College
- AcademicsA+
- ValueA
- DiversityA-
- CampusA
- AthleticsB-
- Party SceneC+
- ProfessorsA
- LocationC+
- DormsA-
- Campus FoodA+
- Student LifeB+
- SafetyB
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Athletic Division
NCAA Division III (with football)
Athletic Conference
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
St. Olaf College Rankings
Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.
St. Olaf Admissions
Acceptance Rate
50%
SAT Range
1190-1410
ACT Range
25-32
Application Fee
$0
SAT/ACT
Considered but not required
High School GPA
Required
Early Decision/Early Action
Yes
Application Website
Will You Get Into St. Olaf?
Test Scores and High School GPA for St. Olaf College See Other Colleges
Cost
Net Price
$26,894/ year
National
$15,523Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Average Total Aid Awarded
$31,436/ year
National
$7,535Students Receiving Financial Aid
97%
Academics
Professors
A
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
12:1
Evening Degree Programs
No
- 91%
- of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.44 responses
- 64%
- of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.56 responses
- 43%
- of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.56 responses
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Majors
Students
Full-Time Enrollment
3,023Undergrads
Part-Time Undergrads
25
Undergrads Over 25
0%
Pell Grant
20%
Varsity Athletes
18%
Campus Life
Freshmen Live On-Campus
100%
Poll
- 87%
- of students say they don't have Greek life.46 responses
Poll
- 69%
- of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.77 responses
After College
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$50,400/ year
National
$33,028Graduation Rate
86%
National
49%Employed 2 Years After Graduation
95%
National
83%- 76%
- of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.29 responses
St. Olaf College Reviews
713 reviews
All Categories
For a lot of prospective students, the religious affiliation of this school puts them off, and I can say that I was skeptical about it myself, however, while the school is affiliated with the Lutheran Church it isn't overtly religious or forced onto you. The college is quite liberal and welcoming of students from different backgrounds and identities including LGBTQ+ students and other religions. Another thing that I have been pleasantly surprised with is downtown Northfield. To outsiders, it seems way too small and dreary when actually it's quite the contrary. There are the most wonderful quaint cafes and shops downtown that make for a nice break from academics or Saturday brunch with friends- my favorite cafe is "Goodbye Blue Monday". Being a vibrant college town, the social and party scene isn't limited or boring EVER because Carleton College is just across the river and the students from the two colleges get along well and have joint events.
Being a student at St. Olaf has been stressful, relaxing, fun, musical, awe-inspiring, and an impactful learning experience. Classes are rigorous, but being challenged is part of learning. Its been relaxing because every place offers resources to stress-relieve students during finals week. Our residence hall had snacks every night during finals week, and cookies & hot chocolate/tea all day. Stav Hall even opens at night and serves breakfast because everyone's staying up late to study. Places like the Taylor center, CAAS, etc, all host events meant to be relaxing. The pause crossroads even brought puppies for students to play with as a means to coax us into stepping away from all the studying, and to relax for a bit. People go sledding down the hill behind Old Main at night because they can.
St. Olaf College is an extremely competitive college to get into being one of the best institutions in Minnesota as well as nationally. St Olaf has a top notch Music Department and program that parallels prestigious conservatories with internationally touring Choirs, Bands and Orchestras. While the college is religiously affiliated , the school is liberal and accepting. The cafeteria is easily one of the best in the country and the campus is stunning and modern. Academic rigor is at a very high level and demands the very best of students. St Olaf College has been the right choice for me.