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Minnesota vs Pennsylvania: Scholarship Climate 2026

Which climate fits best? Minnesota offers a moderate number of scholarships with a lower average award size, making it suitable for applicants seeking smaller grants. In contrast, Pennsylvania has a larger volume of opportunities and higher maximum awards, appealing to those looking for substantial funding.

State vs State

State A

Minnesota

State B

Pennsylvania

Quick comparison

MetricMinnesotaPennsylvania
Active scholarships in catalog47125
Avg. award (where known)$2,915$3,131
Max indexed award$9,000$40,000

Financial Aid Overview for 2026

In 2026, Minnesota presents a scholarship climate with 36 available grants, averaging $3,125 per award and a maximum of $9,000. The top universities offering scholarships include the Minnesota Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees-Minnesota Council 5.

Conversely, Pennsylvania boasts a significantly larger scholarship pool with 101 grants available, an average award size of $3,000, and a maximum potential award of $40,000. Notable institutions include the Philadelphia Foundation and the POISE Foundation.

Final verdict explanation

ScholarshipTop publishes this supplemental “Final verdict explanation” whenever the primary matchup body for 2026 skews thinner than editorial depth standards. The comparison table summarizes about 47 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Minnesota alongside about 125 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Pennsylvania using the same ingestion window, so deltas highlight catalog-wide signals rather than courthouse-grade guarantees. Residents, transfers, and commuter students weighing Minnesota campuses against Pennsylvania footprints should corroborate every figure with authoritative financial aid disclosures, state higher-ed portals, endowed scholarship riders, reciprocal tuition agreements, Honors supplements, or graduation timelines before staking savings plans.

After reviewing the matchup metrics above, continue with Matches-style browsing, internationally inclusive corridors when visas matter, streamlined application corridors when time is scarce, followed by essay hubs and evergreen resource articles covering drafting workflows, budgeting, appeals, parental contribution conversations, and scholarship renewals tied to academic performance. ScholarshipTop provides these cues as scaffolding; students still validate final award letters directly with campuses and adjust strategy whenever policies evolve during 2026 and afterward.

Top Scholarship Providers in Minnesota

Ranked by number of active scholarships

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Top Scholarship Providers in Pennsylvania

Ranked by number of active scholarships

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Scholarship climate by state

Minnesota

Minnesota has a moderate scholarship climate with lower average awards, suitable for applicants seeking smaller funding opportunities.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's scholarship climate is more robust, offering a higher volume of opportunities and larger awards, ideal for those needing substantial financial support.

Public reference data

Cost of living & wages

State-level affordability context to complement scholarship climate above - not ScholarshipTop grant totals.

Visual comparison

Minnesota

Median household income

$89,564

Census ACS

Fair market rent (2BR)

$1,046

HUD monthly estimate

Living wage

21.55/hr

Single adult, MIT model

BLS median wage

$56,920

State occupational estimate

Reported violent crime rate (state aggregate): 22.22 per 100k population. Public safety context is based on aggregate state-level public data - not a safety rating.

Public planning context

Community indicators vary by county and are included only as public planning context. Use this alongside scholarship amount, school cost, and living expenses - not as an eligibility rule.

CDC SVI band

lower indicator band

ADI band

middle indicator band

SVI counties

87

ADI counties

87

  • CDC SVI county data is available for 87 counties; county indicators vary and are best used as public planning context.
  • ADI block-group data is available across 87 counties; local conditions can vary within the same state.

Pennsylvania

Median household income

$78,689

Census ACS

Fair market rent (2BR)

$1,133

HUD monthly estimate

Living wage

22.17/hr

Single adult, MIT model

BLS median wage

$49,690

State occupational estimate

Reported violent crime rate (state aggregate): 27.55 per 100k population. Public safety context is based on aggregate state-level public data - not a safety rating.

Public planning context

Community indicators vary by county and are included only as public planning context. Use this alongside scholarship amount, school cost, and living expenses - not as an eligibility rule.

CDC SVI band

middle indicator band

ADI band

middle indicator band

SVI counties

67

ADI counties

67

  • CDC SVI county data is available for 67 counties; county indicators vary and are best used as public planning context.
  • ADI block-group data is available across 67 counties; local conditions can vary within the same state.

Sources: Census ACS, HUD FMR, MIT Living Wage, BLS OEWS, and public reference datasets where available. Rent figures may reflect metro or state averages.

Public safety context uses aggregate public data and is included only as planning context.

Reference only - not ScholarshipTop eligibility rules or guarantees.

Data availability varies by school, city, state, and source year.

FAQ

What is the average scholarship amount in Minnesota?
The average scholarship amount in Minnesota is $3,125.
How many scholarships are available in Pennsylvania?
There are 101 scholarships available in Pennsylvania.
What is the maximum scholarship award in Pennsylvania?
The maximum scholarship award in Pennsylvania is $40,000.
Which state offers more scholarship opportunities?
Pennsylvania offers more scholarship opportunities with 101 grants compared to Minnesota's 36.

Sources and official pages

Official and high-authority pages used to support this State vs State comparison.

More guides around this State vs State comparison

Internal reading paths around scholarship search, application strategy, and essay preparation for students comparing Minnesota and Pennsylvania.

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