St Olaf College vs Stanford

St Olaf College and Stanford University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. St Olaf, a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, fosters a close-knit community with a strong emphasis on the liberal arts and sciences. Stanford, a private research university in Stanford, California, is renowned for its academic excellence, groundbreaking research, and entrepreneurial spirit. While both universities provide exceptional education, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
St Olaf College logo

St Olaf College

Stanford University logo

Stanford University

Overview

Location Northfield, Minnesota Stanford, California
Campus setting Town: Distant Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system 4-1-4 Quarter
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 91.0% 98.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation Evangelical

Admission

Acceptance rate 47.4% 3.9%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $90

Graduate: $125
SAT range 1240 - 1430 1470 - 1570
ACT range 28 - 33 34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 16.0% 15.0%
Students submitting ACT score 39.0% 11.0%
Total number of applicants 6,494 55,471
Total number of admissions given out 3,080 2,190
Admitted students who chose to enroll 755 1,757
Yield rate 24.5% 80.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $66,570 $78,898
Average net price $27,729 $14,402
Tuition $52,670 $55,473
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $5,720

Meal plan: $6,280
Room/dormitory: $11,166

Meal plan: $6,694
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $37,281
61.0%
Average amount $56,211
Students receiving federal student loan 49.0%
Average amount $5,006
5.0%
Average amount $5,151
Students taking out private loans 9.0%
Average amount $15,087
1.0%
Average amount $17,186

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,988
Men 42.2% Women 57.8%
7,645
Men 49.4% Women 50.6%
Graduate students N/A 10,035
Men 56.5% Women 43.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A 58.5%
International students 10.2% 24.4%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 2,703 14,621
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A California Texas Washington New York Illinois

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Social Sciences
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 5:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 85.0% 95.5%
Dropout rate 3.9% 1.7%
Transferred out 11.0% 0.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $151,574
  • Year 2: $170,457
  • Year 3: $210,837
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $159,729
  • Year 2: $168,942
  • Year 3: $203,193
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $164,734
  • Year 2: $163,337
  • Year 3: $187,054
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $137,457
  • Year 2: $150,874
  • Year 3: $173,548
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $136,126
  • Year 2: $136,499
  • Year 3: $165,375
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $128,556
  • Year 2: $135,709
  • Year 3: $157,500
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $123,354
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $139,234
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,326
  • Year 2: $111,435
  • Year 3: $126,185
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,457
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $107,477
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,475
  • Year 2: $85,391
  • Year 3: $104,592

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