About St Olaf College

Founded in 1874, St Olaf College. is a Private college. Located in Minnesota, which is a city setting in Minnesota, the campus itself is Town. The campus is home to 3,040 full time undergraduate students, and 0 full time graduate students.

The St Olaf College Academic calendar runs on a Four-one-four plan basis. In the school year the student to faculty ratio was 12:1. There are 225 full time instructional teachers. Degrees awarded at St Olaf College include: Bachelor's Degree, Masters Degree, Post-master's certificate, Doctor's degree.

Quick Facts

Acceptance Rate44%
Application Deadline15-Nov
Application Fee0
SAT Range1120-1400
ACT Range26-31

Admissions at are considered More Selective, with ,33% of all applicants being admitted.

In the school year, of the students who applied to the school, only 14 of those who were admitted eventually ended up enrolling.

97% of incoming freshmen are in the top half of their high school class. 80% were in the top quarter, and 50% were in the top tenth. You can apply online.

STUDENT LIFE

We asked, and students answered these important questions about student life at St Olaf College.

0%
“We”re apathetic”
4%
“We know about current events and vote”
72%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
24%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
0%
“We save it for the classroom”
4%
“Sometimes, but not often”
64%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
32%
“All the time, including weekends”
0%
“I”m always terrified”
4%
“I only go out in groups”
4%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
92%
“I feel extremely safe”
75%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
20%
“We bought the gear”
5%
“We live for the big game”
0%
“It”s not really our thing”
4%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
36%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
60%
“We”re a very artistic group”
4%
“Haven”t met them”
0%
“Available in class”
52%
“They keep regular office hours”
44%
“They”re always available”
92%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
8%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
0%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
0%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
0%
“We”re not into drinking at all”
48%
“Maybe a little, but it”s not a big thing”
48%
“We only party on weekends”
4%
“There”s some drinking happening every night”
16%
“Never, we”re here to learn”
60%
“There might be people who do”
24%
“People are known to partake on weekends”
0%
“There”s a huge drug scene”
0%
“We”re apathetic”
4%
“We know about current events and vote”
72%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
24%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
0%
“We save it for the classroom”
4%
“Sometimes, but not often”
64%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
32%
“All the time, including weekends”
0%
“I”m always terrified”
4%
“I only go out in groups”
4%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
92%
“I feel extremely safe”
75%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
20%
“We bought the gear”
5%
“We live for the big game”
0%
“It”s not really our thing”
4%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
36%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
60%
“We”re a very artistic group”
4%
“Haven”t met them”
0%
“Available in class”
52%
“They keep regular office hours”
44%
“They”re always available”
92%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
8%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
0%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
0%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
0%
“We”re not into drinking at all”
48%
“Maybe a little, but it”s not a big thing”
48%
“We only party on weekends”
4%
“There”s some drinking happening every night”
16%
“Never, we”re here to learn”
60%
“There might be people who do”
24%
“People are known to partake on weekends”
0%
“There”s a huge drug scene”

St Olaf College REVIEWS

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  • How would you rate on-campus housing?

    72 Students rated on-campus housing 4.1 stars. 26 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate off-campus housing?

    51 Students rated off-campus housing 2.8 stars. 0 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus food?

    74 Students rated campus food 4.6 stars. 72 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus facilities?

    74 Students rated campus facilities 4.6 stars. 62 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate class size?

    74 Students rated class size 4.6 stars. 66 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate school activities?

    73 Students rated school activities 4.3 stars. 45 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate local services?

    73 Students rated local services 3.5 stars. 21 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate academics?

    74 Students rated academics 4.3 stars. 47 % gave the school a 5.0.

What's your overall opinion of St Olaf College?

23 Students rated St Olaf College

Jenna - 06/12/2023

St Olaf college started out really amazing, however, it's basically turned into a glorified summer camp. There's very little freedom or privacy, and ever since covid hit, the college has gone down. The food used to be ranked #1, but since covid, the food has become mediocre. The administration doesn't listen to the students or the faculty, causing a lot of problems that ultimately hinder the students education. Furthermore, the acceptance rate went from 33{6f65e1278338a62264eed73e2adc5af8e2841420db12ceb4f80b8db22f3260ec} when I was accepted, to a whopping 75{6f65e1278338a62264eed73e2adc5af8e2841420db12ceb4f80b8db22f3260ec} when I graduated. They keep admitting more students, thus my tuition went up heavily. Class sizes also increased, and professor burnout became more apparent. Lastly, St Olaf does not give out good financial aid, despite saying they give out 100{6f65e1278338a62264eed73e2adc5af8e2841420db12ceb4f80b8db22f3260ec} of financial aid to people in need.

Anna - 05/21/2022

I think it is a good college, but not a party school. I like how many extracurricular activities there are to join, but the cafeteria food got progressively worse after the pandemic hit. The dorms are pretty good and are all close to the academic buildings. The music department is very good, but being in an ensemble or band can be intense. The academics are pretty good too.

Emily

At St. Olaf College, there are a lot of quirky things, like Christmas Fest, when people run around in Norwegian sweaters and the cafeteria serves lutefisk and boiled potatoes and hundreds of student musicians put on a concert several nights that week. There's also the Malt-o-Meal factory, which makes the campus smell like cookies. And as a musician, the music program is really wonderful - for all of these reasons, I think that St. Olaf College is a great, "Minnesota Nice" place to learn and excel in any field academically. However, in the past couple of years, sexual assault cases have come to light, and issues of racism have sparked mass protests across campus. I think that the administration still needs to figure out how to create a more inclusive, diverse community that makes students feel welcome and safe. So, I think that for minority students, it might not seem as great as it is for white students. They are slowly making progress, though, so I think that good things will come in the college's future.

Deania

Saint Olaf is a relatively excellent school. I was able to transition easily and the school tries to accommodate everyone interest. The academic opportunities here are exceptional. Ranging from nursing to music, there's a major for everyone even if your undecided. Although there is tension between groups of students, the community life is very excepting. I never though I would move states away, but St.Olaf was the school that opened my eyes to the possibilities of my future.

St Olaf College FAQS

  1. What is the Acceptance Rate at St Olaf College?

    The fall 2020 acceptance rate for St Olaf College is 44%. That means, out of _____ applications received in 2020 , _____ students were offered admission. The number of males who applied was _____ vs the number of females which was _____.

  2. What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

    If I could go back in time and talk to my High School Senior self, I would tell him to spend more time studying for good grades and a better GPA. I missed out on a lot of opportunities because I wasn't placing my education first. I would tell my High School Self to apply for scholarships, enroll in colleges I wanted to go to, and save my paychecks instead of spending them.

    Read all  68 answers
  3. Describe the students at your school.

    They are willing to help, and they make the best study buddy.

    Read all  15 answers
  4. Describe your favorite campus traditions.

    While diverse in academics and in student population, St. Olaf College is best known for its music and natural science programs. The St. Olaf choir is nationally recognized and a large number of students graduating with degrees in the natural sciences go on to become affluent professors, researchers, and more in the field. St. Olaf is also known for its cafeteria. As one of the most environmentally-friendly colleges in the state, St. Olaf's Bon Appetite churns out high-quality and healthy foods provided by local farms.

    Read all  15 answers
  5. Describe how your school looks to someone who's never seen it.

    A liberal arts college in small town Minnnesota.

    Read all  14 answers
  6. What do you consider the worst thing about your school? Why?

    The worst thing would probably be how the school emphasizes certain programs--such as parts of the music department--occasionally at the expense of other valuable campus organizations. For example, in my junior year, the school sold the country's oldest student-run radio station in order to fund new additions to the music department--including an honorary chairmanship of the church music program, with a whopping 4 student majors.

    Read all  14 answers
  7. What do you brag about most when you tell your friends about your school?

    St. Olaf's dedication towards becoming more environmentally -friendly: it has banned bottled water, decreasing the number of wasted plastics that go towards dumps. It also provides fresh, organic produce by the local farms. St. Olaf is also well-known for its study abroad programs. While many students may find themselves unable to experience this opportunity, St. Olaf does its best to make sure that a large number of students will get the chance to study abroad at least once during their time at St. Olaf.

    Read all  14 answers
  8. What's unique about your campus?

    The people are nice and fun.

    Read all  12 answers
  9. Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!

    St. Olaf stuck out to me because of its excellence both in music and in academics, specifically mathematics (my double major). It seemed to have the best balance between conservatory quality music training and a highly regarded liberal arts education.

    Read all  11 answers
  10. What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?

    I wish I had known how many things I could do on campus and not let my grades slip. The time management becomes difficult since I am very involved on campus.

    Read all  11 answers
  11. What's the most frustrating thing about your school?

    I guess I would say the most frustrating thing is something that doesn't relate to St. Olaf directly at all, and that is the scarcity of time I have in college. It's difficult for me to fit in everything that I need to get done, and will definitely require further development of my time management skills. Overall, I'm very satisfied with my college choice and don't feel that there's anything expressly frustrating about this school in particular.

    Read all  10 answers
  12. What kind of person should not attend this school?

    People looking for the "big campus" experience may feel out of place. St. Olaf is an intimate campus, and thrives on small classes of self-motivated individuals. Students interested in meeting a great many new people, or living in a high-energy city setting might feel let down. Look for potential fields of study carefully and see if your interests match up. Try to get to know the faculty in that area--and don't fear the double major! There is a definite focus on music programs, but rigorous academics are the name of the game all around.

    Read all  9 answers
  13. What kind of person should attend this school?

    A person who is not quite ready to plunge into the real world, but would like to be exposed to a strong academic support system. Also, this school is good for a person with an undecided major, becuase many of the programs here are strong.

    Read all  7 answers
  14. What is the stereotype of students at your school?

    That we're musical and well-rounded, which we are!

    Read all  4 answers
  15. What is your overall opinion of this school?

    The best thing about St. Olaf is the community feeling. Everyone is friendly and welcoming, and the professors are amazing. Also the new science center is unbelievable! The academics are intense but the professors want you to succeed. Of course the music programs at St. Olaf are some of the best in the country. Even if you aren't in the choir, band or orchestra, you can always catch a concert. One can't deny how beautiful the campus is either. It is probably the prettiest college campus I have ever seen. The cafeteria food is delicious...not maybe the most important thing to look for in a school, but it is a definite plus!

    Read all  4 answers
  16. What are the most popular student activities/groups?

    It's very easy to meet people at St. Olaf, making friends happens quickly. There is no greek scene, which I actually liked. There is a lot to do apart from drinking. Frequent concerts, theater productions, dances, movies on campus are a few things to do. It is a dry campus (alcohol isn't allowed). Of course there is alcohol though, you just can't be super loud and obnoxious about it. If you want to party/drink, fear not, there are plenty of parties to be found. But if that isn't your thing, you can tune it out. It is nice because you can go to the parties, but if someone next door is drinking on a Tuesday night being loud at 3:00 AM when you have an exam at 8:00 AM the next morning it is easily taken care of. Dry campus=partying without bothering everyone around you.

    Read all  4 answers
  17. What are the academics like at your school?

    The large majority of professors know your name. My favorite class was genetics taught by Dr. Jean Porterfield--it was difficult, but I learned a lot from her, she made class fun and challenging. Most of my classes were either in biology or chemistry and the professors were fantastic in those departments! Be prepared to study. Opportunities to study abroad are unparalleled. You can go anywhere from Africa to the Bahamas to Costa Rica or Italy while studying Spanish to marketing or biology. I feel like I got the best education available by going to St. Olaf, and it prepared me well for graduate school.

    Read all  4 answers
  18. Is the stereotype of students at your school accurate?

    To an extent they are accurate.

    Read all  4 answers
  19. Tell us about the sports scene on campus.

    We apparently have a great baseball and cross country team, but other than that people really only go to the Carleton games. We supposedly have a rivalry with them.

    Read all  2 answers
  20. Tell us about the food and dining options.

    Best food ever.

    Read all  2 answers
  21. What do students complain about most?

    We do not have a soft-serve machine in the cafeteria.

    Read all  1 answers

Student Body

Students

56%

female

44%

male

3,040

Total Undergrad Enrollment

N/A

Total Grad Students

50%

Out-Of-State

42%

In-State

8%

International

Organizations

205

Student Organizations

N/A

Fraternities

N/A

Sororities

Housing

Yes

On-Campus Housing

88%

of students living on campus

Student Diversity

% American Indian/Alaskan Native
N/A
% Asian/Pacific Islander
6%
% Black or African-American
2%
% Hispanic/Latino
6%
% White or Caucasian
73%

TUITION & AID

All students must apply yearly for financial aid. This process starts with the FAFSA. Though financial aid deadlines vary by school, it is a good idea to apply as soon as possible. For the upcoming school year, you can apply as early as October 1 for the FAFSA. Additional school aid will be dependent on the FAFSA results.

94% of students attending St Olaf College receive some sort of financial aid. 17% were awarded federal grants. While 51% received federal loans. Many students do also need to apply for additional private student loans.

Cost Out of State

$44,180

Tuition and fees(Out of state)

$1,000

Books and Supplies

$10,080

Room and Board

55,260

Total On Campus

Actual Cost By Income Level(W/Financial Aid)

Family Income
Cost
$0 - $30K
$10,929
$30 - $48K
$10,012
$48 - $75K
$15,816
$75 - $110K
$24,601
$110K & UP
$34,295

We use student reviews and the most current publicly available data on our school pages. As such, we don't typically remove or edit college information. Sources for school statistics and data include the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Portions of college data include copyrighted material, which is reproduced on this website by permission of Wintergreen Orchard House, a division of Carnegie Communications. © 2009-2016 by Wintergreen Orchard House. All rights reserved.

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