The College of St. Scholastica is a Catholic Benedictine institution and the only independent private college in northeastern Minnesota. The College was founded in 1912 by a group of pioneering Benedictine Sisters who offered college courses to six young women. Today St. Scholastica educates more than 4,000 men and women and has graduated more than 18,500 living alumni. The 186-acre Duluth campus is set on a ridge overlooking Lake Superior. The beautiful St. Scholastica campus provides a small, friendly community that enables each student to participate in a variety of activities. A 14:1 student-to-teacher ratio makes it easy for students to seek individualized academic assistance and encouragement. The College offers 20 intercollegiate athletics programs and more than 50 extracurricular offerings. The activities and services of the Student Affairs division foster a diverse, challenging and mutually respectful environment which provides opportunities for students' holistic growth, and the integration of curricular and co-curricular learning.

Colorado School of Mines is a public research university devoted to engineering and applied science. It has the highest admissions standards of any public university in Colorado and among the highest of any public university in the U.S. Mines has distinguished itself by developing a curriculum and research program geared towards responsible stewardship of the earth and its resources. In addition to strong education and research programs in traditional fields of science and engineering, Mines is one of a very few institutions in the world having broad expertise in resource exploration, extraction, production and utilization. As such, Mines occupies a unique position among the world's institutions of higher education. The world faces a crisis in balancing resource availability with environmental protection and Mines and its programs are central to the solution.

Columbia College, a women's college related to the United Methodist Church, educates students in the liberal arts tradition. The College provides educational opportunities that develop students' capacity for critical thought and expression, life-long learning, acceptance of personal responsibility, and commitment to service and social justice. In furtherance of its mission, the College is responsive to the needs of students, the communities to which it belongs, and the greater global society. Columbia College encompasses the Women's College established in 1854 and the Evening College and Graduate School serving women and men. Columbia College is noted for faculty who foster academic excellence through collaborative teaching and learning; a vital learning community in which character, ethics, and values are cultivated; the study of leadership enhanced by opportunities for practical application; programs that capitalize on advances in technology; and learning environments that extend beyond the classroom.

With nationally distinctive programs in the arts, education, business, nursing – and more – Columbus State University provides a creative, deeply personal and relevant college experience. Serving the Southeast while attracting students from around the world, Columbus State thrives on community partnerships to deliver excellence for students who want to achieve personal and professional success in an increasingly global environment. Since 1958, CSU has educated students who have gone on to become leaders at the local, state and national level. Currently, the university offers 46 undergraduate and 42 graduate degrees. CSU has also cultivated a reputation for extending its commitment to learning into the community. Students in all majors have opportunities beyond campus and enhance their traditional learning through internships, clinical experiences, cooperative education and field research alongside senior professors.