BLOOMINGTON
C O M M U N I T Y G U I D E 2 0 2 6
Advanced education close to home
Bloomington is home to a wide variety of career and post-secondary educational opportunities through its diverse and unique colleges and universities.
For more than 50 years, Normandale Community College has been an educational cornerstone of the community. About 1,400 students enrolled in September 1968 when its doors opened. Today enrollment has burgeoned to more than 16,000 students per year. The college and its 90-acre campus attracts students from across the Twin Cities as well as students from its own backyard.
Normandale is also one of Minnesota’ s most racially-diverse campuses with more than half of the student body composed of students of color.
Besides the traditional courses leading to a variety of associates degrees and certificates that community colleges are known for, Normandale offers specialized degree programs. Students may enroll in a nanotechnology program, for instance, offered in cooperation with leading high-tech manufacturers. Normandale has also partnered with other public institutions of higher learning such as Minnesota State University-Mankato, and Metropolitan State University, to offer four-year programs through its campus. Students pursuing degrees in education can complete all four years of their training while attending Normandale.
Normandale offers a range of career and transfer programs, including criminal justice, dental hygiene, radiologic technology and music and theater.
In keeping with trends in higher education, Normandale also offers much of its course content online.
Students who want to take a course simply for the sake of learning aren’ t excluded. Normandale offers a variety of continuing education courses ranging from career enrichment and computer technology to foreign languages such as Chinese, Japanese and Spanish.
Other colleges in Bloomington include Academy College, offering a variety of professional training programs, Northwestern Health Sciences University, offering natural and integrative health care education, and Rasmussen College, offering degree programs in a variety of growing fields.
Academy College 1600 W. 82nd St., Suite 100 academycollege. edu
Normandale Community College 9700 France Ave. S. normandale. edu
Northwestern Health Sciences University 2501 W. 84th St. nwhealth. edu
Rasmussen College 4400 W. 78th St. rasmussen. edu
2026 | Bloomington Guide | 19