Post Secondary Education is an important element of the lifestyle in the Brainerd Lakes Area. With dozens of programs, several institutions, and flexible scheduling and financial packages, more and more residents are continuing their education in the lakes area.

Central Lakes College
Central Lakes College is a community and technical college offering students a unique blend of liberal arts and more than 50 technical programs under one system. With campuses at Brainerd and Staples, Central Lakes College is proud to offer upper division courses through on-campus instruction and interactive television instruction from several state universities. Working in cooperation with Southwest State and St. Scholastica, Central Lakes College now offers Bachelor degrees in four year programs such as: Accounting, Business Administration, Elementary Education, Public Administration and more. With an enrollment of 3500, Central Lakes College offers sports such as baseball, basketball, volleyball and football.

St. Scholastica
With a home base in Duluth, Minnesota, the College of St. Scholastica employs modern technology to provide quality distance learning opportunities for both bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. St. Scholastica’s distance learning programs have a heavy emphasis on health information management. With degree programs hosted at Central Lakes College in Brainerd and Grand Rapids, St. Scholastica also offers flexible on line instruction.

Southwest State University
Southwest State University reaches out from its home campus in Marshall, Minnesota, offering four-year degree options at Central Lakes College in Brainerd.