St Olaf College vs Williams College

St Olaf College and Williams College, both highly regarded liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. St Olaf, a Christian college in Northfield, Minnesota, boasts a 98% acceptance rate, while Williams, a secular college in Williamstown, Massachusetts, has a highly selective 13% acceptance rate. St Olaf's student body is predominantly white (86%) and female (56%), while Williams' student body is more diverse, with 53% white students and a 50-50 gender ratio. Both colleges offer a wide range of majors, with popular choices at St Olaf including nursing, biology, and music, and popular choices at Williams including economics, English, and political science. With graduation rates of 84% and 96% respectively, both institutions ensure that their students are well-prepared for their post-graduate endeavors. Explore the comparison table below to delve deeper into the differences between these two excellent colleges and find the one that best
St Olaf College logo

St Olaf College

Williams College logo

Williams College

Overview

Location Northfield, Minnesota Williamstown, Massachusetts
Campus setting Town: Distant Town: Fringe
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system 4-1-4 4-1-4
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 91.0% 97.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Evangelical

Admission

Acceptance rate 47.4% 8.8%
Application fees $65
SAT range 1240 - 1430 N/A
ACT range 28 - 33 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 16.0%
Students submitting ACT score 39.0%
Total number of applicants 6,494 12,452
Total number of admissions given out 3,080 1,099
Admitted students who chose to enroll 755 574
Yield rate 24.5% 52.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA 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 $66,570 $78,060
Average net price $27,729 $14,487
Tuition $52,670 $59,350
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $5,720

Meal plan: $6,280
Room/dormitory: $7,625

Meal plan: $7,375
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $37,281
52.0%
Average amount $52,053
Students receiving federal student loan 49.0%
Average amount $5,006
13.0%
Average amount $3,992
Students taking out private loans 9.0%
Average amount $15,087
2.0%
Average amount $3,884

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,988
Men 42.2% Women 57.8%
2,174
Men 48.1% Women 51.9%
Graduate students N/A 50
Men 44.0% Women 56.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 10.2% 9.8%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 2,703 2,045
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Social Sciences
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Social Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Ethnic Studies
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 6:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 85.0% 93.8%
Dropout rate 3.9% 3.1%
Transferred out 11.0% 1.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $109,470
  • Year 2: $96,183
  • Year 3: $99,047
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $83,280
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $91,723
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,217
  • Year 2: $53,358
  • Year 3: $63,034
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,948
  • Year 2: $44,384
  • Year 3: $48,967
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,036
  • Year 2: $49,464
  • Year 3: $44,771
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,993
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: $43,402
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,135
  • Year 2: $40,461
  • Year 3: $41,065
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,760
  • Year 2: $34,704
  • Year 3: $37,587
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,029
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $26,432
Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $35,668
  • Year 2: $25,525
  • Year 3: $14,771

Compare Similar Colleges

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