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A
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Academics
    A+
  2. Value
    A
  3. Diversity
    A-
  4. Campus
    A
  5. Athletics
    B-
  6. Party Scene
    C+
  7. Professors
    A-
  8. Location
    B
  9. Dorms
    A-
  10. Campus Food
    A+
  11. Student Life
    A-
  12. Safety
    B-
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St. Olaf College is ...
Private not-for-profit, Lutheran
Athletic Division
NCAA Division III (with football)
Athletic Conference
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Address
1520 St Olaf Ave
Northfield, MN 55057
Website
wp.stolaf.edu
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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.

Admissions

Acceptance Rate
45%
Application Deadline
January 15
SAT Range
1120-1400
ACT Range
26-31
Application Fee
$0
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Required
Early Decision/Early Action
Yes
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Cost

Net Price
$27,284/ year
National
$15,523
Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Net Price by Household Income
  • <$30k
    $10,929/ year
  • $30-48k
    $10,012/ year
  • $49-75k
    $15,816/ year
  • $76-110k
    $24,601/ year
  • $110k+
    $34,295/ year
Student Loan Options from Lenders
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  • Affordable fixed or variable rates
  • No application, origination or disbursement fees
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  • Loans from community lenders that put people before profits
  • Easy, online app with ability to add a cosigner in minutes
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  • Simple, straightforward student loans with an easy application
  • Flexible repayment options, and strong borrower protections

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
61%
of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.49 responses
45%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.49 responses
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Majors

Most Popular Majors
  • Biology
    122 Graduates
  • Economics
    88 Graduates
  • Mathematics & Statistics
    80 Graduates
  • Psychology
    68 Graduates
  • Chemistry
    50 Graduates
  • Political Science and Government
    50 Graduates
  • English
    46 Graduates
  • Sociology
    37 Graduates
  • Arts
    35 Graduates
  • Physics
    32 Graduates

Students

Full-Time Enrollment
2,990Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
0%
Pell Grant
17%
Varsity Athletes
18%
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
Based on 30 responses
Report
  • Busy
    27%
  • White
    23%
  • Well Rounded
    20%
  • Proactive
    13%
  • Unashamedly nerdy
    10%
  • Driven
    3%
  • Unique
    3%

Campus Life

Freshmen Live On-Campus
100%
Poll
90%
of students say they don't have Greek life.39 responses
Poll
70%
of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.70 responses
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes your school?
Based on 28 responses
Report
  • Community on the hill
    68%
  • Community of Success
    7%
  • Helpful
    7%
  • Ideals to action.
    7%
  • Fast-paced
    4%
  • Isolated
    4%
  • Unfair and boring
    4%

After College

Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$47,300/ year
National
$33,028
Graduation Rate
88%
National
49%
Employed 2 Years After Graduation
94%
National
83%
76%
of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.29 responses
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St. Olaf College Reviews

682 reviews
All Categories
Pretty campus, food is great, professors are typically very helpful and friendly (with a few exceptions), local area is good if you like cute small towns, and house parties pretty much every weekend that sometimes have live bands (usually fun but sometimes iffy depending on the weekend). Only a couple of sports teams are known to be good, like ultimate frisbee and cross country and soccer but some others like basketball are starting to get better. Definitely has issues with diversity but there is an active group of student leaders/protesters pushing for change.
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As a St. Olaf student, I feel like there are so many opportunities I have access to. Whether it's research or internships or pursuits fo further education, proactive St. Olaf students have many resources they can take advantage of. The curriculum is tough no matter what department you take courses in. Professors have extremely high expectations for their students, however they do everything in their power to build your way to those high expectations. It can be difficult to find a study/social life balance. If you cannot develop strong study habits, classes will be a struggle. There are a ton of resources available to students who haven't established study habits and professors are happy to work with students. The open-door policy is an awesome thing to take advantage of. There can be a sense of a competitive atmosphere, but usually there is a stronger sense of community and camaraderie between students because everyone is facing many of the same challenges in an academic sense.
St. Olaf College is the perfect fit for anyone in any field of interest who also wants an amazing liberal arts education. With a small, family-like campus, it seems everyone here loves St. Olaf with a passion! The food is ranked among the best in the US, and that barely compares to the college's superior quality of education. The faculty and professors are all extremely qualified in their fields and are all very helpful in making sure everyone has a successful education.