GREATER Education in the St. Cloud Area

The City of St. Cloud boasts eclectic and advanced education options for anyone looking to learn. From private and charter schools to homeschooling and one of the largest public districts in the state, there are plenty of options!

GREATER Schools

St. Cloud is home to Minnesota's second-largest public university with around 15,000 students enrolled each year. According to the City of St. Cloud's website, “SCSU is ranked as an 'American's Top College' by Forbes magazine based on student satisfaction, post-graduate success, student debt, graduation rate and academic success and ranked as a 'Money's Best College' by Money magazine based on quality of education, affordability and outcomes.”

The St. Cloud metropolitan area serves 35,000 students at many different schools. Our St. Cloud Technical and Community College educates many students looking for local careers in advanced manufacturing, applied engineering, and health services. In 2016, SCTCC was ranked #13 in the top 50 Best Value Community Colleges. This ranking is based off graduation and transfer rates, cost of attendance, and mid-level salaries among graduates.

GREATER Opportunities

A unique opportunity given to elementary students in school district 742 are the Chinese/Spanish immersion programs. One of the great opportunities high school students are offered at Cathedral, a private Catholic high school located downtown, is the chance to serve in Africa. Students can opt to take a two-week mission trip and volunteer their time and talents to help 3rd world countries in Africa.

Another opportunity for unique education in the St. Cloud area is the plethora of post secondary enrollment options (PSEO) classes offered at local high schools. Both Tech and Apollo high school allow upperclassmen to heavily enroll in PSEO college courses at SCSU to earn college credits and advance learning.

GREATER Resources

For those who take education into their own hands, our Great River Regional Library has been recently remodeled and offers numerous branches throughout the metropolitan area. Many homeschooling groups meet and resource the library as well as countless high school and college kids. Another helpful resource we have for education is the Stearns County History Museum. The accredited museums provides guided tours and has an extensive research department as well as online archives.



These touch on just a few of the schools, opportunities, and resources St. Cloud has that make it a GREATER place to learn.

Awards and Recognition for the City of St. Cloud in 2016

The City of St. Cloud is GREATER for many reasons. We often boast that our community is a fantastic place to live, work, and play. In 2016, we were lucky enough to be awarded several prestigious achievements from several different organizations.

St. Cloud received the following list of livability recognitions and awards in 2016:

• Best City For Women in the Workforce 2016 (#39 of 529 U.S. cities) based on wages, unemployment, rent, and participation rate – Nerdwallet.com
• 2016 Innovation in Planning - Comprehensive Plan – MN American Planning Association
• 2016 Clean Energy Community Award, for the City of St. Cloud’s Renewable Energy and Efficiency Initiative (REEI) – MN Dept. of Commerce
• Best Tasting Tap Water In MN – American Water Works Association
• Top Small Town for Eco-Friendly Apartment Living, with help from the Minnesota GreenStep program – ApartmentAdvisor.com
• 12th Healthiest City in the Nation (#12 of 24 U.S. cities) – 24/7WallStreet.com
• St. Cloud Fireworks – Best Fourth of July 2016 Fireworks Displays in Minnesota
• Best Place for Teachers (#4 of 917 MSA's) based on affordability, school ratings, job completion, and amenities – Goodcall.com
• Munsinger Gardens named Minnesota's Top Outdoor Attraction – OnlyInMinnesota.com
• St. Cloud to Host 2017 Minnesota Governor's Fishing Opener
• Top 20 Most Vibrant Arts Communities in America (#16 of 900 cities) – National Center for Arts Research
• Best City for Young Entrepreneurs (#28 of 181 MSA's) – NerdWallet.com
• 2015 Best-Performing Small City (#47 of 201 U.S. cities) - #1 small city in MN) – Milken Institute
• 5th Best City For Singles (Who Like Being Single) – SmartAsset.com
• 8th Best Hockey Town In Country (#8 of 123 U.S. cities) – SmartAsset.com
• Top 100 Smartest City (#42 of 100 U.S. cities) – Venturebeat.com
• Smartest City in MN To Live In (#3 of 11 MN cities) – OnlyInMinnesota.com

There you have it; from the best tasting drinking water to one of the best cities to work in for women, to the 8th best hockey city in the country, there are many reasons that St. Cloud is Greater year after year!

The St. Cloud Community: GREATER For Work, Play, and Family

Central Minnesota offers plenty in academic and business connections, excellence in family values, and a community rich in variety and opportunities. Find out why St. Cloud is GREATER for work, play, and family.

The St. Cloud community offers numerous career opportunities for workers of every range of experience, trade, and skill. With a community rooted in hard work, economic growth and upward mobility, St. Cloud is a welcoming community to fresh graduates, independent business owners, and those looking for a new start or further growth.

Employment

The CentraCare Health System—including the St. Cloud Hospital, St. Benedict's Center, and CentraCare Clinics— is the top employer of St. Cloud, employing over 6,000 of the approximately 193,000 population of central Minnesota. Other top employers include the State of Minnesota, the St. Cloud VA Medical Center, Electrolux Home Products, Capital One, and the St. Cloud Area School District #742.

Diversity

As the fourth largest metropolitan area in Minnesota, St. Cloud has a rich history of German and Scandinavian immigrants as well as growing and diverse populations of Southeast Asian and East African immigrant populations.

Education

With two public high schools, one major private high school, eight elementary schools, and more, the St. Cloud Area School District #742 is a diverse academic school system that offers students with access and opportunity to higher education institutions via Advanced Placement courses and post-secondary curriculums.

Central Minnesota offers a variety of academic opportunities and institutions that include the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University, St. Cloud Technical and Community College, Rasmussen College, and Globe University/Minnesota School of Business. Minnesota’s third largest university, St. Cloud State University, has students representing over 80 nations across the world. The school offers more than 200 undergraduate and over 60 graduate opportunities to students.

Lifestyle

The greater St. Cloud area offers nearly 100 parks including the quarries, Munsinger & Clemens Gardens, and Lake George. The St. Cloud area also boasts great arts and entertainment by way of the Paramount Theater of Visual Arts, River’s Edge Convention Center, and the nighttime scene of Downtown St. Cloud.

By living in the St. Cloud area, you can benefit from the best of both the great outdoors and urban dwelling. To the north, you can get great access to the beautiful and expansive wilderness of the great outdoors, numerous national parks including the Boundary Waters, North Shore, Lake Superior, and more. Less than two hours south of St. Cloud, you can get access to the urban culture, art, diversity, and history of the Twin Cities.

With all of its access to diversity, entertainment, and academics, as well as its proximity to nearby communities, St. Cloud is an excellent community in which to live your dreams!