So, you're thinking about attending a college or university in Minnesota?

The state of Minnesota is located in the Upper Midwest region of the United States. It is the second-largest of the Midwestern states and 12th largest state overall, covering a total of 87,014 square miles. Minnesota is also the northernmost state in the U.S., except for Alaska. It is bordered by Canada to the North, Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the south, and North and South Dakota to the west.

The landscape of Minnesota varies from place to place. The western section of the state is covered in prairies, which have a heavy agricultural presence. The eastern portion is covered in deciduous forests, though this area has been heavily forested, farmed, and settled. In the north, there exists an area that is less populated covered with boreal forests. Minnesota, known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," earns this name for good reason. Within this state lie 11,842 lakes covering an area of over 10 acres each.

Minnesota is forced to deal with extremes in temperature due to its climate. It has cold winter and hot summers. The record high and low have a difference of 174° between them. The state can experience a wide range of weather, including rain, snow, hail, blizzards, tornadoes, and thunderstorms. Depending on the location within the state, average annual precipitation rages from 19 inches to 35 inches.

The population of Minnesota, as of July 1, 2006, was calculated to be 5,167,101 by the U.S. Census Bureau. While the rate of population change as well as the age and gender distributions are around the national average, the state's minority groups, though still growing, form a significantly smaller portion of the population in comparison to the nation as a whole. In 2004, only 6.1% of residents were foreign-born, as compared to an average of 12% for the nation.

In politics, Minnesota is known for its politically active citizenry. It has a consistently high voter turnout. In the 2004 presidential election, 77.2% of the state's eligible voters came out to vote, the most turnout of any state. The national average was a 60.93% turnout.

Minnesotan voters have voted consistently for Democratic presidential candidates since 1976, which is longer than any other state. Minnesota's congressional and senatorial representation have been generally, in recent years, split between Democrats and Republicans, however. Third party groups, including the Reform Party, the Green Party, and the Independence Party, have also gained considerable support within the state.

The religious makeup of Minnesota residents is mostly Christian, with 77% of the population believing in this religion. The largest two groups are Roman Catholics, at 25% of the population, and Lutherans at 24%. Non-Christian religions, including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, represents another 3% of the population. 14% identify themselves as non-religious.

The income tax in Minnesota is separated into three tax brackets, which are 5.35%, 7.05%, and 7.85%. Presently, the sales tax is set at 6.5%. However, the state doesn't tax the sales of clothing, prescription medications, some services, and food items for home consumption. The state does, on the other hand, allow municipalities to institute local and special taxes. Minnesota state also imposes excise taxes on alcohol, tobacco, and motor fuel as well as a use tax on items purchased outside of Minnesota but used within the state.

Several colleges and universities exist within the state of Minnesota. These include:

• Minnesota State University

• The University of Minnesota

To find more information about universities and colleges in this area, visit the Online College Degrees page on this website.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Minnesota".

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