With about 10,000 students, the University of St. Thomas is the largest private university in Minnesota. Its various academic divisions include arts and sciences, education and counseling, business, engineering and social work, as well as a law school and a divinity school.

Undergrads can pick from more than 150 majors and minors; graduate selections include more than 55 degrees in subject areas that range from education to theology to business, plus a dual J.D./MBA.

The main campus in St. Paul borders the Mississippi Gorge Regional Park; another campus in Minneapolis houses business, law, education and psychology schools. (A third campus in Rome hosts some of the school's study-abroad classes.) St. Thomas' divinity school prepares seminarians for the priesthood, but students can also earn graduate degrees to prepare for lay minister careers. The university offers a mix of professional ed programs in business, education, engineering, and software development.

St. Thomas students can take courses at four other private colleges in the Twin Cities. But the Minneapolis/St. Paul area isn't just for studying — the cities also offer an abundance of cultural and recreational activities, including a fine selection of winter activities, highlighted by St. Paul's popular Winter Carnival.

On campus, students can take advantage of a slew of athletic opportunities: About 20 varsity sports and a host of club teams, such as ultimate Frisbee and crew. Less sporty students can choose from dozens of student organizations, from pragmatic groups like the Business Law Club to quirky ones like the Anime Society and Ballroom Dance Club. In 2024, the school will open the Schoenecker Center — a roughly 130,000-square-feet space that will focus on interdisciplinary and experiential learning across disciplines like science and art.