Saint Paul: Education and Research

Saint Paul: Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

Public schools in Saint Paul are administered by Independent School District 625, the second-largest school system in Minnesota. A superintendent is chosen by a seven-member, nonpartisan board of education.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Saint Paul public schools as of the 2004–2005 school year.

Total enrollment: 42,000

Number of facilities

elementary schools: 50

middle schools: 9

senior high schools: 8

other: 1 open school; 1 special education school; 87 other programs including a creative arts high school, area learning center, and adult education center

Student/teacher ratio: not available

Teacher salaries

average: $44,745 (Minnesota, 2002-2003)

Funding per pupil: $8,644

A variety of private schools in Saint Paul enroll more than 12,000 students.

Public Schools Information: Saint Paul Public Schools, 360 Colborne Street, Saint Paul, MN 55102; telephone (651)293-5100

Colleges and Universities

Saint Paul is home to several colleges and universities. The University of Minnesota–Twin Cities operates a main campus in Saint Paul as well as in Minneapolis. An important research institution with a total enrollment of more than 45,000 full-time students, the university awards a full range of undergraduate and graduate degrees in 250 fields of study, including first-professional degrees in dentistry, law, medicine, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine. University of Minnesota faculty and graduates have been awarded 12 Nobel Prizes for physics, medicine, chemistry, economics, and peace.

Metropolitan State University, part of the Minnesota State University system, offers undergraduate and graduate programs in liberal arts, nursing, and management; the administrative offices of Minnesota State University are located in Saint Paul. The William Mitchell College of Law is a privately operated professional school devoted solely to the study of law. A fine arts curriculum leading to a baccalaureate degree is offered by the School of the Associated Arts.

Hamline University, affiliated with the United Methodist Church, provides undergraduate and graduate programs in such areas as chemistry, law, music, and teacher education. Bethel University is a four-year institution associated with the Baptist General Conference. The four-year Concordia College is operated by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Lutheran Northwestern Seminary is the divinity school for the American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church in America. Other church-related colleges include Northwestern College and Macalester College, which is associated with the Presbyterian Church. The College of St. Catherine, the College of St. Thomas, and the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity are Roman Catholic institutions.

Vocational and technical training is available at community colleges and specialized schools in Saint Paul and Minneapolis; among them is Saint Paul Technical Vocational Institute. In all, the Twin Cities support 13 colleges and universities, 6 state-supported comprehensive community colleges, and 9 publicly supported technical institutions.

Libraries and Research Centers

Nearly 70 public and private libraries are based in Saint Paul. The Saint Paul Public Library system includes a main facility, 12 branches, and a bookmobile. The library, which is a depository for federal and city documents, houses more than 1 million volumes as well as 2,000 periodicals, and CDs, maps, and other items. Special collections include oral history and the history of the city of Saint Paul. Adjacent to the Saint Paul Public Library is the James J. Hill Reference Library; its business and economic collection is open to the public. The Minnesota Historical Society maintains an extensive reference library with subject interests in genealogy, Minnesota history, and Scandinavians in the United States among other areas. Most colleges and universities in Saint Paul operate campus libraries, the largest being the University of Minnesota system, which consists of a main facility and four department libraries; its collection numbers more than four million catalogued volumes.

Among the larger state agency libraries in the city are the Minnesota State Law Library and the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Other specialized libraries are associated primarily with corporations, churches, and hospitals.

Research centers in the Twin Cities affiliated with the University of Minnesota include the Center for Urban Design; the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs; the Industrial Relations Center; the Metropolitan Design Center; the Northern Tier Technology Corridor; the Underground Space Center; the Immigration History Research Center; and the Minnesota Center for Twin and Adoption Research.

Public Library Information: Saint Paul Public Library, 90 West Fourth Street, Saint Paul, MN 55102-1668; telephone (651)266-7000; fax (651)292-6660