US CollegesGetting in
Central Lakes College-Brainerd has an open admission policy: it does not turn applicants away on grades or test scores, though some courses can have their own requirements.
What it costs
| Tuition and fees for a year | $6,476 |
| Books and supplies | $1,000 |
| Average full cost of a year (tuition, living, books), before aid | $23,000 |
| Average net price after grants and scholarships | $15,556 |
The net price is what students who got federal aid paid on average for a year after grants and scholarships were taken off (for a public college, students from inside the state). It is 20% below the median net price of colleges in Minnesota on this site ($19,467). International students normally pay the published tuition and do not receive US federal aid.
Net price by family income
| Family income a year | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | $11,751 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $13,041 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $14,075 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $18,602 |
| Above $110,000 | $22,257 |
For students who received federal aid. A negative figure means grants were larger than the cost counted.
For an estimate that fits your own family, use the college's net price calculator.
Results
| Measure | This college | MN median | US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students who come back for a second year | 69% | 73% | 73% |
| Students who finish their degree (within one and a half times the normal length) | 56% | 55% | 49% |
| Median earnings 10 years after starting | $46,663 | $55,601 | $53,132 |
| Median federal loan debt of those who finish | $9,500 | $19,106 | $19,994 |
Medians are the middle value of the colleges on this site in Minnesota and in the whole country. Completion and return rates count first-time, full-time students. Earnings and debt count students who received federal aid.
The students
17% of undergraduates receive a Pell Grant, the federal grant for students from lower-income families. 11% take a federal student loan. The undergraduate body is 54% women and 46% men. By undergraduate numbers it is number 37 of the 61 colleges in Minnesota on this site that report a size; the middle-sized one has 1,878.
Other colleges in Minnesota of a similar size
- Northland Community and Technical CollegeThief River Falls, public
- Alexandria Technical & Community CollegeAlexandria, public
- Dunwoody College of TechnologyMinneapolis, private nonprofit
- South Central CollegeNorth Mankato, public
- Minnesota North CollegeHibbing, public
- Ridgewater CollegeWillmar, public
Common questions
How much is tuition at Central Lakes College-Brainerd?
Published tuition and fees are $6,476 a year. Most students with aid pay less: see the net price.
What is the graduation rate of Central Lakes College-Brainerd?
56% of first-time, full-time students finish within one and a half times the normal length of the course.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, data released on 2 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Net price, debt and earnings describe students who received US federal aid. Costs change each year. This is official data for general information, not advice: confirm costs and admission rules on the college's own website and at collegescorecard.ed.gov.