12 MN Colleges Now Require The COVID-19 Vaccine: LIST

TWIN CITIES, MN — Hundreds of colleges nationwide, including several in Minnesota, are having students return to class this fall with more than a computer and textbooks in tow.

At least 662 colleges and universities are now requiring students, faculty, staff or a combination of the three to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before coming back to campus, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Minnesota colleges requiring the vaccine

Augsburg University

"To provide the safest possible conditions for teaching, learning and working, Augsburg University is implementing a COVID-19 Vaccination Policy for students and employees, with documented exemptions and extensions allowed," the university said.

Carleton College

In April, Carleton College became the second Minnesota college to require that students and staff receive the COVID-19 vaccine before the fall semester. Read more here.

College of Saint Benedict

"The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University are requiring all students, faculty and staff to be fully vaccinated, with at least one vaccine dose having been administered before returning to campus for fall semester," officials announced

St. Olaf College

St. Olaf will require students and staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the fall semester begins. Read more here.

Hamline University

"Hamline University will require that all students and employees be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. To provide time for our community to follow this new policy, compliance is required by August 15, 2021," the university announced.

Gustavus Adolphus College

"As announced on May 18, Gustavus is requiring students to be vaccinated for the 2021-2022 academic year," the college announced.

Macalester College

Read the college's vaccine policy here.

Minnesota College of Art and Design

"Effective fall 2021, all students accessing campus facilities and/or living in campus housing will be required to be vaccinated for COVID-19," the college announced.

Mitchell Hamline School of Law

"All faculty, staff, and students must be fully vaccinated to be on campus for fall semester, effective Aug. 1," the school announced.

St. Catherine University

"We have determined that a vaccination requirement is the best way to keep our community safe and prevent potential outbreaks as we return to more regular, in-person operations," the university announced.

Saint John’s University

"The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University are requiring all students, faculty and staff to be fully vaccinated, with at least one vaccine dose having been administered before returning to campus for fall semester," officials announced.

University of St. Thomas

The University of St. Thomas Monday announced it will require all students, faculty, and staff to be fully vaccinated before returning to campus for this fall. Read more here.

As the delta variant continues to spread across the country, the number of colleges requiring the vaccine will likely climb. Daily average coronavirus cases in the United States are hovering near 35,000, a 200 percent increase from 14 days ago, according to a database compiled by The New York Times. Deaths are also up 75 percent.

Colleges will also be battling a decline in the number of people seeking vaccines. Demand has slowed considerably in recent weeks and, currently, just under 60 percent of all adults in the United States are considered fully vaccinated.

In 2020, the pandemic emptied dormitories, lecture halls and other facilities as colleges shifted to remote instruction.

This year, college officials are hoping to avoid a repeat of last year in hopes of offering students a more traditional experience, which means in-person lectures, study groups in the library, and social gatherings.

So far, colleges have typically taken four different approaches, according to a report by U.S. News & World Report. While some are fully requiring vaccines, others are offering students incentives to voluntarily get immunized. Some are waiting to see if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fully approves a vaccine. Others are simply opting not to require it.

Currently, all COVID-19 vaccines in use in the United States have received emergency use authorization by the FDA, a status that some experts say makes mandating the vaccine a “legal gray area,” U.S. News reported.

Once the FDA fully approves a vaccine, colleges should have no difficulty requiring it, especially considering most already require students to provide proof of other vaccinations.