St Olaf College vs Hamilton College

St Olaf College and Hamilton College, both highly regarded liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. St Olaf, rooted in the Lutheran tradition, emphasizes global citizenship and community engagement, while Hamilton, known for its rigorous academics, fosters intellectual curiosity and leadership. With acceptance rates of 49% and 17%, respectively, they cater to different levels of selectivity. St Olaf's student body is more diverse, with international students comprising 12% of the population compared to Hamilton's 9%. While both colleges excel in the humanities and social sciences, St Olaf is particularly strong in music and nursing, while Hamilton stands out in economics and government. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' unique strengths and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Hamilton College	St Olaf College
Overview
Location	Clinton, New York	Northfield, Minnesota
Campus setting	Suburb: 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	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	94.0%	91.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	14.1%	47.4%
Application fees	$60
SAT range	1410 - 1540	1240 - 1430
ACT range	33 - 35	28 - 33
Students submitting SAT score	32.0%	16.0%
Students submitting ACT score	20.0%	39.0%
Total number of applicants	9,380	6,494
Total number of admissions given out	1,320	3,080
Admitted students who chose to enroll	533	755
Yield rate	40.4%	24.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	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	$76,700	$66,570
Average net price	$26,803	$27,729
Tuition	$59,380	$52,670
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,320 Meal plan: $6,910	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)	55.0% Average amount $47,867	100.0% Average amount $37,281
Students receiving federal student loan	35.0% Average amount $4,331	49.0% Average amount $5,006
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $25,195	9.0% Average amount $15,087

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,055 Men 45.8% Women 54.2%	2,988 Men 42.2% Women 57.8%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	6.8%	10.2%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	2,057	2,703
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Physical Science Mathematics and Statistics	Social Sciences Ethnic Studies Foreign Languages and Literatures Mathematics and Statistics Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	91.5%	85.0%
Dropout rate	0.8%	3.9%
Transferred out	6.8%	11.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,571 Year 2: $63,501 Year 3: $84,359 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,593 Year 2: $59,045 Year 3: $74,628 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,577 Year 2: $53,894 Year 3: $56,960 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $51,273 Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,772 Year 3: N/A International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: N/A Public Policy Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: N/A Research and Experimental Psychology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,978 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: N/A Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: N/A	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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