Rendering of the planned St. Paul Campus Center, a future-ready hub designed to advance innovation, strengthen community connections, and support Minnesota’s workforce. (photo provided)
The Minnesota Legislature has passed a $1.2 billion bonding bill that includes $75 million in funding for the University of Minnesota — investments that will strengthen infrastructure, support workforce development and expand statewide impact.
The legislation provides:
- $40 million for Higher Education Asset Preservation & Replacement (HEAPR) projects for the Crookston, Duluth, Morris and Twin Cities campuses
- $35 million for replacing both the existing St. Paul Student Center and Magrath Library buildings as part of a new St. Paul Campus Center
“We’re grateful for the bipartisan support from Governor Walz and our state legislators to invest in foundational University projects that strengthen communities across Minnesota,” said University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham. “These improvements are critical for the world-class teaching and research facilities that define Minnesota’s future, ensuring our students, faculty and staff have modern, safe and reliable infrastructure to learn, discover and prepare the workforce Minnesota depends on.”
Funding for the St. Paul campus reflects the University’s Elevate Extraordinary 2030 strategic vision to reimagine a campus central to Minnesota’s leadership in agriculture, food systems, environmental science and veterinary medicine. This investment marks an important first step in creating a vibrant, future-ready hub that supports the University’s land-grant mission and prepares students — many from Greater Minnesota — for in-demand careers across the state.
The St. Paul campus plays a vital role in advancing Minnesota’s key industries and innovation economy. Strategic infrastructure investment will help ensure the University and the state remain competitive in research and workforce development while accelerating student success through modern, connected spaces that foster learning, collaboration and career readiness.
The University’s request for funding to modernize the School of Dentistry was not approved. As Minnesota’s only dental school, it trains more than 70% of the state’s dentists and serves more than 90,000 patients annually. Many of these patients rely on safety-net services, underscoring the urgent need to modernize the school’s aging clinical facilities.
“While this project was not funded this year, the School of Dentistry remains a top priority for the University. Modernizing the school is essential to strengthening our healthcare workforce and expanding access to oral healthcare across Minnesota,” said Cunningham. “At the same time, we recognize the long-term decline in state capital investment and the need to pursue a broader mix of funding sources. We are committed to advancing projects that align with our mission and will have the greatest impact as we execute a bold vision for the University’s future.”
To see how the University is advancing its land-grant mission through these investments, visit the 2026 Capital Request page.
University of Minnesota news release
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