Drake vs. St Olaf

Should I go to Drake University or St Olaf College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Drake or St Olaf is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Drake University vs. St Olaf College comparison
Drake University St Olaf College College 3 College 4
Drake University St Olaf College
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Overview

Drake St Olaf
Location Des Moines, IA Northfield, MN
Setting Midsize City Distant Town
Enrollment 4,685 3,046
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #149 #156
Religious Affiliation - Evangelical Lutheran Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website drake.edu stolaf.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Drake St Olaf
Tuition (In State) $47,564 $54,650
Tuition (Out of State) $47,564 $54,650
Room & Board $11,570 $12,450
Avg Net Price $30,333 $26,171
Avg Grant Aid $31,274 $40,399
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 99%

Admission

Drake St Olaf
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,621 5,524
Admitted 5,796 3,116
Acceptance Rate 67.2% 56.4%
Enrolled % 12.6% 27.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.68
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 25/30 28/33
SAT Range 1110/1340 1300/1480
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2025

Academics

Drake St Olaf
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (39%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Biology (6%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Physical Sciences (8%)
  • Mathematics (8%)

Outcomes

Drake St Olaf
Graduation Rate 75% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $68,500 $53,700
Making Student Loan Payments 84% 91%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $268 $279

Diversity

Drake St Olaf
% Men 37% 42%
% Women 63% 58%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 79% 75%
% Black 4% 2%
% Hispanic 4% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 7% 7%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

Drake St Olaf
% In-State 35% 47%
% Out-of-State 63% 43%

Campus

Drake St Olaf
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Drake University is larger than than St Olaf based on total student enrollment (4,685 students vs. 3,046 students)

Drake vs. St Olaf Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Drake or St Olaf?

  • St Olaf College is 14.9% more expensive to attend than Drake for in-state tuition ($54,650.00 vs. $47,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 14.9% higher at St Olaf than Drake University ($54,650.00 vs. $47,564.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Olaf College than Drake ($26,171 vs. $30,333)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Drake University are 7.6% lower than costs at St Olaf College ($11,570 vs. $12,450)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Drake University than St Olaf College (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St Olaf College students is 29.2% larger than aid received Drake University ($40,399 vs. $31,274)

Drake vs. St Olaf Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Drake or St Olaf? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between St Olaf or Drake .

  • The average SAT score at St Olaf College (1282) is 58 points higher than at Drake (1224)
  • Incoming St Olaf students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Drake (27)
  • Accepted freshman Drake students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at St Olaf (3.68)
  • Drake has a higher acceptance rate (67.2%) than St Olaf (56.4%)

Drake vs. St Olaf Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Drake or St Olaf? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between St Olaf and Drake.

  • The graduation rate at St Olaf is higher than Drake University (85% vs. 75%)
  • Graduates from Drake University earn on average $14,800 more per year than St Olaf graduates after ten years. ($68,500 vs. $53,700)
  • Drake University students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than St Olaf graduates. ($26,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Drake graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than St Olaf graduates. ($268 vs. $279)
  • More St Olaf graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Drake students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 84%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/