Top Business Colleges of Distinction
• Top Education Colleges of Distinction
• Top Engineering Colleges of Distinction
• Best Public Colleges

View the 2026-2027 Colleges of Distinction Award lists.