St. Olaf College

St. Olaf College is a private, religious school in a small town setting in Northfield, Minnesota. St Olaf College was founded in 1874 and enrolls 2,953 undergrads and no graduate students. St Olaf College offers on-campus housing for up to 2,770 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.

There are many ways for students to get involved at St Olaf College! Love music or performing? Sing in a chorus or perform with one of St Olaf College's theater groups.

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

There are no fraternities or sororities at St Olaf College, so it might be a good choice if you're not interested in Greek life.

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

Learn more about life at St Olaf College on the Student Life page.

Mark your calendar! The final application deadline for Fall 2022 is January 15. Regular decision applicants for Fall 2022 should find out if they got admitted by March 20.

Is St Olaf College a Good School?

There is no one way to define a "good" college or university. Admissions difficulty and admitted student statistics can give you a sense of how selective a university is, but they don't say much about the quality of the education or the student experience. However, there are a few good ways to get a better sense how satisfied students are and how well a school supports its student body.

Let's take a look at all of these areas to get a better sense of what St Olaf College offers and if it sounds like the right college for you.

2021 Acceptance Rate for St. Olaf College

It is very difficult to get into St Olaf College. Around 51% of applicants get into St Olaf College each year. Last year, 5,229 students applied to St Olaf College and 2,656 were admitted.

Retention and Graduation Rates at St Olaf College

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

About 91% of students who start at St Olaf College come back the next year. Compare this to the average six-year graduation rate for colleges and universities in the U.S., which is around 61% for public schools and 67% for private.

Job Outlook St Olaf College Graduates

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

St Olaf 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. St Olaf College's endowment was valued at $516.3 million in 2021, compared to a national average of $905 million. The school spends $55,475,361 for each full-time student enrolled.

Tuition and Financial Aid at St Olaf 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. St Olaf College meets 97% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. The average financial aid package for a full-time, first-year student is around $44,708 a year.

Graduates in the class of 2021 had an average of $29,257 in student loans per borrower. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2022-2023 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2021

Some aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA as soon as you can. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! You should never have to pay to submit 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 St Olaf College. Based on this information, how does St Olaf College sound? Remember, the best school for one person may not be the right school for someone else! So ask yourself: Is St Olaf College a good school for you?

If St. Olaf College seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

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Where is St Olaf College?

St Olaf College is located in the small town setting of Northfield, Minnesota, less than an hour from Minneapolis-St. Paul.

If you want to see St Olaf College for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take Interstate 35 to Northfield, 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 St Olaf College and Northfield are like without leaving home.

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