St Olaf College vs Kenyon College

St. Olaf College and Kenyon College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. St. Olaf, rooted in the Lutheran tradition, boasts a higher acceptance rate (54%) compared to Kenyon's selective admissions (32%). While St. Olaf's student body is predominantly white (84%), Kenyon's student body is more diverse, with 54% white students. Both colleges excel in academics, with St. Olaf's popular majors including music, biology, and economics, while Kenyon's strengths lie in English, history, and political science. St. Olaf's graduation rate stands at 83%, while Kenyon's is slightly higher at 86%. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two exceptional colleges. Dive into the details and discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Kenyon College logo

Kenyon College

St Olaf College logo

St Olaf College

Overview

Location Gambier, Ohio Northfield, Minnesota
Campus setting Town: Distant 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 91.0% 91.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Evangelical

Admission

Acceptance rate 36.5% 47.4%
Application fees
SAT range 1340 - 1500 1240 - 1430
ACT range 31 - 34 28 - 33
Students submitting SAT score 25.0% 16.0%
Students submitting ACT score 28.0% 39.0%
Total number of applicants 7,601 6,494
Total number of admissions given out 2,778 3,080
Admitted students who chose to enroll 508 755
Yield rate 18.3% 24.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA 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 $80,270 $66,570
Average net price $38,927 $27,729
Tuition $63,060 $52,670
Room & board $13,310
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)

79.0%
Average amount $32,553
100.0%
Average amount $37,281
Students receiving federal student loan 26.0%
Average amount $3,119
49.0%
Average amount $5,006
Students taking out private loans 13.0%
Average amount $3,894
9.0%
Average amount $15,087

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,875
Men 45.6% Women 54.4%
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 10.3% 10.2%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity 1,868 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
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Social Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • History
  • Social Sciences
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio 9:1 12:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 86.5% 85.0%
Dropout rate 6.5% 3.9%
Transferred out 6.9% 11.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,959
  • Year 2: $50,856
  • Year 3: $69,651
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,994
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: $32,958
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,057
  • Year 2: $23,456
  • Year 3: $28,026
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $26,739
  • Year 3: N/A
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $28,055
  • Year 3: N/A
International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: N/A
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,334
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $35,060
  • Year 3: N/A
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $18,841
  • Year 2: $25,967
  • Year 3: N/A
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,181
  • Year 2: N/A
  • 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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