Macalester College is the more selective of the two, admitting 28.5% of applicants versus 43.4% at St. Olaf College. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $14,567 per year at Macalester College versus $22,567 at St. Olaf College. Admitted students post SAT middle-50% ranges of 1360–1490 at Macalester College and 1310–1460 at St. Olaf College.
| Metric | Macalester College | St. Olaf College |
|---|---|---|
| Overall acceptance rate | 28.5% | 43.4% |
| Early acceptance rate | 40.0% | 58.0% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1360–1490 | 1310–1460 |
| Avg unweighted GPA | 3.85 | 3.73 |
| Yield rate | 22.0% | 27.0% |
| Class size | 560 | 822 |
| Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income | $14,567 | $22,567 |
| Net price, over $110,000 income | $48,567 | $46,567 |
Admissions and cost data as of July 3, 2026 (CDS 2024–25 cycle), from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard. Rows appear only where both colleges report the statistic.
Yes. Macalester College admits 28.5% of applicants, compared with 43.4% at St. Olaf College, making it the harder school to get into, based on the most recent Common Data Set.
For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $14,567 per year at Macalester College and $22,567 at St. Olaf College, so Macalester College is the lower-cost option at that income level (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).
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