Private nonprofit · College

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota · Distant town

#4 graduation rate in Minnesota#5 most selective in Minnesota
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.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 3,093 undergradsDistant townSelective · 48% admitNCAA Division III with football · Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

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
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

Selectivity48.3%

More selective than 85% · #5 most selective of 35 in Minnesota

SAT average1380

Higher than 88%

Graduation rate84%

Higher than 92% · #4 of 39 in Minnesota

First-year retention92%

Higher than 89%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$65,543

Higher than 78% · #8 of 38 in Minnesota

Average net price$23,874

Cheaper than 33% · #24 cheapest of 39 in Minnesota

Median debt at graduation$26,000

Lower than 24%

Student–faculty ratio11 : 1

Lower than 68%

Undergraduate enrollment3,093

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

3,093undergrads
  • 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)

All students
77%
Low-income (Pell)
82%
First-generation
78%

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)

Track and Field (Indoor)127
Track and Field (Outdoor)127
Football100
Cross Country71
Soccer64
Ice Hockey61
Baseball41
Basketball29
Swimming and Diving (combined)29
Other Sports29
Volleyball23
Tennis22
Swimming20
Softball18
Golf17
Skiing15

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.

14reported offenses a year
13 violent a year0.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
9.7
Fondling
3.3
Arson
0.7
Aggravated assault
0.3

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.

< $30k
$10,404
$30–48k
$11,342
$48–75k
$12,584
$75–110k
$20,367
$110k+
$33,166

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.

Est. total to a degree
$51,815

$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.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$39,589
average award, among those who get one

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.

Solid value

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.

Women
$64,468
Men
$68,600

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

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.85.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Faribault, MN US station (11.3 mi from campus).

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 →

Colleges near St Olaf College

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.