# St Olaf College

Private nonprofit college in Northfield, MN. IPEDS ID 174844.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/st-olaf-college · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/st-olaf-college.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 48% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $23,874 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 84%; beats 92% of MN colleges and 92% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $65,543; beats 78% of MN colleges and 80% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $23,250

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $10,404 |
| 30-48k | $11,342 |
| 48-75k | $12,584 |
| 75-110k | $20,367 |
| 110k+ | $33,166 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.05 years on average (79% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $65,543 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $38,184 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MN (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $10,404 | $42,136 | 1.5 years |
| 30-48k | $11,342 | $45,935 | 1.7 years |
| 48-75k | $12,584 | $50,965 | 1.9 years |
| 75-110k | $20,367 | $82,486 | 3.0 years |
| 110k+ | $33,166 | $134,322 | 4.9 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $71,843
- Tuition and fees: $59,760
- Housing and meals: $13,000; books: $1,000

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 660–740; SAT math: 640–730; ACT: 28–32 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 5,956 applicants, 3,106 admitted, 825 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 48%, ACT 28–32 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 52%, ACT 28–32 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (36 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $82,278 | $122,912 | $23,875 |
| Mathematics | $58,825 | $87,691 | $23,000 |
| Economics | $56,238 | $84,559 | $27,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $33,577 | $66,314 | $25,000 |
| Biology | $36,429 | $62,818 | $24,500 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | not reported | $60,225 | $24,644 |
| Political Science | $30,953 | $57,869 | $24,250 |
| Psychology (Research) | $35,070 | $56,282 | $25,000 |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | $28,288 | $54,100 | $23,480 |
| Psychology | not reported | $53,666 | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | $32,094 | $53,232 | $24,830 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $47,807 | $51,909 | $27,000 |
| Social Work | $45,146 | $50,611 | $27,000 |
| English | $29,398 | $49,382 | $25,715 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $29,921 | $48,137 | $24,455 |
| Area Studies | $35,569 | $47,677 | $21,000 |
| Theatre | not reported | $45,023 | $21,000 |
| Studio Art | $26,870 | $44,287 | $25,000 |
| History | not reported | $42,538 | $25,812 |
| Music | $24,732 | $42,439 | $23,750 |
| Religious Studies | $36,329 | $37,335 | $25,000 |
| Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean) | $27,328 | not reported | $22,602 |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| German | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Classics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Medieval and Renaissance Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Classical and Ancient Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | $23,000 |
| Religious Music and Worship | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | $44,020 | not reported | $24,988 |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | $23,762 |
| Dance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Film and Photography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Nursing | $76,078 | not reported | $27,000 |

## Major to career
- Biology → Biological technician: median wage not reported (metro), $48,130 (MN), $57,510 (U.S.)
- Computer Science → Software developer: median wage not reported (metro), $130,050 (MN), $135,980 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).