St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota · Private · 3,093 undergraduates · wp.stolaf.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
43%
of 7,310 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1320 to 1440
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$86,110Est.Estimate
before aid
Your chances and merit aid at St Olaf College
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
43% of applicants admitted
Target
Your SAT is inside the range where the middle half of enrolled freshmen scored, and your GPA is in the middle half of freshmen's.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$86,110
a year in 2027-28, from a $86,110 sticker price
What to do with your 1380
Send your score
About 64% of freshmen here didn't send a score. We estimate their typical SAT at about 1280, and yours is above it.
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
- Superscores: it combines your best section scores from different test dates.
- You can type your scores into the application; official reports come later.
Source: Test Optional - St. Olaf College Admissions · Checked October 17, 2026
Application deadlines
- Nov1Early Action · November 1, 2026Apply early and hear early. Not binding.
- Nov1Early Decision · November 1, 2026Binding: if admitted, you commit to enroll.
- Jan15Early Decision II · January 15, 2027A second binding round, after Early Decision.
- Jan15Regular Decision · January 15, 2027The standard deadline.
Who gets in
43%
of applicants were admitted: 3,171 of 7,310 for fall 2025.
Early Action
Not binding. Apply by 11/1, hear by 12/23.
Early Decision
Binding. 55% of early applicants were admitted.
Wait list
1,696 students were offered a spot; 23 were later admitted.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2025)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 13% of them sent SAT scores and 30% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1320 to 1440
Reading and Writing 670 to 740
Math 640 to 720
ACT composite 28 to 32
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 160044%
- 1200 to 139954%
- 1000 to 11992%
- 800 to 9990%
- 600 to 7990%
- 400 to 5990%
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
High school GPA of enrolled freshmen
Average GPA: 3.75
- 4.014%
- 3.75 to 3.9948%
- 3.50 to 3.7420%
- 3.25 to 3.4911%
- 3.00 to 3.245%
- 2.50 to 2.992%
- Below 2.500%
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$86,110
a year
- Tuition$68,330
- Fees$520
- Food and housing$15,600
- Books and supplies$1,040
- Transportation and other$620
St Olaf College published $82,800 for 2026-27. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24, by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$10,797
- $30,001 to $48,000$8,349
- $48,001 to $75,000$10,968
- $75,001 to $110,000$16,495
- Over $110,000$32,244
Financial aid
100%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$56,959
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
21%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $32,676 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Required. It's a second, more detailed aid form some colleges use for their own grants.
- Aid priority date: 11/1
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
- Aid deadline: 1/15
- The last day to send aid forms.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
Merit scholarships
Awards for grades and scores, on top of need-based aid. You don't repay them.
National Merit St. Olaf College Scholarship (NMSC college-sponsored)
National Merit
Deadline: Name this college your first choice with NMSC.
Details
Compare awards across colleges with the merit aid calculator.
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
35 of 35
Earn credit with a score of 3
1 exams
A 3-credit course is worth
about $6,830Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 4 | 1 | |
| 3-D Art and Design | 4 | 1 | |
| Art History | 4 | 1 | Art 153 |
| Biology | 4 | 1 | |
| Calculus AB | 4 | 1 | Math 120 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 1 | Math120 |
| Calculus BC | 4 | 2 | Math 120 and 126 |
| Chemistry | 5 | 1 | |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | 1 | |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 4 | 1 | |
| Computer Science A | 4 | 1 | CSCI 121 |
| Computer Science Principles | 4 | 1 | |
| Drawing | 4 | 1 | |
| English Language and Composition | 5 | 1 | |
| English Literature and Composition | 5 | 1 | |
| Environmental Science | 4 | 1 | Envst 137 |
| European History | 5 | 1 | |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 1 | |
| French Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | 1 | |
| German Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | |
| Human Geography | 5 | 1 | ID 234 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | 1 | |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | |
| Latin | 4 | 1 | |
| Macroeconomics | 4 | 1 | Econ 111 |
| Microeconomics | 4 | 1 | Econ 111 |
| Music Theory | 5 | 1 | |
| Physics 1 | 4 | 1 | |
| Physics 2 | 4 | 1 | |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 | 1 | |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 4 | 1 | |
| Psychology | 4 | 1 | Psych 125 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 1 | |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 1 | |
| Statistics | 4 | 1 | SDS 172 |
| United States Government and Politics | 4 | 1 | |
| United States History | 5 | 1 | |
| World History: Modern | 5 | 1 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
83%
Come back for a second year
92%
Typical earnings
$68,656
a year, 10 years after starting here
- St Olaf College$99,147
- All colleges$89,628
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 15 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with St Olaf College. The St Olaf College logo is a trademark of the college.