Macalester College

Macalester College Overview

Macalester College is a private, nonprofit school in the city of St. Paul, Minnesota. Macalester College was founded in 1874 and the school enrolls around 2,247 students per year, which includes 2,247 undergrads. Macalester College provides on-campus housing for up to 1,300 students. The majority of students live on campus, and first year-students are required to live in campus housing. On the weekends, about 90% of students stay on-campus and participate in campus events and social life.

📆 Mark your calendar! The final application deadline for Fall 2023 is January 15. Regular decision applicants for Fall 2023 should hear from Macalester College by March 31.

Student Involvement at Macalester College

Are you interested in music or performing? Sing in a chorus or perform with one of Macalester College's theater groups.

Interested in journalism or communications? Macalester College students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Macalester College does not have any fraternities or sororities, do it might be a good option if Greek life isn't a priority for you.

Planning to play sports? Macalester College has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at Macalester College on the Student Life page.

Is Macalester College a Good School?

The definition of a "good school" can mean different things for different people. Some factors that can help you determine what a good school for you might be include admissions criteria, acceptance rate, tuition costs, and more.

Let's take a closer look at these factors to get a clearer idea of what Macalester College offers and if the school could be a good fit for you.

Macalester College Acceptance Rate 2022

Macalester College is very difficult to get into. Around 27% of applicants get into Macalester College each year. Last year, 9,046 students applied to Macalester College and 2,466 were admitted.

Retention and Graduation Rates at Macalester College

Retention refers to the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. It is a way to measure how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

Approximately 96% of first-year, full-time undergrads who start at Macalester Collegecome back their sophomore year. Around 90% of students who started at Macalester College earn their Bachelor's degrees within six years. The average six-year graduation rate for U.S. colleges and universities is 61% for public schools, and 67% for private, non-profit schools.

Job Outcomes for Macalester College Grads

Job placement rates after graduation and average starting salaries can all give important clues about the value of a degree from a specific school.

The average starting salary for recent Macalester College grads is $56,000 a year. Average starting salaries vary by discipline, but the average starting salary for all 2021 graduates was around $60,000 a year.

Macalester College's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students.

As of 2022, the total market value of Macalester College's endowment was $872.8 million. The average college endowment was $905 million in 2021. For each full-time student, Macalester College spends about $19,281 a year.

Tuition and Financial Aid at Macalester College

Cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need.

Macalester College meets 97.3% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. The average financial aid package for a full-time, first-year student is around $54,387 a year.

Students in the class of 2022 who had taken out student loans graduated with an average of $25,181 of debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2023-2024 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2022

Some aid is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA asap. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! No one should ever pay to fill out the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid, (FAFSA), so don't give your money (or info!) to any website that claim you do.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at Macalester College.

Based on this information, is Macalester College the school for you? Remember, the best school for one person may be a terrible fit for someone else! So ask yourself: Is Macalester College a good school for you?

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Where is Macalester College?

Macalester College is located in the urban setting of St. Paul, Minnesota.

If you want to see Macalester College for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take Interstate 94 to St. Paul, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Minneapolis-St. Paul International.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what Macalester College and St. Paul are like without leaving home.

Considering Colleges in Minnesota?

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