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St Olaf College

Overview

At a Glance

School type

Private, not-for-profit, 4-year or above

School Size & Setting

Distant | Town

Students-to-Faculty Ratio

9:1

Religious affliation

Evangelical Lutheran Church

Mission Statement

St. Olaf, a four-year college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, provides an education committed to the liberal arts, rooted in the Christian Gospel, and incorporating a global perspective. In the conviction that life is more than a livelihood, it focuses on what is ultimately worthwhile and fosters the development of the whole person in mind, body and spirit.

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cost & financial aid

Annual tuition & fees

Undergraduate

In state

$54,650

Out of state

$54,650
Graduate

In state

No information

Out of state

No information

Financial Aid: Undergraduates

Received financial aid
99%
Type of aid % of students receiving aid Average amount
Federal grants 22.0% $6,735
State/local grants 15.0% $6,169
Institutional grants 99.0% $37,940
Loans 46.0% $6,527

Other Estimated Costs

Housing

$12,450 per year

Books & Supplies

$1,000 per year

Personal Expenses

$900 per year

Financial aid resources

Paying for college

Learn about different ways to cover costs, incluing financial aid, GI Bills, grants and scholarships

Applying for financial Aid

Review this step-by-step guide on everything you need to do to complete your application.

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Academics

Most Popular Undergraduate majors

  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other
  • Mathematics, General
  • Political Science and Government, General
  • Economics, General
Full List of Majors

Undergraduate Majors X

  • BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
    • Biology/Biological Sciences, General
      • A general program of biology at the introductory, basic level or a program in biology or the biological sciences that is undifferentiated as to title or content. Includes instruction in general biology and programs covering a variety of biological specializations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Computer Science
      • A program that focuses on computer theory, computing problems and solutions, and the design of computer systems and user interfaces from a scientific perspective. Includes instruction in the principles of computational science, computer development and programming, and applications to a variety of end-use situations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • EDUCATION
  • ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS
    • English Language and Literature, General
      • A general program that focuses on the English language, including its history, structure and related communications skills; and the literature and culture of English-speaking peoples. See other colleges that offer this major
  • FOREIGN LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND LINGUISTICS
    • Chinese Language and Literature
      • A program that focuses on the languages of China and associated dialects and literature. Includes instruction in philology; linguistics; dialects and pidgins; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Japanese Language and Literature
      • A program that focuses on the Japanese language. Includes instruction in philology; Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Japanese; dialects; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Russian Language and Literature
      • A program that focuses on the Russian language. Includes instruction in philology; dialects; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings. See other colleges that offer this major
    • German Language and Literature
      • A program that focuses on the German language and related dialects. Includes instruction in philology; dialects; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Norwegian Language and Literature
      • A program that focuses on the Norwegian language and related dialects. Includes instruction in philology; dialects; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings. See other colleges that offer this major
    • French Language and Literature
      • A program that focuses on the French language and related dialects and creoles. Includes instruction in philology; Metropolitan French; Canadian French; African and Caribbean Creoles; dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Spanish Language and Literature
      • A program that focuses on the Spanish language and related dialects. Includes instruction in philology; Modern Castillan; Latin American and regional Spanish dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
    • Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature
      • A program that focuses on the Greek language and literature from its origins through the fall of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire, as a secular and/or theological subject. Includes instruction in philology, Attic and Hellenistic dialects, Koine (Biblical) Greek, and Medieval or Byzantine Greek. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Latin Language and Literature
      • A program that focuses on the Latin language and literature from its origins through its decline and its current ecclesiastical usage, as a secular and/or theological subject. Includes instruction in philology, related Italic dialects, Late Roman and Medieval Latin, and modern Church Latin. See other colleges that offer this major
  • HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS
    • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
      • A program that generally prepares individuals in the knowledge, techniques and procedures for promoting health, providing care for sick, disabled, infirmed, or other individuals or groups. Includes instruction in the administration of medication and treatments, assisting a physician during treatments and examinations, Referring patients to physicians and other health care specialists, and planning education for health maintenance. See other colleges that offer this major
  • HISTORY
    • History, General
      • A program that focuses on the general study and interpretation of the past, including the gathering, recording, synthesizing and criticizing of evidence and theories about past events. Includes instruction in historiography; historical research methods; studies of specific periods, issues and cultures; and applications to areas such as historic preservation, public policy, and records administration. See other colleges that offer this major
  • LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, GENERAL STUDIES AND HUMANITIES
    • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
      • A program that is a structured combination of the arts, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities, emphasizing breadth of study. Includes instruction in independently designed, individualized, or regular programs. See other colleges that offer this major
  • MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS
    • Mathematics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the analysis of quantities, magnitudes, forms, and their relationships, using symbolic logic and language. Includes instruction in algebra, calculus, functional analysis, geometry, number theory, logic, topology and other mathematical specializations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES
    • Ancient Studies/Civilization
      • A program that focuses on Western and Non-Western cultures and related topics in the periods of Pre-history and Antiquity. Includes such disciplines as ancient languages, archeology, history, art history, geography, population studies, environmental studies, religious studies, and the social sciences. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PARKS, RECREATION, LEISURE, FITNESS, AND KINESIOLOGY
    • Exercise Science and Kinesiology
      • A scientific program that focuses on the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and biophysics of human movement, and applications to exercise and therapeutic rehabilitation. Includes instruction in biomechanics, motor behavior, motor development and coordination, motor neurophysiology, performance research, rehabilitative therapies, the development of diagnostic and rehabilitative methods and equipment, and related analytical methods and procedures in applied exercise and therapeutic rehabilitation. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES
    • Philosophy
      • A program that focuses on ideas and their logical structure, including arguments and investigations about abstract and real phenomena. Includes instruction in logic, ethics, aesthetics, epistemology, metaphysics, symbolism, and history of philosophy, and applications to the theoretical foundations and methods of other disciplines. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Religion/Religious Studies
      • A program that focuses on the nature of religious belief and specific religious and quasi-religious systems. Includes instruction in phenomenology; the sociology, psychology, philosophy, anthropology, literature and art of religion; mythology; scriptural and textual studies; religious history and politics; and specific studies of particular faith communities and their behavior. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PHYSICAL SCIENCES
    • Chemistry, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the composition and behavior of matter, including its micro- and macro-structure, the processes of chemical change, and the theoretical description and laboratory simulation of these phenomena. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Physics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of matter and energy, and the formulation and testing of the laws governing the behavior of the matter-energy continuum. Includes instruction in classical and modern physics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, mechanics, wave properties, nuclear processes, relativity and quantum theory, quantitative methods, and laboratory methods. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PSYCHOLOGY
  • PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND SOCIAL SERVICE PROFESSIONS
    • Social Work
      • A program that prepares individuals for the professional practice of social welfare administration and counseling, and that focus on the study of organized means of providing basic support services for vulnerable individuals and groups. Includes instruction in social welfare policy; case work planning; social counseling and intervention strategies; administrative procedures and regulations; and specific applications in areas such as child welfare and family services, probation, employment services, and disability counseling. See other colleges that offer this major
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES
    • Economics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the systematic study of the production, conservation and allocation of resources in conditions of scarcity, together with the organizational frameworks related to these processes. Includes instruction in economic theory, micro- and macroeconomics, comparative economic systems, money and banking systems, international economics, quantitative analytical methods, and applications to specific industries and public policy issues. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of mathematical and statistical analysis of economic phenomena and problems. Includes instruction in economic statistics, optimization theory, cost/benefit analysis, price theory, economic modeling, and economic forecasting and evaluation. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Political Science and Government, General
      • A general program that focuses on the systematic study of political institutions and behavior. Includes instruction in political philosophy, political theory, comparative government and politics, political parties and interest groups, public opinion, political research methods, studies of the government and politics of specific countries, and studies of specific political institutions and processes. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • A program that combines sociology and anthropology to study how society is organized, the origins and development of social institutions, social change, social organizations, race, class, gender and culture. See other colleges that offer this major
  • THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS VOCATIONS
    • Religious/Sacred Music
      • A program that focuses on the history, theory, composition, and performance of music for religious or sacred purposes, and that prepares individuals for religious musical vocations such as choir directors, cantors, organists, and chanters. See other colleges that offer this major
  • VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
    • Dance, General
      • A general program that prepares individuals to express ideas, feelings, and/or inner visions through the performance of one or more of the dance disciplines, including but not limited to ballet, modern, jazz, ethnic, and folk dance, and that focuses on the study and analysis of dance as a cultural phenomenon. Includes instruction in technique, choreography, Laban notation, dance history and criticism, and dance production. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
      • A program that focuses on the general study of dramatic works and their performance. Includes instruction in major works of dramatic literature, dramatic styles and types, and the principles of organizing and producing full live or filmed productions. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Film/Cinema/Media Studies
      • A program in the visual arts that focuses on the study of the history, development, theory, and criticism of the film/media arts, as well as the basic principles of filmmaking and film production. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Art/Art Studies, General
      • A general program that focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of the visual arts. Includes instruction in art, photography, and other visual communications media. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Art History, Criticism and Conservation
      • A program that focuses on the study of the historical development of art as social and intellectual phenomenon, the analysis of works of art, and art conservation. Includes instruction in the theory of art, art history research methods, connoisseurship, the preservation and conservation of works of art, and the study of specific periods, cultures, styles, and themes. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Music, General
      • A general program that focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of music and the performing arts. Includes instruction in music, dance, and other performing arts media. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Music Performance, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to master musical instruments and performing art as solo and/or ensemble performers. Includes instruction on one or more specific instruments from various instrumental groupings. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Music Theory and Composition
      • A program that focuses on the study of the principles of sound manipulation as applied to the creation of music, and the techniques of creating and arranging music. Includes instruction in aural theory, melody, counterpoint, complex harmony, modulation, chromatics, improvisation, progressions, musical writing, instrumentation, orchestration, electronic and computer applications, studies of specific musical styles, and development of original creative ability. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Music, Other
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Admissions

Undergraduate acceptance rate

Acceptance rate
56.41%
  • Apply 5,524
  • Accepted 3,116
  • Attend 869

Application Fee

Undergraduate
$0
Graduate
No information

Undergraduate application requirements

  • High school transcript

    Required
  • High school GPA

    Required
  • Recommendation letter

    Required
  • Admissions test
    (SAT or ACT)

    Not applicable
  • TOEFL
    (international students)

    Required
  • Completion of college
    prep program

    Required
  • Demonstration of
    competencies

    Not applicable

Average Test Scores

SAT Math
640-750
ACT Composite
28-33
SAT Reading
660-730
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Student Life

Student Demographics

Female Students
58%
Male Students
42%

Student Ethnicities
  1. Caucasian67.07%
  2. Two Or More Ethnicities14.77%
  3. Hispanic/Latino8.31%
  4. Asian5.81%
  5. Black3.35%
  6. Not Specified0.59%
  7. American Indian/Alaska Native0.1%

Student body breakdown

Total students enrolled

3,075

Undergraduate students

3,075

Full Time Students
100%
Part Time Students
0%

Student services

  • Meal plan
  • Counseling services
  • Remedial services
  • Work-study
  • Placement services
  • Study abroad
  • Weekend/evening classes
  • On-campus day care for student's children

Top five largest sports teams

Male sports:
  • Football
  • Track and Field (Outdoor)
  • Track and Field (Indoor)
  • Baseball
  • Cross Country
Female sports:
  • Track and Field (Outdoor)
  • Track and Field (Indoor)
  • Swimming
  • Ice Hockey
  • Cross Country
Full List of Athletics

Full List of Athletics X

    • Male

    • Football
    • Track and Field (Outdoor)
    • Track and Field (Indoor)
    • Baseball
    • Cross Country
    • Soccer
    • Ice Hockey
    • Swimming
    • Basketball
    • Golf
    • Other Sports
    • Tennis
    • Skiing
    • Female

    • Track and Field (Outdoor)
    • Track and Field (Indoor)
    • Swimming
    • Cross Country
    • Ice Hockey
    • Soccer
    • Volleyball
    • Softball
    • Basketball
    • Tennis
    • Other Sports
    • Skiing
    • Golf
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