Northfield, MN · Private · 3,093 undergraduates · town
St. Olaf College
Moderately selective
St. Olaf's combination of a major undergraduate music culture with a full liberal-arts college allows serious musicians to study in an environment much broader than a conservatory.
Institutional profile
Highly regarded Strong in student experience, and strong in academic standing.- Admission
- 52.2% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 85.1%
5,956 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$65,543 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets St Olaf College apart
Academic design
The OLE Core includes first-year seminar and writing courses, world-language study, ethical reasoning, global and social analysis, and academic engagement with religion. Students can also enter multi-course Conversation programs such as Enduring Questions that build sustained interdisciplinary communities around common texts or themes.
Campus pattern
Northfield supports a strongly residential college-town experience, and music is prominent in everyday campus culture through large ensembles and performance traditions. The 4-1-4 calendar creates a January term that can be used for focused study or off-campus experiences.
Defining feature
St. Olaf's combination of a major undergraduate music culture with a full liberal-arts college allows serious musicians to study in an environment much broader than a conservatory.
Can I get in?
52.2% admitted
Start with academic preparation, then show why this particular academic and campus environment fits you.
Recent applicant pool
5,956About 52 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 12% submitted an SAT, and 36% submitted an ACT. The SAT range comes from a small share of admitted students and does not describe the full class.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for St Olaf College, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What St Olaf College weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
The OLE Core includes first-year seminar and writing courses, world-language study, ethical reasoning, global and social analysis, and academic engagement with religion. Students can also enter multi-course Conversation programs such as Enduring Questions that build sustained interdisciplinary communities around common texts or themes.
Make the fit specific
Students who want a residential liberal-arts college with serious music, language, global, and religion-related study woven into the institutional culture.
Account for the tradeoff
The OLE Core is substantive, so students seeking maximum freedom from general-education requirements should examine the degree map carefully.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and make the school-specific case concrete.
Check eligibility for a fee waiver
Major and program admission
Some fields have their own entry path.
The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.
NursingAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at St Olaf College
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
St. Olaf's combination of a major undergraduate music culture with a full liberal-arts college allows serious musicians to study in an environment much broader than a conservatory.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Biology, General
Economics
Mathematics
Research and Experimental Psychology
Political Science and Government
What is campus life like?
St Olaf College beyond the classroom
Northfield supports a strongly residential college-town experience, and music is prominent in everyday campus culture through large ensembles and performance traditions. The 4-1-4 calendar creates a January term that can be used for focused study or off-campus experiences.
A defining academic feature
The OLE Core includes first-year seminar and writing courses, world-language study, ethical reasoning, global and social analysis, and academic engagement with religion. Students can also enter multi-course Conversation programs such as Enduring Questions that build sustained interdisciplinary communities around common texts or themes.
What shapes an ordinary week
Northfield supports a strongly residential college-town experience, and music is prominent in everyday campus culture through large ensembles and performance traditions. The 4-1-4 calendar creates a January term that can be used for focused study or off-campus experiences.
What changes the experience
St. Olaf's combination of a major undergraduate music culture with a full liberal-arts college allows serious musicians to study in an environment much broader than a conservatory.