Education
Education is a matter of considerable civic pride in the Twin Cities and is viewed as essential to the area’s continued success. The area’s school districts strive to incorporate the entire community in improving the quality of learning, and the influence of K–12 education is felt beyond the confines of the students in the classroom in important areas such as parent involvement, athletics, and local school boards. The State of Minnesota places a premium on education, and therefore an astounding number of local residents are directly or indirectly involved in the school system. The end result is one of the best educational environments in the nation.
This section’s focus is on metro area public education, particularly Minneapolis and St. Paul. In addition, there are profiles of a few of the area’s private preparatory schools, both nonsectarian and parochial, and profiles of institutions of higher education.
1. Delasalle High School
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Education
Telephone: (612) 676-7675
Address: 1 DeLaSalle Dr.
Description: DeLaSalle was founded in 1900 by Archbishop John Ireland, who stipulated that it be run by the Brothers of the Christian Schools, a Roman Catholic congregation of religious laymen founded in 1680 by St. John Baptist de La Salle. Because of this Lasaillian underpinning, DeLaSalle emphasizes education for students from a variety of economic levels, academic abilities, racial communities, and ethnic backgrounds. Ninety percent of DeLaSalle graduates go on to college.
2. Minnehaha Academy
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Education
Telephone: (612) 729-8321
Address: 3100 West River Pkwy.
Description: Minnehaha Academy offers a pre-K–12 education with a distinctly Christian orientation. The school’s approach to teaching and curriculum does not endorse a particular Christian denominational outlook but does emphasize “challenging minds and nurturing souls.”Minnehaha Academy has three campuses: one in suburban Bloomington and two Minneapolis campuses, idyllically located on West River Parkway overlooking the Mississippi River. Founded in 1913, Minnehaha Academy continues its mission of providing an excellent education rooted in faith.
3. Blake School
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Education
Description: Blake School is one of the area’s elite private preparatory schools and provides a nonsectarian, coeducational experience. The school features two campuses in the western Twin Cities metropolitan area and one next to the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.The Blake School’s academic programs are challenging and intensive. All students participate in artistic, academic, and athletic activities designed to prepare Blake students for higher education.
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Education
Address: 2211 Riverside Ave. South
5. Capella University
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Education
Telephone: (612) 339-8560
Address: 225 South Sixth St.
Description: Capella University was the Twin Cities’ first “distance learning” undergraduate and graduate school, primarily offering courses online but also offering directed studies programs. About 20,000 students are enrolled at the school in more than 20 nations worldwide.Since receiving accreditation in 1997, the school has received significant media attention for its high-tech version of higher education. The university has five primary schools: Undergraduate Studies, Technology, Psychology, Human Services, and Education, plus 116 specialized areas of study. Conferred degrees at Capella University include B.S., Ed.S., M.S., MBA, Ph.D., and Psy.D. Adult students are the most common group in the student body.
6. Dunwoody College Of Technology
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Education
Telephone: (612) 374-5800
Address: 818 Dunwoody Blvd.
Description: Dunwoody College of Technology is an excellent Twin Cities unified trade school. The institute is a nonprofit that offers more than 20 technical programs. Founded in 1914, Dunwoody has trained more than 250,000 students for technical careers. The school sits on the edge of downtown Minneapolis and has one of the most panoramic views of the city, where many of its students move on to successful careers in various trades. Among the programs offered at Dunwoody are construction, accounting, electronics, technology, auto collision repair, heating and cooling systems, and welding. There are continuing education and Web-based technical classes, such as night classes offered for construction industry trades.
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Education
Address: 2501 Stevens Ave. South
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Education
Address: 1501 Hennepin Ave.
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Education
Address: 231 Pillsbury Dr. SE, 240 Williamson Hal
10. Minnesota School Of Business And Globe University
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Education
Address: 11 campuses across Minnesota
Description: At all locations Globe University offers a quick track to many careers in business as well as technical fields. Degree programs include accounting, software development, e-commerce design, nursing, digital video and media production, massage therapy, and many more. In addition to regular classroom instruction, Globe University also offers distance education, which allows students to take classes online.
11. Rasmussen College
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Education
Telephone: (888) 572-7687
Description: Mention Rasmussen to a Twin Cities resident, and you’ll probably hear them ask, “Isn’t that a business college?” Yes, Rasmussen was founded in St. Paul in 1900 as an institution to teach practical business skills, but it’s come a long way since then. Exemplifying the good business sense it teaches its students, the for-profit college has expanded dramatically since then, acquiring other schools and founding new campuses across the Upper Midwest, in Florida, and online. Currently Rasmussen offers associate’s degrees in a range of health, business, education, criminal justice, and technology fields as well as a growing number of bachelor’s degrees.
City: Minneapolis, MN
Category: Education
Address: 1501 Hennepin Ave.