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CDL schools in Minnesota
33 schools in Minnesota are on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry for Class A training and take students from the public. Programs that post prices to Minnesota's approved training list charge a median $5,500, with the middle 80% between $2,735 and $7,495 (19 programs).
Heavy truck drivers in Minnesota earn a median $61,990 a year, and 38,770 hold those jobs. A commercial learner permit costs $27 and the Class A license $65 for 4 years (Minnesota DMV pages, checked Oct 5, 2026).
Registry file Oct 5, 2026 · BLS wages May 2025 · Minnesota training list (TrainingProviderResults.gov)
Class A schools open to the public in Minnesota; 27 teach theory, range and road.
Typical first-time cost: median posted tuition plus the Minnesota permit ($27) and CDL ($65). Medical exam extra.
Minnesota training locations FMCSA has removed from the registry, 264 of them involuntarily.
Median pay for heavy truck drivers in Minnesota; 38,770 work there.
Find a Minnesota school near you
Type a ZIP code to see the nearest registered Class A schools. The full lists are below.
Where 33 schools are
No Minnesota city has its own page yet.
Smaller towns, with their schools
Eagan
160 Driving Academy - Minneapolis, The CMV Tutor LLC (Eagan)
Hutchinson
Commercial Driving 101 LLC, Ridgewater College Hutchinson Campus
Rochester
160 Driving Academy - Rochester MN, The CMV Tutor LLC
Rosemount
Dakota County Technical College, Minnesota State Commercial Driver Academy
Willmar
CES Minnesota, LLC, Ridgewater College Willmar Campus
Albert Lea
Riverland Community College
Alexandria
Alexandria Technical & Community College
Austin
Riverland Community College
Blaine
Minnesota Truck and Trailer School
Delano
Ridgewater College Delano Campus
Detroit Lakes
M State Detroit Lakes
Duluth
Lake Superior College
Glyndon
Red River Valley CDL
Hibbing
Minnesota North College Customized Training Solutions
Jackson
Minnesota West Community and Technical College
Kasota
CDL Made Simple
Marshall
Minnesota West Community and Technical College
Moorhead
M State Moorhead
Mora
Semi Pro Truck Driving Academy LLC
North Mankato
South Central College
Royalton
Central MN Truck Academy
Saint Paul
Titan Trucking School
St Paul Park
160 Driving Academy - Minneapolis
St. Cloud
CES Minnesota, LLC
Wadena
M State Wadena
West Saint Paul
Interstate Truck Driving School
Winona
Mn. State College Southeast
Worthington
Minnesota West Community and Technical College
Roseville
Yool Training Academy
Source: FMCSA Training Provider Registry location file, Oct 5, 2026.
What we left out
We left out 770 active registrants in Minnesota: 739 are private (training the employees or students of one organization only); 10 are online-only or travel to the customer; 21 tick "open to the public" but are not schools that take students: 8 school districts and public school programs, 3 employers and carriers training their own drivers, 7 bus or coach operators and 3 we could not classify from the registry record. Every count comes from the same registry file. Schools we kept pass a name, domain and class check that we describe on sources.
What CDL school costs in Minnesota
Minnesota programs post tuition to the Labor Department's list of approved training programs, the list workforce boards use to pay for training. Across 19 programs the median is $5,500, the lowest posted price is $1,517 and the highest is $7,495. Completion and job rates are on each school's page where it has them.
State fees
| Commercial learner permit | $27 |
|---|---|
| Class A license (4 years) | $65 |
Minnesota DMV pages, checked October 5, 2026 · fee page. The DOT medical exam is extra.
Minnesota's CDL manual (state DMV).
Source: TrainingProviderResults.gov program file (downloaded Oct 5, 2026); Minnesota DMV pages.
Free and company-paid training in Minnesota
Workforce boards. If you qualify for WIOA, a Minnesota workforce board can pay tuition at a school on the state's approved list. Ask at an American Job Center before you enrol, because boards pay only for programs on the list.
Carrier-paid programs that list Minnesota among their training sites. Training is free up front because you agree to drive for the carrier. What the carrier's own pages say:
| Carrier | Cost to you | Commitment | If you leave early |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Inc. | $0 upfront if you drive for Prime 1 year with CDL; Prime blog states $155 student cost ($100 admin fee + $55 permit/test costs) | 1 year driving for Prime with CDL | unverified on the carrier's page (tuition becomes payable if commitment not met) |
| Stevens Transport | no out-of-pocket costs | 'your commitment' - length not on page; third-party reports promissory-note model | unverified |
Carrier pages checked Oct 5, 2026. "Unverified" means the carrier does not publish it; ask for the signed agreement before you start. All carriers
How to check a Minnesota school before you pay
Since February 2022 you can only take the CDL skills test after finishing entry-level driver training with a provider on FMCSA's registry. Search the school's name at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov and confirm its status says Active. Or use our check-a-school page, which also searches the removed list.
FMCSA has removed 277 Minnesota training locations from the registry, 264 of them involuntarily. The registry lists 6 more Minnesota locations as under review. A school on the removed list cannot certify your training. Removals by state
48% of Minnesota's Class A schools updated their registry record in 2026; 7 have left their record untouched for over two years.
Questions people ask
How much is CDL school in Minnesota?
Programs on Minnesota's approved training list post a median of $5,500, with the middle 80% between $2,735 and $7,495. With the permit and license fees, plan on about $5,592 before the medical exam.
How many CDL schools are in Minnesota?
33 schools in Minnesota are registered for Class A training and open to the public, in 28 cities. 1 more school teaches only Class B, passenger or school bus training. FMCSA lists 277 Minnesota locations as removed.
How do I check that a Minnesota school is on the FMCSA registry?
Search the school's name at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov and confirm its status says Active. Our check-a-school page searches active, removed and under-review records in one box.
Is there free CDL training in Minnesota?
Two routes. A workforce board can pay tuition at a school on Minnesota's approved training list if you qualify under WIOA, and some carriers train you for free in return for a work commitment. The terms differ, so read the signed agreement before you start.