BaccalaureatePrivate nonprofit

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Plains·wp.stolaf.edu
6-yr Graduation
84%
+3.5pp vs Baccalaureate
Total enrollment
3,124
peer median 2,032
Avg net price
$23,874
-$1.3k vs Baccalaureate
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data Set

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
6,623
6,623 candidates competed
Admitted
3,200
48.3% acceptance rate
Enrolled
859
26.8% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
84%+3.5pp vs Baccalaureate
4-year graduation
77%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
84%
Full-time retention
92%

Pell equity

7.5pp gap
Pell recipients
78%128 of 164
Non-Pell (all)
86%549 of 642
Subsidized loan, no Pell
82%154 of 188
No Federal Aid
87%395 of 454

Non-Pell students graduate at a 7.5-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 40 Title IV programs, 21 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 19 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
40
Passing
21
52.5% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

40programs
  • Passing21 · 52.5%
  • No Data19 · 47.5%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
2
Safe
18
No data
19

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

21
Religion/Religious Studies
Bachelor Degree · Philosophy And Religious Studies
+7.3%
$37,335 vs $34,808
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+21.9%
$42,439 vs $34,808
History
Bachelor Degree · History
+22.2%
$42,538 vs $34,808
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+27.2%
$44,287 vs $34,808
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+29.3%
$45,023 vs $34,808
Area Studies
Bachelor Degree · Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies
+37.0%
$47,677 vs $34,808
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
Bachelor Degree · Natural Resources And Conservation
+38.3%
$48,137 vs $34,808
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+41.9%
$49,382 vs $34,808

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

21
Religion/Religious Studies
Bachelor Degree · Philosophy And Religious Studies
62%
$23,250 debt · $37,335 earn
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
57%
$23,968 debt · $42,439 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Bachelor Degree · Education
52%
$27,000 debt · $51,909 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
52%
$23,000 debt · $44,287 earn
History
Bachelor Degree · History
49%
$21,000 debt · $42,538 earn
Social Work
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
49%
$25,000 debt · $50,611 earn
Area Studies
Bachelor Degree · Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies
48%
$23,000 debt · $47,677 earn
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
Bachelor Degree · Natural Resources And Conservation
47%
$22,760 debt · $48,137 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1915Next review Aug 2033

Programmatic accreditations · 7

Action history · 6

  1. Feb 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission
  2. Oct 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  3. Aug 2014Change in Agency recognition
    National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation · Art and Design (ART) - Degree-granting schools and departments and non-degree-granting programs
  4. Aug 2014Change in Agency recognition
    National Association of Schools of Dance, Commission on Accreditation · Dance (DANCE) - Institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and non-degree-granting programs
  5. Aug 2014Change in Agency recognition
    National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation · Music (MUS) - Institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and/or non-degree-granting programs

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$10,404
$30–48k$11,342
$48–75k$12,584
$75–110k$20,367
$110k+$33,166

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$23,874
-$1,280vs Baccalaureate median $25,155
Federal loans
42.0%
In-state tuition
$59,760
Out-of-state
$59,760

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 776 students received $4.6M in Pell grants, alongside $9.8M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
776
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$4.6M
$4,615,149 total
Direct Loans
$9.8M
1,866 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
’20
1k
’21
1k
’22
1k
’23
1k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$3.3M
733 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$4.3M
1,026 loan awards
Parent PLUS$2.2M
107 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 548 borrowers who entered repayment, 3 (0.5%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.5%
-1.8pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
548
Defaulted
3
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
0.5%
2017
1.0%
2018
0.8%
2019
0.5%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at St Olaf College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs52
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

743 total completions
01Social Sciences
16221.8%
02Biological Sciences
8711.7%
03Psychology
8211.0%
04Mathematics
7910.6%
05Visual/Performing Arts
7810.5%
06Physical Sciences
7510.1%
07Foreign Languages
587.8%
08Area/Ethnic Studies
435.8%
09Natural Resources
405.4%
10Computer Sciences
395.2%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
3,124
12-mo unduplicated
3,216
Undergraduate
3,216
Graduate
0

Gender split

Men
42%1,343
Women
58%1,873

Race / ethnicity composition

White
66.7%
Non-resident
10.5%
Hispanic
9.7%
Asian
4.9%
Two or more
4.6%
Black
3.1%
Unknown
0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
584
339 M · 245 W
Women athletes
42.0%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$5.8M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$36K
$24K
Head-coach salaries
$50K
$44K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 16

Track and Field (Indoor)
71 M · 56 W
$191K
Track and Field (Outdoor)
71 M · 56 W
$243K
Football
100 M · —
$627K
Cross Country
42 M · 29 W
$291K
Soccer
30 M · 34 W
$307K
Ice Hockey
28 M · 33 W
$619K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
2.60
8 offenses · 3,074 students

3-year trend

6.692 yrs ago4.601 yr ago2.60Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
42
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
35
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
1
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
3

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
5
Fondling
3

By location

8total
  • On campus8

Includes 7 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
6
Dating violence
2
Stalking
8 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons02
Drugs029
Liquor051

Residence-hall fires

  • Mohn Hall2 fires
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Mohn Hall2 fires
    CookingDamage $1,000-$9,999
  • Rand Hall1 fire
    OtherDamage $0-$99

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
11.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
247

St Olaf College vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions St Olaf College selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectSt Olaf College
84%—3,124$23,874Baccalaureate
Macalester College
87%28.5%2,138$32,149Baccalaureate
Carleton College
90%20.4%2,128$25,407Baccalaureate
Gustavus Adolphus College
77%61.0%1,906$22,900Baccalaureate
Concordia College at Moorhead
61%62.6%1,935$24,902Baccalaureate
Saint Johns University
75%90.6%1,572$25,672Baccalaureate
Peer group median81%61.0%2,032$25,155

Institutions like St Olaf College

Explore the federal data for institutions in St Olaf College's comparison group.

IPEDS

St Olaf College Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment
Email
ie-a-office [at] stolaf.edu
Phone
507-786-3910
Address
Tomson Hall 253, 1520 St. Olaf Avenue, Northfield, MN 55057

Our mission is to provide data, reports, and research that support institutional planning, strengthen teaching and learning, and promote understanding of the nature and quality of education at St. Olaf.

Visit IR office page
Team
4 members
  • Susan Canon
    Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment
  • Lauren Feiler
    Assistant Director of Institutional Research and Student Success
  • Anna Kochevar
    Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment Coordinator; Buntrock Institute for Freedom and Community Coordinator
  • Kelsey Thompson
    Assistant Director of Assessment

Common Data Set

St Olaf College's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Acceptance rate
43.3%
Selective
Yield
25.0%
of admitted students enroll
01

Selectivity & Admissions

Admissions funnel

C1
Applied
7,310
Admitted
3,171
Enrolled
794

7,310 applied → 3,171 admitted (43.3%) → 794 enrolled.

Selectivity

C1
Acceptance rate
43.3%

Selective — 43.3% acceptance rate.

Admit rate by gender

C1
male36.7%
female49.4%
unknown42.1%

Admit rate varies by gender.

SAT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
1320
Median
1380
75th
1440

Middle 50% SAT 1320–1440 (median 1380).

ACT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
28
Median
30
75th
32

Middle 50% ACT 28–32 (median 30).

High-school class rank

C10
top tenth0.4%
top quarter0.73%
top half0.94%
bottom half0.06%
bottom quarter0.02%

Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.

Waitlist outcome

C2
Offered
1,696
Accepted spot
472
Admitted
23

1,696 offered a waitlist spot, 472 accepted it, 23 admitted (4.9% of those who stayed on).

What matters in admission

C7

Relative importance of each admission factor.

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about St Olaf College

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about St Olaf College.

What is the graduation rate at St Olaf College?

St Olaf College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 84% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend St Olaf College?

St Olaf College reports a total enrollment of 3,124 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at St Olaf College?

The average net price at St Olaf College is $23,874 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at St Olaf College?

St Olaf College's yield rate is 26.8%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is St Olaf College located?

St Olaf College is located in Northfield, Minnesota 55057-1098.

Who runs Institutional Research at St Olaf College?

St Olaf College's IR work is done by the Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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