About the College of Liberal Arts
The College of Liberal Arts is committed to intellectual freedom, the pursuit of new knowledge, and the belief that the liberal arts are the foundation of academic learning.
CLA prepares students to be independent and original thinkers, to be innovators in their chosen fields, to create meaning in their lives and in their life’s work, and to become productive citizens and leaders in their communities and the world.
Established in 1868, the College of Liberal Arts supports the University of Minnesota's land-grant mission as home to disciplines in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. With 31 departments on the Minneapolis campus, it is the largest college in the University of Minnesota system.
About Our Future
Our vision is to transform the College of Liberal Arts into a destination college.
Achieving that vision requires an engaged community of students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and friends. To make that happen, CLA has put in place a Roadmap that focuses on four core goals.
- Readiness
CLA alumni will be the most desirable graduates available. - Research
CLA will have a relentless focus on research and creative excellence. - Diversity
The CLA community will mirror the community at large. - Engagement
CLA will deepen a culture of engagement for our alumni, community, and state.
Nearly 100 faculty, staff, and students were involved in shaping the recommendations that created the College’s Roadmap and guide our future.
About Our Faculty
| Tenured and tenure-track faculty | 474 |
| Faculty of color (tenured and tenure track) | 30% |
| Female faculty (tenured and tenure track) | 48% |
Our faculty receive many prestigious awards.
- View our most recent Accolades: news about publications, creative activities, and recognition.
- Visit our Faculty of Distinction webpage.
Graduate Students at a Glance
| Graduate student enrollment in 2023 | 1,417 |
| Number of graduate degrees awarded in 2022-23 | 352 |
| Graduate students of color in 2023 | 19% |
| International graduate students in 2023 | 34% |
Graduate Program Rankings
A number of our graduate programs were ranked among the top of their peers both in the United States and the world. Highly-ranked programs depend on field-shaping faculty. See a list of awards and honors our faculty have won.
| Program | US News & World Report* (2025) | Shanghai Ranking: Global* (2024) | Shanghai Ranking: Among US Public Universities* (2022) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macroeconomics | 4 | ||
| Clinical Psychology | 5 | ||
| Industrial-Organizational Psychology | 7 | ||
| Audiology | 10 | ||
| Sociology of Population | 11 | ||
| International Economics | 13 | ||
| Statistics | 13 | 23 | 8 |
| Industrial Organization | 16 | ||
| Social Stratification | 18 | ||
| Speech-Language Pathology | 20 | ||
| Sociology | 24 | 51-75 | 12 |
| Political Science | 25 | 76-100 | 14 |
| History | 26 | ||
| American Politics | 27 | ||
| Psychology | 29 | 8 | 4 |
| Economics | 30 | 22 | 7 |
| English | 32 | ||
| Fine Arts, Collectively | 64 | ||
| Communications | 11 | 14 | |
| Geography | 30 | 7 |
* These ranking services do not rank all disciplines.
| Undergraduate student enrollment in Fall 2023 | 12,319 |
| Number of undergraduate degrees awarded in 2022-2023 | 2,948 |
| Students of color in Fall 2023 | 36% |
| Minnesota residents in Fall 2023 | 69% |
| Wisconsin residents in Fall 2023 | 12% |
| International students in Fall 2023 | 9% |
About the Class of 2027
23,059 students applied for 2,654 undergraduate seats in CLA's class of 2027. Of those students who enrolled:
- 58% graduated in the top 25% of their high school class
- 41% are students of color
- 60% are women
- 28 is the average ACT score (56% score 28 or higher)
- 27% are first-generation college students
Undergraduate Graduation Rates
For students who entered the College of Liberal Arts as freshmen.
4-year graduation rate: 72%
5-year graduation rate: 81%
6-year graduation rate: 83%
Undergraduate Retention
| Fall 2022 freshmen who returned to CLA for their sophomore year in fall 2023 | 89% |
| Students in the class of 2027 who took a full course load and are on track to graduate in 4 years | 99% |
Visit our website for undergraduate students
Gifts to CLA for FY 2022-2023
| Donors | Dollars |
|---|---|
| 3,302 | $17,207,308 |