Minnesota · Carpenters

Best colleges for Carpenters in Minnesota

Ranked by graduate earnings

Hennepin Technical College, Lake Superior College and Alexandria Technical & Community College award the most Carpenters degrees and certificates in Minnesota: 77, 31 and 23 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 12 Minnesota colleges offer Carpenters and award 228 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Carpenters program focuses on the skilled trade of carpentry, which involves the cutting, shaping, and installation of building materials in various construction projects. This program is designed for individuals interested in pursuing…

Institutions
12
offering CIP 46.02
States offered
40
with a program page
Degrees / yr
228
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$43,440
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
1
College Scorecard
Median net price
—
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
44%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Carpenters
$70,320
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top institution, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1St Cloud Technical and Community College
Saint Cloud Public · Certificate Small program
$43,4401845%——

Colleges awarding the most Carpenters degrees in Minnesota

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1Hennepin Technical College
Brooklyn Park Public
77Not reported
2Lake Superior College
Duluth Public
31Not reported
3Alexandria Technical & Community College
Alexandria Public
23Not reported
4Saint Paul College
Saint Paul Public
21Not reported
5St Cloud Technical and Community College
Saint Cloud Public
18$43,440
6Minnesota West Community and Technical College
Granite Falls Public
14Not reported
7Minnesota State College Southeast
Winona Public
11Not reported
8Riverland Community College
Austin Public
10Not reported
9Northland Community and Technical College
Thief River Falls Public
8Not reported
10South Central College
North Mankato Public
7Not reported
Show the other 2 Minnesota colleges offering Carpenters
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Rochester Community and Technical CollegeRochesterPublic7
Leech Lake Tribal CollegeCass LakePublic1

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Carpenters (SOC 47-2031).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+4.5%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~74,100
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$59,310
typically High school diploma or equivalent

Top skills

Active ListeningCritical ThinkingMonitoringReading ComprehensionSpeakingMathematics

What Carpenters earn in Minnesota

Jobs in Minnesota
14,930
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$70,320
median $64,930
Best-paying metro
$74,570
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

Related careers

Carpenters
$70,320 avg · 14,930 jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
$94,970 avg · 13,580 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Carpenters programs in Minnesota.

Which Minnesota colleges award the most Carpenters degrees?+

Hennepin Technical College (77 graduates a year), Lake Superior College (31 graduates a year) and Alexandria Technical & Community College (23 graduates a year) award the most Carpenters degrees and certificates in Minnesota, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 12 Minnesota colleges offer Carpenters.

How much do Carpenters earn in Minnesota?+

The average annual wage for Carpenters in Minnesota is $70,320 (median $64,930), across about 14,930 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Carpenters program?+

The Carpenters program focuses on the skilled trade of carpentry, which involves the cutting, shaping, and installation of building materials in various construction projects. This program is designed for individuals interested in pursuing…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop active listening, critical thinking, monitoring, reading comprehension, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Carpenters?+

The national job outlook is about +4.5% growth with around 74,100 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

Explore every U.S. college in one conversation

Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card