North Central vs St Olaf College

North Central College and St Olaf College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. North Central, located in Naperville, Illinois, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. St Olaf, nestled in Northfield, Minnesota, stands out for its strong liberal arts tradition and emphasis on music. While North Central's student body is more diverse, St Olaf's student body is predominantly White. Both colleges offer a wide range of academic programs, with popular majors such as Business, Biology, and Psychology. However, St Olaf has a slightly higher graduation rate, indicating a strong commitment to student success. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	North Central College	St Olaf College
Overview
Location	Naperville, Illinois	Northfield, Minnesota
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	77.0%	91.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	68.4%	47.4%
Application fees	$25
SAT range	1030 - 1230	1240 - 1430
ACT range	22 - 28	28 - 33
Students submitting SAT score	43.0%	16.0%
Students submitting ACT score	17.0%	39.0%
Total number of applicants	4,551	6,494
Total number of admissions given out	3,113	3,080
Admitted students who chose to enroll	512	755
Yield rate	16.4%	24.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$61,098	$66,570
Average net price	$26,207	$27,729
Tuition	$42,026	$52,670
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,998 Meal plan: $3,890	Room/dormitory: $5,720 Meal plan: $6,280
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $28,670	100.0% Average amount $37,281
Students receiving federal student loan	60.0% Average amount $5,156	49.0% Average amount $5,006
Students taking out private loans	25.0% Average amount $6,992	9.0% Average amount $15,087

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,404 Men 48.4% Women 51.6%	2,988 Men 42.2% Women 57.8%
Graduate students	324 Men 29.3% Women 70.7%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	26.8%	N/A
International students	3.7%	10.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,333	2,703
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Illinois Wisconsin Indiana Ohio Michigan	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts	Social Sciences Ethnic Studies Foreign Languages and Literatures Mathematics and Statistics Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	64.4%	85.0%
Dropout rate	35.1%	3.9%
Transferred out	N/A	11.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,561 Year 2: $63,501 Year 3: $74,669 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $63,155 Year 2: $62,260 Year 3: $71,061 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,815 Year 2: $58,921 Year 3: $66,245 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,117 Year 2: $46,478 Year 3: $64,795 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,621 Year 2: $45,305 Year 3: $51,292 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,923 Year 2: $43,240 Year 3: $50,109 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,795 Year 2: $43,000 Year 3: $49,516 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,391 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $47,721 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,154 Year 2: $45,584 Year 3: $46,743 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,411 Year 2: $40,441 Year 3: $44,647	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,475 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $85,264 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,389 Year 2: $60,623 Year 3: $67,970 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,177 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $61,505 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,461 Year 2: $42,123 Year 3: $48,934 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,797 Year 2: $46,478 Year 3: $47,009 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,149 Year 2: $38,829 Year 3: $45,715 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,228 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $44,563 Sociology and Anthropology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,528 Year 2: $31,708 Year 3: $42,811 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,398 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $41,551 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,226 Year 2: $23,166 Year 3: $38,521

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North Central vs St Olaf College

North Central College

St Olaf College

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Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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