St. Olaf College (SOC)

Black Pinpoint 1520 St. Olaf Avenue | Northfield, MN | 55057

01. Overview

What the school is known for:

Founded in 1874, St. Olaf College is a liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America that views the entire undergraduate experience as an education. The college establishes a set of goals (called "STOGoals") that all students must achieve regardless of major, including self-development, civic and global engagement, and critical thinking and inquiry, and students have numerous opportunities to fulfill these goals through coursework and co-curricular activities. The Piper Center for Vocation and Career "constantly has new opportunities available for students in any field of study," science classes offer students the chance "to dip their toes in research," and nearly two-thirds of students participate in the "second to none" study abroad programs. There are endless resources in support of students, and "if you need something, St. Olaf will do everything in their power to accommodate."

Professors at St. Olaf are universally beloved, helping with "everything from a mistake on a homework assignment, a course concept that is confusing, writing a thesis for a paper, planning course schedules, and advising students on how to reach their long-term goals." The best classes "tend to include a lot of discussion and focus on the process of learning rather than the graded outcome"; indeed, academic innovation thrives at St. Olaf, with courses featuring "conversation dinners for language classes, exploratory field trips, exhibition tours for art courses, guest speakers, and interactive seminars." Professors also organize "panels of people to share their expertise and perspectives (such as a panel of local farmers when studying environmental science)." Academics are "challenging with enough resources that they're manageable," and the school "gets students ready to apply to jobs, internships, and graduate school all over the course of four years."

02. Rankings

Rankings and Lists

03. Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Applicants Icon
Applicants
6,469
Acceptance Icon
Acceptance Rate
48%
GPA Icon
Average HS GPA
3.73

Deadlines

Early Decision
November 1
Early Decision II
January 15
Early Action
November 1
Regular
January 15

SAT & ACT Test Scores

SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing

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25th-75th percentile (enrolled students)
660 - 740

SAT Math

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25th-75th percentile (enrolled students)
640 - 730

SAT Composite Scores

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25th-75th percentile (enrolled students)
1310 - 1380

ACT Composite Scores

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25th-75th percentile (enrolled students)
28 - 32

What would you score on the digital SAT today?

Take an SAT Practice Test

Testing Policies

Standardized testing policy for
use in admission:
Test Optional

Other Admission Factors Academic

Admission Factors Icon
Rigor of Secondary School Record
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Academic GPA
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Application Essay

Selectivity

4. Cost, Tuition, Expenses

Expenses per Academic Year

Tuition (Private)
$62,700
Required Fees
$0
Average Cost for Books and Supplies
$1,000
On-Campus Room and Board
$14,300
Tuition / Fees Vary by Year of Study
No
Approximate Expenses per Year
$78,000
Approximate Expenses per Year (In-State)
$15,300
Approximate Expenses per Year (Out-of-State)
$15,300

Students Also View These Schools

05. Academics

Student Faculty Icon
Student : Faculty
11.8 : 1
Acceptance Icon
Total Faculty
326
Terminal Degree Icon
Terminal Degree
276

Faculty

Women
183
Men
143
Minority
62
International
9

Class/Lab sizes

Most frequent class size
10-19
Most frequent lab/sub section size
10-19

Rating

Graduation Rates

Graduate in 4 years
79%
Graduate in 5 years
83%
Graduate in 6 years
84%

University Degrees

Bachelor's

06. Student Body

What students say:

St. Olaf College is entirely welcome to all students and faiths: "the chapel and college pastors, rabbi, [and] Muslim chaplain are very inclusive." Students feel that they are all united by "an interest and desire to learn" that often manifests itself "in deep discussions in and out of the classroom." Moreover, because the school is interdisciplinary, you're likely to get exposure to a wider variety of perspectives, as "it is not uncommon to be in a philosophy class full of biology and music majors." On the whole, Oles are "generally kind and cheerful, and with an unmatched respect for others and their property."

Gender

56% female44% male

Out of State

47% are out
of state
53% are
in-state

Students

95% are
full time
5% are
part time

Student Body Profile

Total Undergraduate Enrollment
3,123
Foreign Countries Represented
101

Student Body Demographics

American Indian or Alaskan Native
0.10%
Asian
4.91%
Black
3.14%
Hispanic
9.67%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
0.00%
White
66.70%
Two or more races
4.59%
Unknown
0.36%
International
10.54%

07. Mental Health

08. Campus Life

What students say:

Though St. Olaf is only located 45 minutes from the bustling Twin Cities, 95 percent of students live on the beautiful, alcohol-free campus, a "marvel" that leads to "a lot of school programming with relatively high attendance." This is especially true of extracurriculars: students describe being "very involved at high levels" in things like music ensembles and sports. Academics are equally taken seriously, such that "studying is also a form of hanging out for many people." That said, students do find time for relaxing, especially on weekends, which are filled with seasonal activities like "going to the pumpkin patch or apple orchard ten minutes from campus," and a main student pastime is simply "going to dinner and seeing all of their friends and then going to each other's rooms afterwards." Oles are an outdoorsy bunch, and students "have access to hundreds of acres of forest and prairie on campus to run, bike, and cross-country ski," and "the natural lands and hiking trails are often used."

Undergraduates living on campus
99%
First-Year students living on campus
99%
Campus Environment
Village
Help finding off-campus housing
No

9. Campus Visits

Campus Visits Contact

Marie New
Director of Enrollment Operations
Location Icon
Office of Admissions 1520 St. Olaf Ave. Northfield, MN 55057
Phone icon
Ph: 800-800-3025

Campus Tours

Campus Visiting Center

Phone icon
Ph: 800-800-3025

Campus Tours

Appointment Required:
Yes
Dates:
Year-round
Times:
Varies
Average Length:
1 hour

Visits

CLASS VISITS

Dates/Times Available
Academic Year
Arrangements
Contact Admissions Office

FACULTY AND COACH VISITS

Dates/Times Available
Year-round
Arrangements
Contact Admissions Office
Advance Notice
1 week

Contact Email Address for Visit

Individual coach email addresses available on staff directory page located below;

Globe Iconvisit@stolaf.edu

On Campus Interview

Campus Interviews:
Yes
Information Sessions:
Available
Times:
Varies

Overnight Dorm Stays

Overnight Dorm Stays
Not Available

Campus Tours


TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE TO CAMPUS

The Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport is 35 miles from campus. Please contact the admissions office for information regarding transportation options from the airport to campus.


DRIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO CAMPUS

From Interstate 35 (nearest four-lane thoroughfare) take Exit 69 to Highway 19 East. The main entrance to the campus is five miles east of the interstate via Highway 19. Look for a stone marker on your left as you enter Northfield city limits. You also may reach the campus via St. Olaf Avenue which intersects with Highway 3 in Northfield.

LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS

stolaf.edu/admissions/arriving-on-campus/


10. Sports & Athletics

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Athletic Division III

Participate in intramural sports
32%
Participate in intercollegiate sports
18%

Men's Sports (Oles)

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Basketball
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Cross Country
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Diving
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Football
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Golf
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Soccer
Icon
Swimming
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Tennis
Icon
Track Field Indoor
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Track Field Outdoor

Women's Sports (Oles)

Icon
Basketball
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Cross Country
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Diving
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Golf
Icon
Soccer
Icon
Softball
Icon
Swimming
Icon
Tennis
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Track Field Indoor
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Track Field Outdoor
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Volleyball

11. Housing & Activities

Campus Housing Options

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Disabled Student
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Dorms Coed

Special Needs Admissions

Director
Laura Knobel-Piehl
College Entrance Tests Required
Yes
Interview Required
No

Student Activities

Registered Student Organizations
206
Number of Honor Societies
24
Number of Social Sororities
0
Number of Religious Organizations
8
Join a fraternity
0%
Join a sorority
0%

12. Student Services

CAMPUS SECURITY REPORT

The Jeanne Clery Act requires colleges and universities to disclose their security policies, keep a public crime log, publish an annual crime report and provide timely warnings to students and campus employees about a crime posing an immediate or ongoing threat to students and campus employees.

Please visit The Princeton Review's page on campus safety for additional resources:

Visit Page
Warning Icon

The Princeton Review publishes links directly to each school's Campus Security Reports where available. Applicants can also access all school-specific campus safety information using the Campus Safety and Security Data Analysis Cutting Tool provided by the Office of Postsecondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education: https://ope.ed.gov/campussafety/#/

Other Information

Campus-wide Internet Network
Checkmark icon
Fee for Network Use
X Mark icon
Partnerships with Technology Companies
Checkmark icon
Personal computer included in tuition for each student
X Mark icon
Discounts Available with Hardware Vendors
Checkmark icon
Description Apple, GovConnection, Microsoft, and Dell

13. Financial Aid

Dates

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Application DeadlinesJan 15
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Notification DateJan 20

Required Forms

CSS PROFILE
FAFSA

Financial Aid Statistics

Average Freshman Total Need-Based Gift Aid
$54,605
Average Undergraduate Total Need-Based Gift Aid
$52,127
Average Need-Based Loan
$1,936
Undergraduates who have borrowed through any loan program
58%
Average amount of loan debt per graduate
$28,377
Average amount of each freshman scholarship/grant package
$48,575
Financial aid provided to international students
Yes

Scholarships and Grants Available

01 - College/University Scholarship or Grant Aid from Institutional Funds
02 - Federal Pell
03 - Federal SEOG
04 - Private Scholarships
05 - State Scholarships/Grants

Loans Available

01 - Direct PLUS Loans
02 - Federal Direct Subsidized Loans
03 - Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans
04 - College/university loans from institutional funds
05 - State Loans
Is Institutional Employment Available (other than Federal Work Study)
Yes

14. Career Services & Jobs

What students say:

Students say that one of St. Olaf’s greatest strengths is its Piper Center for Vocation and Career. By maintaining “strategic relationships with employers, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and donors,” the center can “maximize opportunities for students and alumni.” These relationships yield hundreds of internships exclusively available to St. Olaf students, as well as a number of internship cohort programs that allow students to work with institutions such as the Mayo Clinic or a Norwegian biotech company during their breaks. Furthermore, students say that the “vocational retreats, alumni luncheons, [and] one-on-one coaching…makes sure that all the hard work put into classes pays off.” In recent years, the center has helped students by arranging thousands of appointments with coaches and peer advisors. According to PayScale.com, 53 percent of St. Olaf alums report that they derive a high level of meaning from their careers, and graduates earn a median starting salary of $64,200.

Graduation Rates

Graduate in 4 years
79%
Graduate in 5 years
83%
Graduate in 6 years
84%

Career Services

01 - Alumni Network
02 - Alumni Services
03 - Classes
04 - Interest Inventory
05 - Internships
06 - Regional Alumni

Opportunities at School

01 - Experiential
02 - Internship

ROI & Outcomes Information from PayScale

Starting Median Salary (Up to Bachelor's degree completed, only)
$69,500
Mid-Career Median Salary (Up to Bachelor's degree completed, only)
$131,400
Starting Median Salary (At least Bachelor's degree)
$72,900
Mid-Career Median Salary (At least Bachelor's degree)
$133,700
Percent High Job Meaning
47%
Percent STEM
25%

15. Majors

Down Arrow Icon

01 AREA, ETHNIC, CULTURAL, GENDER, AND GROUP STUDIES.

  • Asian Studies/Civilization.
  • Ethnic Studies.
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other.
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies.
  • Latin American Studies.
  • Russian Studies.
  • Scandinavian Studies.
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02 BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES.

  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General.
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04 EDUCATION.

  • Education, General.
  • Music Teacher Education.
  • Social Studies Teacher Education.
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05 ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS.

  • Creative Writing.
  • English Language and Literature, General.
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06 FOREIGN LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND LINGUISTICS.

  • Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature.
  • Chinese Language and Literature.
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General.
  • French Language and Literature.
  • German Language and Literature.
  • Japanese Language and Literature.
  • Latin Language and Literature.
  • Norwegian Language and Literature.
  • Spanish Language and Literature.
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07 HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS.

  • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse.
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08 HISTORY.

  • History, General.
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09 LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, GENERAL STUDIES AND HUMANITIES.

  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies.
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10 MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS.

  • Mathematics, General.
  • Statistics, General.
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11 MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES.

  • Ancient Studies/Civilization.
  • Medieval and Renaissance Studies.
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14 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES.

  • Philosophy.
  • Religion/Religious Studies.
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15 PHYSICAL SCIENCES.

  • Chemistry, General.
  • Physics, General.
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16 PSYCHOLOGY.

  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other.
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18 SOCIAL SCIENCES.

  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics.
  • Economics, General.
  • Political Science and Government, General.
  • Sociology and Anthropology.
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20 VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS.

  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation.
  • Art/Art Studies, General.
  • Dance, General.
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General.
  • Film/Video and Photographic Arts.
  • Music Performance, General.
  • Music Theory and Composition.
  • Music, General.
  • Music, Other.
  • Musicology and Ethnomusicology.

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