The basic requirement for admittance to Minnesota West Community and Technical College is a high school diploma or General Education Diploma (GED) certificate.

Admission to Minnesota West does not guarantee admission to college-level courses or programs of study. Programs and courses fill up on a first come-first served basis so you should apply early. Some programs require an additional separate admissions process. See listing below.

You must apply to the college before registering for classes. To begin taking classes at Minnesota West, you must first be admitted, take the college assessment test, complete orientation, and register for classes.

Lack of English skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation.

Apply by choosing the type of admission that best describes you:

• General Admissions for applicants who have not previously attended colleges or universities.
• Transfer Student Admissions for applicants who have previously attended colleges or universities.
• PSEO (High School) Admissions for applicants who are still in high school.
• International (Non-Immigrant) Admissions for applicants who are residents of another country, who do not have U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, or refugee/political asylum status.
• Non-Degree Seeking Admissions for applicants who are not seeking certificates, diplomas or degrees
• Former Students Returning
• Apply Now

Special Application Procedures
Applying to the following programs requires more than completing the general application. Special procedures are explained:

• Law Enforcement
• Nursing
• Radiological Technology

Impact of Criminal Records
State law (Minnesota Statutes 135A.157) requires all postsecondary educational institutions located in Minnesota to provide notice to all students at or before the time of admission and at or before the time a major is selected, informing them that arrests, charges or convictions for criminal offenses may limit employment possibilities in specific careers or affect a student’s eligibility for federal, state or other financial aid.

The purpose of this notice is not to discourage students with previous violations from pursuing postsecondary education or applying for financial aid but to encourage students to investigate any possible negative effects  on financial aid eligibility and employment before they begin a particular field of study. We encourage all students to apply for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, at: www.fafsa.ed.gov. However, students with previous arrests, charges or convictions should investigate any possible impacts on financial aid eligibility.

With respect to future employment possibilities in your field of study, we encourage you to visit the following web site for state laws regarding the effects of previous violations on future employment in Minnesota:  https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=609B. Since there may be other fields affected by previous violations that are not included on this page or, you may end up working in another state, it is your responsibility to research the impact of previous violations on your chosen field of study by contacting a private attorney, professional association or licensing board. We also encourage you to contact the college’s program director or department chair for your selected field of study on campus for additional information regarding what impact, if any, previous violations may have on employment possibilities in that field.