IIT vs. St Olaf

Should I go to Illinois Institute of Technology or St Olaf College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if IIT 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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Illinois Institute of Technology vs. St Olaf College comparison
Illinois Institute of Technology St Olaf College College 3 College 4
Illinois Institute of Technology St Olaf College
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Overview

 IIT St Olaf
Location Chicago, IL Northfield, MN
Setting Large City Distant Town
Enrollment 6,943 3,046
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #186 #156
Religious Affiliation - Evangelical Lutheran Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iit.edu stolaf.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 IIT St Olaf
Tuition (In State) $48,670 $54,650
Tuition (Out of State) $48,670 $54,650
Room & Board $15,570 $12,450
Avg Net Price $28,702 $26,171
Avg Grant Aid $40,243 $40,399
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 99%

Admission

 IIT St Olaf
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,243 5,524
Admitted 4,450 3,116
Acceptance Rate 61.4% 56.4%
Enrolled % 13.9% 27.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.68
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 28/32 28/33
SAT Range 1220/1410 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 Mar 1, 2025 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

 IIT St Olaf
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (50%)
  • Architecture (20%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (8%)
  • Business (7%)
  • Biology (4%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Physical Sciences (8%)
  • Mathematics (8%)

Outcomes

 IIT St Olaf
Graduation Rate 64% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $79,300 $53,700
Making Student Loan Payments 81% 91%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $279

Diversity

 IIT St Olaf
% Men 63% 42%
% Women 37% 58%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 33% 75%
% Black 6% 2%
% Hispanic 16% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 26% 7%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

 IIT St Olaf
% In-State 60% 47%
% Out-of-State 29% 43%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Illinois Institute of Technology is larger than than St Olaf based on total student enrollment (6,943 students vs. 3,046 students)

IIT vs. St Olaf Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, IIT or St Olaf?

  • St Olaf College is 12.3% more expensive to attend than IIT for in-state tuition ($54,650.00 vs. $48,670.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 12.3% higher at St Olaf than Illinois Institute of Technology ($54,650.00 vs. $48,670.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Olaf College than IIT ($26,171 vs. $28,702)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St Olaf College are 25.1% lower than costs at Illinois Institute of Technology ($12,450 vs. $15,570)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Illinois Institute of Technology as St Olaf College (99% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St Olaf College students is 0.4% larger than aid received Illinois Institute of Technology ($40,399 vs. $40,243)

IIT vs. St Olaf Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at St Olaf College (1282) is 31 points higher than at IIT (1251)
  • Incoming St Olaf students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at IIT (28)
  • Accepted freshman IIT students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at St Olaf (3.68)
  • IIT has a higher acceptance rate (61.4%) than St Olaf (56.4%)

IIT vs. St Olaf Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, IIT 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 IIT.

  • The graduation rate at St Olaf is higher than Illinois Institute of Technology (85% vs. 64%)
  • Graduates from Illinois Institute of Technology earn on average $25,600 more per year than St Olaf graduates after ten years. ($79,300 vs. $53,700)
  • St Olaf College and IIT graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($27,000 vs. $27,000)
  • St Olaf College and IIT graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($279 vs. $279)
  • More St Olaf graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former IIT students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 81%)

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