Minnesota State Moorhead named MN’s best regional university

Minnesota State Moorhead named MN’s best regional university

Minnesota State Moorhead has been named the best regional university and a top three institution overall in Minnesota. The distinction comes from Research.com, an established educational research platform that evaluates higher education institutions through multi-metric data analysis including academic quality, student retention, and post-graduation outcomes.

This recognition aligns with several recent distinctions earned by the university:

• Minnesota State Moorhead’s Nibbe School of Teaching & Learning earned the Minnesota Business Partnership’s 2026 Minnesota’s Future Award
• The Nibbe School of Teaching & Learning also earned a national A+ rating from the National Council on Teacher Quality for its early childhood and elementary education programs.
• Student-produced Campus News won top national honors for Best All-Around Television News Magazine in the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards, placing ahead of programs from Arizona State, Penn State, and Texas State.
• The graduate School Psychology program earned full national accreditation from the National Association of School Psychologists for the maximum seven-year term through 2033.
• Minnesota State Moorhead received the inaugural AI Innovation Award at Engage Summit 2026.
• Students Taytum Nelson and Gabriel Grant were named national Barry M. Goldwater Scholars for excellence in undergraduate STEM research.

These accolades reflect Moorhead’s institutional commitment to prepare the most sought-after and future-ready employees in the Upper Midwest and beyond.