College of the Atlantic vs Macalester College

College of the Atlantic and Macalester College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. College of the Atlantic, nestled in Bar Harbor, Maine, boasts a 98% acceptance rate, while Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, maintains a more selective admissions process with a 35% acceptance rate. College of the Atlantic's focus on environmental studies and experiential learning attracts students passionate about sustainability, while Macalester's strengths in the liberal arts and sciences draw students seeking a well-rounded education. Both colleges foster diverse student bodies, with College of the Atlantic's student population comprising 4% international students and Macalester's student body reflecting a global perspective with 13% international students. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' unique offerings and determine which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	College of the Atlantic	Macalester College
Overview
Location	Bar Harbor, Maine	Saint Paul, Minnesota
Campus setting	Town: Remote	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Trimester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	81.0%	96.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation		Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	61.1%	31.3%
Application fees		$40
SAT range	N/A	1340 - 1515
ACT range	N/A	29 - 33
Students submitting SAT score		35.0%
Students submitting ACT score		39.0%
Total number of applicants	525	9,046
Total number of admissions given out	321	2,828
Admitted students who chose to enroll	93	601
Yield rate	29.0%	21.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$50,442	$76,357
Average net price	$19,142	$30,939
Tuition	$42,993	$60,288
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,210 Meal plan: $3,537	Room/dormitory: $7,272 Meal plan: $6,270
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $34,744	87.0% Average amount $42,832
Students receiving federal student loan	64.0% Average amount $4,759	39.0% Average amount $4,799
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $16,806	29.0% Average amount $4,321

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	374 Men 29.7% Women 70.3%	2,244 Men 43.3% Women 56.7%
Graduate students	2 Men 50.0% Women 50.0%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	23.1%	13.5%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	235	1,332
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Multidisciplinary Studies	Mathematics and Statistics Foreign Languages and Literatures Multidisciplinary Studies Social Sciences Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	66.7%	89.7%
Dropout rate	32.1%	10.0%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,916 Year 2: $16,920 Year 3: $24,486	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,163 Year 2: $64,493 Year 3: $72,135 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,896 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $56,193 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,635 Year 2: $35,274 Year 3: $43,620 Geography and Cartography (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,253 Year 2: $32,569 Year 3: $39,047 International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,368 Year 2: $34,526 Year 3: $36,933 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,116 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: $34,521 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,444 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: N/A Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,129 Year 2: $71,575 Year 3: N/A Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,281 Year 3: N/A

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