St Olaf College vs Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

St. Olaf College and Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, both esteemed private institutions in Minnesota, offer distinct educational experiences. St. Olaf, known for its strong liberal arts tradition, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a higher graduation rate compared to Saint Mary's. Saint Mary's, on the other hand, offers a wider range of undergraduate programs, including popular majors like nursing and business, and attracts a more diverse student body. While both institutions provide a supportive and engaging learning environment, their differences in acceptance rates, academic offerings, and student demographics may influence your college decision. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Saint Mary's University of Minnesota	St Olaf College
Overview
Location	Winona, Minnesota	Northfield, Minnesota
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	79.0%	91.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	97.8%	47.4%
Application fees
SAT range	N/A	1240 - 1430
ACT range	N/A	28 - 33
Students submitting SAT score		16.0%
Students submitting ACT score		39.0%
Total number of applicants	1,587	6,494
Total number of admissions given out	1,552	3,080
Admitted students who chose to enroll	234	755
Yield rate	15.1%	24.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$53,010	$66,570
Average net price	$21,606	$27,729
Tuition	$38,780	$52,670
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,550 Meal plan: $4,370	Room/dormitory: $5,720 Meal plan: $6,280
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $29,804	100.0% Average amount $37,281
Students receiving federal student loan	64.0% Average amount $5,074	49.0% Average amount $5,006
Students taking out private loans	18.0% Average amount $13,389	9.0% Average amount $15,087

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,246 Men 43.9% Women 56.1%	2,988 Men 42.2% Women 57.8%
Graduate students	3,455 Men 27.9% Women 72.1%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	1.7%	10.2%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	982	2,703
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Business Health Professions Psychology Multidisciplinary Studies	Social Sciences Ethnic Studies Foreign Languages and Literatures Mathematics and Statistics Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	56.7%	85.0%
Dropout rate	43.3%	3.9%
Transferred out	N/A	11.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $205,288 Year 2: $188,108 Year 3: $200,367 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,392 Year 2: $97,071 Year 3: $92,831 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $83,325 Year 3: $84,496 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,293 Year 2: $72,469 Year 3: $75,257 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $59,124 Year 3: $73,455 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,971 Year 2: $52,733 Year 3: $66,522 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,579 Year 2: $62,012 Year 3: $65,510 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,954 Year 2: $59,350 Year 3: $61,989 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,143 Year 2: $58,221 Year 3: $60,858 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,758 Year 2: $49,840 Year 3: $60,264	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,475 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $85,264 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,389 Year 2: $60,623 Year 3: $67,970 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,177 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $61,505 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,461 Year 2: $42,123 Year 3: $48,934 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,797 Year 2: $46,478 Year 3: $47,009 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,149 Year 2: $38,829 Year 3: $45,715 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,228 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $44,563 Sociology and Anthropology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,528 Year 2: $31,708 Year 3: $42,811 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,398 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $41,551 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,226 Year 2: $23,166 Year 3: $38,521

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