Private nonprofit · College
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota · Distant town
- 48.3%
- Admit rate
- $23,874
- Avg net price
- 84%
- Graduation rate
- $65,543
- Median earnings
St Olaf College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Northfield, Minnesota (distant town setting), enrolling 3,093 undergraduates. It has a Evangelical Lutheran Church religious affiliation.
Will you get in?
See where your numbers land against St Olaf College's admitted students.
- Admit rate
- 48.3%
- SAT (mid 50%)
- 1300–1470
- Avg GPA
- 3.75
Enter a test score to see where you land against St Olaf College's admitted students.
A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and St Olaf College's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.
About Northfield, Minnesota
Northfield is a city in Rice County, Minnesota, United States. The Wahpekute settled in the Big Woods region, which included most of what is now Northfield and Faribault. The Wahpekute used the Cannon and Straight rivers for easy transportation and game hunting. On September 7, 1876, Northfield experienced one of its most important historical events, when The James-Younger Gang attempted a robbery on the First National Bank of Northfield. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Distant town
- Highest degree offered
- Bachelor's
- Nearest big city
- 36 miles to Minneapolis, MN
- To Great Lakes shore
- 165 miles
- Nearest airport
- 29 miles to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP) · major hub
How St Olaf College compares
More selective than 85% · #5 most selective of 35 in Minnesota
Higher than 88%
Higher than 92% · #4 of 39 in Minnesota
Higher than 89%
Higher than 78% · #8 of 38 in Minnesota
Cheaper than 33% · #24 cheapest of 39 in Minnesota
Lower than 24%
Lower than 68%
Larger than 70%
Percentiles compare St Olaf College with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Minnesota.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women1,67954%
- Men1,41446%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White67%
- Black3.1%
- Hispanic9.7%
- Asian4.9%
- Other or multiracial16%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 3,093
- Student–faculty ratio
- 11 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 21%
- First-generation students
- 13%
- Students over 25
- 0%
- Median family income
- $90,436
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $82,962
- Endowment
- $803,770,786
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 48.3%
- Test scores
- Considered but not required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- 1300–1470
- SAT average
- 1380
- SAT reading
- 660–740
- SAT math
- 640–730
- ACT composite
- 28–32
- Average GPA
- 3.75
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $59,760
- Room & board
- $13,630
- Books & supplies
- $1,000
- Total cost of attendance
- $71,843
- Average net price
- $23,874
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 84%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 77%
- First-year retention
- 92%
- Transferred to another college
- 11%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $48,373
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $65,543
- Median debt at graduation
- $26,000
- Students with federal loans
- 42%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 87%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 2,987
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 97%
- Housing charge (year)
- $6,280
- Meal plan (year)
- $6,800
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NCAA Division III with football
- Football conference
- Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
- Varsity athletes
- 793 (457 men · 336 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (16)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- C
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 4.5 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 40
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 2
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (3,124 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$12,584/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
St Olaf College discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $39,589. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 869 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $65,543
- Typical debt at graduation
- $26,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 40%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 70%
Typical debt would take roughly 4.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $4,132 (6%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 82°F
- Winter low
- 5°F
- Annual rain
- 35.5″
- Annual snow
- 43.3″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Faribault, MN US station (11.3 mi from campus).
What St Olaf College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to St Olaf College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare St Olaf College side by side →
Rhodes College
Memphis, Tennessee · Large city · 3 mi to Memphis
- Students
- 1,836
- Admission
- 50%
- Net price
- $29k
- SAT
- 1362
- GPA
- 3.8
- Earnings
- $67k
Furman University
Greenville, South Carolina · Large suburb · 6 mi to Greenville
- Students
- 2,379
- Admission
- 43%
- Net price
- $30k
- SAT
- 1371
- GPA
- 3.7
- Earnings
- $69k
St Lawrence University
Canton, New York · Remote town · 96 mi to Burlington
- Students
- 1,918
- Admission
- 54%
- Net price
- $29k
- SAT
- 1371
- GPA
- 3.8
- Earnings
- $67k
Clark University
Worcester, Massachusetts · Midsize city · 1 mi to Worcester
- Students
- 2,214
- Admission
- 40%
- Net price
- $29k
- SAT
- 1370
- GPA
- 3.8
- Earnings
- $62k
Centre College
Danville, Kentucky · Distant town · 31 mi to Lexington
- Students
- 1,400
- Admission
- 54%
- Net price
- $21k
- SAT
- 1352
- GPA
- 3.8
- Earnings
- $66k
DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana · Distant town · 38 mi to Indianapolis
- Students
- 1,905
- Admission
- 57%
- Net price
- $22k
- SAT
- 1340
- GPA
- 3.9
- Earnings
- $71k
Colleges near St Olaf College
Carleton College
Northfield, MN · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 2,086 students
Dakota County Technical College
Rosemount, MN · Public · Associate · 2,168 students
Hastings Beauty School
Hastings, MN · Private for-profit · Certificate · 22 students
Empire Beauty School-Bloomington
Bloomington, MN · Private for-profit · Certificate · 128 students
Inver Hills Community College
Inver Grove Heights, MN · Public · Associate · 2,193 students
Normandale Community College
Bloomington, MN · Public · Associate · 7,044 students
Northwestern Health Sciences University
Bloomington, MN · Private nonprofit · Associate · 271 students
Academy College
Bloomington, MN · Private for-profit · Bachelor's · 56 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.











