North Central vs Macalester College

North Central College and Macalester College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. North Central, rooted in the liberal arts tradition, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Macalester, known for its global focus and commitment to social justice, attracts a diverse student body from various backgrounds. While North Central's student population primarily comprises Illinois residents, Macalester welcomes students from across the nation and the world, fostering a vibrant international community. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further differences, including popular majors, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your college decision.

	Macalester College	North Central College
Overview
Location	Saint Paul, Minnesota	Naperville, Illinois
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	96.0%	77.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	31.3%	68.4%
Application fees	$40	$25
SAT range	1340 - 1515	1030 - 1230
ACT range	29 - 33	22 - 28
Students submitting SAT score	35.0%	43.0%
Students submitting ACT score	39.0%	17.0%
Total number of applicants	9,046	4,551
Total number of admissions given out	2,828	3,113
Admitted students who chose to enroll	601	512
Yield rate	21.3%	16.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$76,357	$61,098
Average net price	$30,939	$26,207
Tuition	$60,288	$42,026
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,272 Meal plan: $6,270	Room/dormitory: $7,998 Meal plan: $3,890
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	87.0% Average amount $42,832	100.0% Average amount $28,670
Students receiving federal student loan	39.0% Average amount $4,799	60.0% Average amount $5,156
Students taking out private loans	29.0% Average amount $4,321	25.0% Average amount $6,992

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,244 Men 43.3% Women 56.7%	2,404 Men 48.4% Women 51.6%
Graduate students	N/A	324 Men 29.3% Women 70.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	26.8%
International students	13.5%	3.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,332	1,333
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Illinois Wisconsin Indiana Ohio Michigan

Academics
Popular study areas	Mathematics and Statistics Foreign Languages and Literatures Multidisciplinary Studies Social Sciences Computer and Information Science	Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	89.7%	64.4%
Dropout rate	10.0%	35.1%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,163 Year 2: $64,493 Year 3: $72,135 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,896 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $56,193 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,635 Year 2: $35,274 Year 3: $43,620 Geography and Cartography (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,253 Year 2: $32,569 Year 3: $39,047 International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,368 Year 2: $34,526 Year 3: $36,933 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,116 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: $34,521 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,444 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: N/A Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,129 Year 2: $71,575 Year 3: N/A Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,281 Year 3: N/A	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,561 Year 2: $63,501 Year 3: $74,669 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $63,155 Year 2: $62,260 Year 3: $71,061 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,815 Year 2: $58,921 Year 3: $66,245 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,117 Year 2: $46,478 Year 3: $64,795 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,621 Year 2: $45,305 Year 3: $51,292 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,923 Year 2: $43,240 Year 3: $50,109 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,795 Year 2: $43,000 Year 3: $49,516 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,391 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $47,721 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,154 Year 2: $45,584 Year 3: $46,743 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,411 Year 2: $40,441 Year 3: $44,647

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