Gustavus Adolphus College vs Macalester College

Gustavus Adolphus College and Macalester College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions in Minnesota, offer distinct educational experiences. Gustavus, rooted in the Lutheran tradition, boasts a higher acceptance rate (68%) compared to Macalester's selective admissions (38%). While Macalester's student body is more diverse, with international students comprising 15% of the population, Gustavus maintains a slightly higher graduation rate (83% vs. 81%). Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details, including popular majors, financial aid opportunities, and campus life, to determine which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Gustavus Adolphus College	Macalester College
Overview
Location	Saint Peter, Minnesota	Saint Paul, Minnesota
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	84.0%	96.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Evangelical	Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	72.6%	31.3%
Application fees		$40
SAT range	N/A	1340 - 1515
ACT range	26 - 31	29 - 33
Students submitting SAT score		35.0%
Students submitting ACT score	28.0%	39.0%
Total number of applicants	3,799	9,046
Total number of admissions given out	2,757	2,828
Admitted students who chose to enroll	551	601
Yield rate	20.0%	21.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$63,270	$76,357
Average net price	$27,657	$30,939
Tuition	$49,950	$60,288
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,750 Meal plan: $3,950	Room/dormitory: $7,272 Meal plan: $6,270
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $33,174	87.0% Average amount $42,832
Students receiving federal student loan	49.0% Average amount $6,197	39.0% Average amount $4,799
Students taking out private loans	17.0% Average amount $14,100	29.0% Average amount $4,321

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,251 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%	2,244 Men 43.3% Women 56.7%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	19.2%	N/A
International students	3.6%	13.5%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,125	1,332
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Minnesota Wisconsin South Dakota Texas Illinois	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Psychology Business Health Professions	Mathematics and Statistics Foreign Languages and Literatures Multidisciplinary Studies Social Sciences Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	78.4%	89.7%
Dropout rate	9.3%	10.0%
Transferred out	12.3%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $64,196 Year 3: $72,945 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,715 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $68,688 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,092 Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $66,456 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,254 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $60,313 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,068 Year 2: $48,302 Year 3: $52,394 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,694 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $48,449 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,021 Year 2: $42,166 Year 3: $45,271 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,866 Year 2: $38,829 Year 3: $42,958 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,044 Year 2: $35,179 Year 3: $41,058 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,638 Year 2: $36,745 Year 3: $39,885	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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