Macalester College vs Stanford

Macalester College and Stanford University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Macalester, a liberal arts college nestled in Saint Paul, Minnesota, boasts a tight-knit community and a focus on undergraduate teaching. Stanford, a prestigious research university located in the heart of Silicon Valley, is renowned for its academic excellence and groundbreaking research. With acceptance rates of 22% and 4%, respectively, these institutions cater to different applicant pools. Macalester's popular majors include political science, economics, and biology, while Stanford students often pursue degrees in computer science, engineering, and business. Explore the comparison table below to delve into further details about these institutions, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, to determine which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Macalester College logo

Macalester College

Stanford University logo

Stanford University

Overview

Location Saint Paul, Minnesota Stanford, California
Campus setting City: Large Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Quarter
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 96.0% 98.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation Presbyterian

Admission

Acceptance rate 31.3% 3.9%
Application fees $40
Undergraduate: $90

Graduate: $125
SAT range 1340 - 1515 1470 - 1570
ACT range 29 - 33 34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 35.0% 15.0%
Students submitting ACT score 39.0% 11.0%
Total number of applicants 9,046 55,471
Total number of admissions given out 2,828 2,190
Admitted students who chose to enroll 601 1,757
Yield rate 21.3% 80.2%
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) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $76,357 $78,898
Average net price $30,939 $14,402
Tuition $60,288 $55,473
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $7,272

Meal plan: $6,270
Room/dormitory: $11,166

Meal plan: $6,694
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

87.0%
Average amount $42,832
61.0%
Average amount $56,211
Students receiving federal student loan 39.0%
Average amount $4,799
5.0%
Average amount $5,151
Students taking out private loans 29.0%
Average amount $4,321
1.0%
Average amount $17,186

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,244
Men 43.3% Women 56.7%
7,645
Men 49.4% Women 50.6%
Graduate students N/A 10,035
Men 56.5% Women 43.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A 58.5%
International students 13.5% 24.4%
Campus local/setting City: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,332 14,621
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A California Texas Washington New York Illinois

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Social Sciences
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 5:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 89.7% 95.5%
Dropout rate 10.0% 1.7%
Transferred out N/A 0.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $151,574
  • Year 2: $170,457
  • Year 3: $210,837
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $159,729
  • Year 2: $168,942
  • Year 3: $203,193
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $164,734
  • Year 2: $163,337
  • Year 3: $187,054
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $137,457
  • Year 2: $150,874
  • Year 3: $173,548
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $136,126
  • Year 2: $136,499
  • Year 3: $165,375
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $128,556
  • Year 2: $135,709
  • Year 3: $157,500
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $123,354
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $139,234
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,326
  • Year 2: $111,435
  • Year 3: $126,185
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,457
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $107,477
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,475
  • Year 2: $85,391
  • Year 3: $104,592

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