Education
SAINT PAUL COLLEGE OFFERS COLLEGE YOUR WAY OPTION FOR STUDENTS
For many years, high school students were encouraged to pursue four-year college degrees after graduation. However, such degrees seem to have lost some of the automatic prestige they used to carry.
Gone are the days when a high paying job was waiting for you after graduation. Not to mention the fact that many people leave school with so much student loan debt, it can take decades to pay it off.
According to Nerd Wallet, for people finishing a bachelor’ s degree, the average student loan debt is between $ 20,000 and $ 30,000. Graduate and professional degree students typically carry much higher debt, ranging from $ 70,000 to $ 100,000.
Rather than going into debt to get their degrees, these days many students are seeking less expensive training options that can get them ready for high paying jobs. Saint Paul College, a public two-year community and technical college in Downtown Saint
Paul, is one of the more affordable alternatives available to Minnesota students.
In addition to offering associate degrees, which typically take two years to complete, Saint Paul College offers certificates and diplomas for programs aimed at a specific job skill, as well as career and technical training programs geared towards direct entry into the workforce. The average out of pocket cost of tuition for most certificate programs is between $ 1,200 and $ 1,600.
“ We have business leadership courses, trade and tech, healthcare, IT, child development courses to get teacher aides ready for the field, and we are one of the first campuses to offer cannabis training,” said Brady Malecha, who works as a customized training representative for Saint Paul College’ s Workforce Training and Continuing Education department.
As Saint Paul College is focused on quality education at a low cost, there are also micro-credential training opportunities that allow students to complete a non-credit workforce training program. Or if they decide to continue their education at the College, the course completed may count towards required credits for a degree.
Current microcredentials that allow students to return with college credit include:
• Advanced Manufacturing
• IT Help Desk / CompTIA
• Child Development Associate
Saint Paul College also offers career exploration summer camps for high school students. Some scholarships may exist for students facing financial hardship. Current 2026 Summer Camp offerings are listed here: Saintpaul. edu / academics / wtce / high-school-camps
They include:
• Advanced Manufacturing Summer Camp
• Summer Beauty Cosmetology Camp
• Scrubs Camp Healthcare Career Exploration
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