<PAGE>

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 11, 1994
                                                   Registration No. 33-

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                              --------------------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                        Under The Securities Act of 1933
                              --------------------

                          ADC TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

          Minnesota                                      41--0743912
(State or other jurisdiction of             (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
 incorporation or organization)

                              4900 West 78th Street
                          Minneapolis, Minnesota 55435
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)



             ADC TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC. 1991 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)


          Kathie J. Mikucki             Copy to:  Lee R. Mitau
          Secretary and General Counsel           Dorsey & Whitney
          ADC Telecommunications, Inc.            220 South Sixth Street
          4900 West 78th Street                   Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
          Minneapolis, Minnesota 55435
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (612) 938-8080
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                          Proposed     Proposed
Title of                                  maximum      maximum
securities              Amount to         offering     aggregate      Amount of
  to be                   be              price per    offering     registration
registered             Registered         share(1)     price(1)         fee
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                    <C>                <C>          <C>          <C>
Common Stock ($.20
par value)             1,345,204 shares   $37.50       $50,445,150   $17,393.48
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<FN>
(1)       Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee
          in accordance with Rule 457(h), based upon the average of the high and
          low prices of the Common Stock as reported on the NASDAQ National
          Market System on March 7, 1994.
</TABLE>

<PAGE>

          Pursuant to Instruction E to Form S-8 under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, this Registration Statement relates to the registration of
additional shares of Common Stock, $.20 par value (the "Common Stock"), of ADC
Telecommunications, Inc. (the "Company") under the ADC Telecommunications, Inc.
1991 Stock Incentive Plan, a stock-based employee benefit plan for which the
Company registered 698,928 shares of Common Stock under a Registration Statement
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 3, 1991 (Registration
No. 33-40356), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

<PAGE>


                                    PART II.
               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

          The following documents, which have been filed by ADC
Telecommunications, Inc. (the "Company") with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement, as of
their respective dates:

          (a)  The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
     ended October 31, 1993; and

          (b)  The description of the Company's capital stock contained in any
     registration statement or report filed by the Company under the Securities
     Exchange Act of 1934, including any amendment or report filed for the
     purpose of updating such description.

          All documents filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c),
14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, subsequent to
the date hereof and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which
indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters
all securities remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference
herein and to be a part hereof from the respective dates of filing of such
documents.

Item 8.  EXHIBITS.

          4(a)   Restated Articles of Incorporation of ADC Telecommunications,
                 Inc., as amended to date

          5      Opinion of Dorsey & Whitney re: legality

          23(a)  Consent of Arthur Andersen & Co., independent public
                 accountants

          23(b)  Consent of Dorsey & Whitney (included in Exhibit 5 above)

          24     Powers of Attorney

                                      II-1

<PAGE>

Item 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

A.  POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENTS.

          The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

          (1)    To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
                 made, a post-effective amendment to this registration
                 statement:

                 (i)     To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3)
                         of the Securities Act of 1933;

                 (ii)    To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
                         arising after the effective date of the registration
                         statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment
                         thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
                         represent a fundamental change in the information set
                         forth in the registration statement;

                 (iii)   To include any material information with respect to the
                         plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the
                         registration statement or any material change to such
                         information in the registration statement;

provided, however, that subparagraphs (i) and (ii) above will not apply if the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
subparagraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant
to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are
incorporated by reference in this registration statement.

          (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

          (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

B.  SUBSEQUENT DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE.

          The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities

                                      II-2

<PAGE>

Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference in the registration
statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

C.  CLAIMS FOR INDEMNIFICATION.

          Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or other
controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action,
suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person
in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless
in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                      II-3

<PAGE>
                                   SIGNATURES

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Minneapolis, State of Minnesota on the 11th day of
March, 1994.

                                    ADC TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC.



                                    By:  /s/Robert E. Swartz
                                        ------------------------------
                                         Robert E. Switz
                                         Vice President, Chief Financial Officer


          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities indicated on the 11th day of March, 1994.


William J. Cadogan*                          Chairman of the Board, President,
                                             Chief Executive Officer, Chief
                                             Operating Officer and Director
                                             (principal executive officer)

 /s/Robert E. Switz
- ------------------------------               Vice President and
Robert E. Switz                                Chief Financial Officer
                                               (principal financial officer)

Joan K. Berg*                                Vice President and Controller
                                               (principal accounting officer)

Thomas E. Holloran*                          Director

B. Kristine Johnson*                         Director

Charles W. Oswald*                           Director

Jean-Pierre Rosso*                           Director

Donald M. Sullivan*                          Director

Warde F. Wheaton*                            Director

John D. Wunsch*                              Director


By: /s/Robert E. Switz
   --------------------------
       Robert E. Switz
        Attorney-in-Fact*

Dated:  March  11, 1994


*By Power of Attorney set forth in Exhibit 24 to this registration statement.

<PAGE>

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>


Exhibit                                                              Page
- -------                                                              ----
<C>       <S>                                                        <C>
4(a)      Restated Articles of Incorporation of ADC
          Telecommunications, Inc., as amended to date . . . . .

5         Opinion of Dorsey & Whitney re: legality . . . . . . .

23(a)     Consent of Arthur Andersen & Co., independent public
          accountants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

24        Powers of Attorney. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
</TABLE>
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 12145}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "ADC TELECOMMUNICATIONS INC", "cik": "0000061478", "assigned-sic": "3661", "irs-number": "410743912", "state-of-incorporation": "MN", "fiscal-year-end": "1031"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "033-52635", "film-number": "94515640"}, "business-address": {"street1": "4900 WEST 78TH ST.", "city": "MINNEAPOLIS", "state": "MN", "zip": "55435", "phone": "6129388080"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "MAGNETIC CONTROLS CO", "date-changed": "19850605"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 11, 1994
                                                   Registration No. 33-

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                              --------------------

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                        Under The Securities Act of 1933
                              --------------------

                          ADC TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

          Minnesota                                      41--0743912
(State or other jurisdiction of             (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
 incorporation or organization)

                              4900 West 78th Street
                          Minneapolis, Minnesota 55435
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

             ADC TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC. 1991 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

          Kathie J. Mikucki             Copy to:  Lee R. Mitau
          Secretary and General Counsel           Dorsey & Whitney
          ADC Telecommunications, Inc.            220 South Sixth Street
          4900 West 78th Street                   Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402
          Minneapolis, Minnesota 55435
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (612) 938-8080
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Proposed     Proposed
Title of                                  maximum      maximum
securities              Amount to         offering     aggregate      Amount of
  to be                   be              price per    offering     registration
registered             Registered         share(1)     price(1)         fee
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock ($.20
par value)             1,345,204 shares   $37.50       $50,445,150   $17,393.48
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1)       Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee
          in accordance with Rule 457(h), based upon the average of the high and
          low prices of the Common Stock as reported on the NASDAQ National
          Market System on March 7, 1994.
Pursuant to Instruction E to Form S-8 under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, this Registration Statement relates to the registration of
additional shares of Common Stock, $.20 par value (the "Common Stock"), of ADC
Telecommunications, Inc. (the "Company") under the ADC Telecommunications, Inc.
1991 Stock Incentive Plan, a stock-based employee benefit plan for which the
Company registered 698,928 shares of Common Stock under a Registration Statement
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 3, 1991 (Registration
No. 33-40356), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
PART II.
               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

          The following documents, which have been filed by ADC
Telecommunications, Inc. (the "Company") with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement, as of
their respective dates:

          (a)  The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
     ended October 31, 1993; and

          (b)  The description of the Company's capital stock contained in any
     registration statement or report filed by the Company under the Securities
     Exchange Act of 1934, including any amendment or report filed for the
     purpose of updating such description.

          All documents filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c),
14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, subsequent to
the date hereof and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which
indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters
all securities remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference
herein and to be a part hereof from the respective dates of filing of such
documents.

Item 8.  EXHIBITS.

          4(a)   Restated Articles of Incorporation of ADC Telecommunications,
                 Inc., as amended to date

          5      Opinion of Dorsey & Whitney re: legality

          23(a)  Consent of Arthur Andersen & Co., independent public
                 accountants

          23(b)  Consent of Dorsey & Whitney (included in Exhibit 5 above)

          24     Powers of Attorney

                                      II-1
Item 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

A.  POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENTS.

          The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

          (1)    To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
                 made, a post-effective amendment to this registration
                 statement:

                 (i)     To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3)
                         of the Securities Act of 1933;

                 (ii)    To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
                         arising after the effective date of the registration
                         statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment
                         thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate,
                         represent a fundamental change in the information set
                         forth in the registration statement;

                 (iii)   To include any material information with respect to the
                         plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the
                         registration statement or any material change to such
                         information in the registration statement;

provided, however, that subparagraphs (i) and (ii) above will not apply if the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
subparagraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the registrant pursuant
to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are
incorporated by reference in this registration statement.

          (2)  That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

          (3)  To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

B.  SUBSEQUENT DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE.

          The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities

                                      II-2
Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by reference in the registration
statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

C.  CLAIMS FOR INDEMNIFICATION.

          Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise,
the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or other
controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action,
suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person
in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless
in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                      II-3
SIGNATURES

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Minneapolis, State of Minnesota on the 11th day of
March, 1994.

                                    ADC TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC.

                                    By:  /s/Robert E. Swartz
                                        ------------------------------
                                         Robert E. Switz
                                         Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities indicated on the 11th day of March, 1994.

William J. Cadogan*                          Chairman of the Board, President,
                                             Chief Executive Officer, Chief
                                             Operating Officer and Director
                                             (principal executive officer)

 /s/Robert E. Switz
- ------------------------------               Vice President and
Robert E. Switz                                Chief Financial Officer
                                               (principal financial officer)

Joan K. Berg*                                Vice President and Controller
                                               (principal accounting officer)

Thomas E. Holloran*                          Director

B. Kristine Johnson*                         Director

Charles W. Oswald*                           Director

Jean-Pierre Rosso*                           Director

Donald M. Sullivan*                          Director

Warde F. Wheaton*                            Director

John D. Wunsch*                              Director

By: /s/Robert E. Switz
   --------------------------
       Robert E. Switz
        Attorney-in-Fact*

Dated:  March  11, 1994

*By Power of Attorney set forth in Exhibit 24 to this registration statement.
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit                                                              Page
- -------                                                              ----
4(a)      Restated Articles of Incorporation of ADC
          Telecommunications, Inc., as amended to date . . . . .

5         Opinion of Dorsey & Whitney re: legality . . . . . . .

23(a)     Consent of Arthur Andersen & Co., independent public
          accountants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

24        Powers of Attorney. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .