St Olaf College vs Macalester College

St Olaf College and Macalester College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions in Minnesota, offer distinct educational experiences. St Olaf, rooted in the Lutheran tradition, boasts a higher acceptance rate (58%) compared to Macalester's selective admissions (38%). While St Olaf excels in music and nursing programs, Macalester shines in international studies and political science. St Olaf's student body leans slightly more female (53%), while Macalester's is evenly balanced. Both colleges boast impressive graduation rates, with St Olaf's at 84% and Macalester's at 83%. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details and discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Macalester College	St Olaf College
Overview
Location	Saint Paul, Minnesota	Northfield, Minnesota
Campus setting	City: Large	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	96.0%	91.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	31.3%	47.4%
Application fees	$40
SAT range	1340 - 1515	1240 - 1430
ACT range	29 - 33	28 - 33
Students submitting SAT score	35.0%	16.0%
Students submitting ACT score	39.0%	39.0%
Total number of applicants	9,046	6,494
Total number of admissions given out	2,828	3,080
Admitted students who chose to enroll	601	755
Yield rate	21.3%	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)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$76,357	$66,570
Average net price	$30,939	$27,729
Tuition	$60,288	$52,670
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,272 Meal plan: $6,270	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)	87.0% Average amount $42,832	100.0% Average amount $37,281
Students receiving federal student loan	39.0% Average amount $4,799	49.0% Average amount $5,006
Students taking out private loans	29.0% Average amount $4,321	9.0% Average amount $15,087

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,244 Men 43.3% Women 56.7%	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	13.5%	10.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,332	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	Mathematics and Statistics Foreign Languages and Literatures Multidisciplinary Studies Social Sciences Computer and Information Science	Social Sciences Ethnic Studies Foreign Languages and Literatures Mathematics and Statistics Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	89.7%	85.0%
Dropout rate	10.0%	3.9%
Transferred out	N/A	11.0%
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	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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