More selective than 74% of Minnesota colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $67,613. College Scorecard.
Higher than 86% of Minnesota colleges we cover and 87% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 81% of Minnesota colleges we cover and 81% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Gustavus Adolphus College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 4,450 applicants, Gustavus Adolphus College admitted 2,750 and 499 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Gustavus Adolphus College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Gustavus Adolphus College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Gustavus Adolphus College took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Minnesota. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $12,015 | $50,223 | 1.8 years |
| $30–48k | $10,783 | $45,073 | 1.6 years |
| $48–75k | $13,875 | $57,997 | 2.1 years |
| $75–110k | $19,015 | $79,483 | 2.9 years |
| $110k+ | $29,674 | $124,037 | 4.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (63% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($65,607) minus $38,184 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $27,423 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Gustavus Adolphus College majors, earnings & careers
Gustavus Adolphus College offers 38 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 12
- Science & Math · 8
- Arts & Design · 4
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 4
- Business & Finance · 3
- Education · 3
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Gustavus Adolphus College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | $95,200 | $26,959 |
| Economics | $91,252 | $24,474 |
| Nursing | $86,114 | $27,000 |
| Business | $79,260 | $25,625 |
| Physics | $73,540 | $26,000 |
| Communications | $69,423 | $27,000 |
| Political Science | $62,218 | $27,000 |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | $62,016 | — |
Quick list of all 38 majors
- Accounting$95,200
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$54,202
- Business$79,260
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Communications$69,423
- Computer Science—
- Dance—
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Economics$91,252
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$47,629
- Education (Subject Teaching)$48,822
- English$46,987
- Environmental Science / Conservation$49,758
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- History—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$57,870
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Nursing$86,114
- Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution—
- Philosophy—
- Physics$73,540
- Political Science$62,218
- Psychology$53,277
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$62,016
- Statistics—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Mankato
Overall prices in the Mankato, MN area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,230. Housing costs 20% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 32 inches of rain a year, 38 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Nicollet County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Nicollet County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Gustavus Adolphus College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Minnesota by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gustavus Adolphus College | 61% | $22,900 | 77% | $65,607 | This school |
| Concordia College at Moorhead | 63% | $24,902 | 61% | $59,317 | |
| St Olaf College | 48% | $23,874 | 84% | $65,543 | |
| Northwestern Health Sciences University | — | $35,887 | 0% | $48,666 | |
| Bethel University | 88% | $28,556 | 71% | $63,764 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Gustavus Adolphus College would cost you $2,002 less per year than Concordia College at Moorhead, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Gustavus Adolphus College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$24,906).
- Gustavus Adolphus College gives aided families $23,673 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Minnesota resident | Gustavus Adolphus College | Concordia College at Moorhead | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $56,076 | $31,170 | +$24,906 |
| Books & supplies | $900 | $900 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $11,290 | $11,880 | −$590 |
| Personal & travel | $1,180 | $3,400 | −$2,220 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,833 | −$1,408 | −$425 |
| Sticker price | $67,613 | $45,942 | +$21,671 |
| Average grants | −$44,713 | −$21,040 | −$23,673 |
| You pay | $22,900 | $24,902 | −$2,002 |
“+” means Gustavus Adolphus College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Gustavus Adolphus College
What is the Gustavus Adolphus College acceptance rate?
Gustavus Adolphus College accepts 61% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,750 of 4,450 applicants were admitted.
How much does Gustavus Adolphus College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $67,613 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $22,900 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,015 and families earning $110k+ pay $29,674.
How much do Gustavus Adolphus College graduates earn?
Former Gustavus Adolphus College students earn a median $65,607 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Gustavus Adolphus College graduation rate?
77% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 88% return for their second year.
How long does a Gustavus Adolphus College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Gustavus Adolphus College costs about $57,997 after grants ($13,875 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $65,607 ten years after starting, $27,423 more than high school graduates in Minnesota ($38,184), so the cost is repaid in 2.1 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is Gustavus Adolphus College the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing Gustavus Adolphus College with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Gustavus Adolphus College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/gustavus-adolphus-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).