SEARCH
MENU
A large red-brick building with numerous windows and an arched entrance on the Bethany Lutheran College campus in Minnesota.

Policies and Notices

Facts

Bethany Lutheran College > About > Policies and Notices > Facts

Bethany By The Numbers

References for external statistics and facts which are listed in Bethany Lutheran College publications:

  • Niche College Rankings (2024) [View link]
  • Mayo Clinic is the top employer of Bethany graduates (LinkedIn, 2024) [View link]
  • Ranked #17 Best Colleges and Universities in Minnesota (2023) [View link]
  • Top 25 in Safest Small Colleges and Universities, #1 in Minnesota (2023) [View link]
  • Wallethub ranks Bethany #5 for best colleges in Minnesota (2025) [View link]
  • Niche ranked Bethany as the #3 best Christian College in Minnesota (2025) [View link]
  • Bethany is ranked highly for social mobility, meaning that students who come through Bethany climb in society and the workplace. Bethany has been ranked: #1 in Minnesota (2020, 2021, 2023),  #10 in the US (2023), #25 in US (2025)
  • Mankato, Minnesota ranked #5 Best Small City in America (2015) [View link]
  • BEA.org – Ranked #10 in the Country in Sports Broadcasting Programs
  • Upper Midwest Emmy® Foundation – Numerous Crystal Pillar Awards

More Facts:

Bethany’s Rankings

For almost 100 years, Bethany Lutheran College has worked with students of a variety of academic levels, helping them to maximize their God-given talents. Some ranking systems now try to measure this with a limited metric and have a fancy term for it – “social mobility.” In some years, Bethany is ranked at the top for social mobility and in other years, the stats change a little or other universities learn how to jump to the top of this ranking. Bethany families are assured that while the ranking stats system can change from year to year, students consistently receive a high value of experiential education for a reasonable investment.

Bethany is also a leading Christian college because it’s a safe campus in a desired location, nestled on a beautiful hilltop between the two main commercial hubs of Mankato. Students want to experience college life, go out and do stuff, and not have to look over their shoulder and be worried about personal safety. Bethany students take advantage of internships, enjoy vast freedoms, and are at the heart of Mankato, which is at the heart of southern Minnesota.

Why doesn’t Bethany do even better in the rankings? While Bethany admissions has had to be more selective in recent years, our mission is to make an education with a Biblical foundation accessible to a diverse student population. Students test their perspectives in the classroom, void of the fear of “being canceled” or shouted down, elevating diverse viewpoints. Ranking systems regularly lower Bethany’s score, due to marks related to being “a good party school.” Yet, we’d suggest you swing by on the Saturday of Homecoming and see the fun we have, and if a few students do not choose us based on the “party atmosphere,” we happily accept.

The IPEDS government organization is the main entity to which colleges report data and from which corporate sources pull information about colleges. Because college ranking systems sometimes result in a damaging focus for education, with an overly singular focus on student luxury (hot tubs in every dorm room) and the financial outcomes of a career (East Coast investment bankers); Bethany does not actively participate in many ranking schemes. With that being understood, here are some data points that may be interesting as you explore Bethany’s mission and purpose for young souls.