ISU vs. Macalester College

Should I go to Iowa State University or Macalester College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if ISU or Macalester College 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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Iowa State University vs. Macalester College comparison
Iowa State University Macalester College College 3 College 4
Iowa State University Macalester College
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Overview

ISU Macalester College
Location Ames, IA Saint Paul, MN
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 29,969 2,175
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #352 #97
Religious Affiliation - Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iastate.edu macalester.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ISU Macalester College
Tuition (In State) $8,678 $62,270
Tuition (Out of State) $25,162 $62,270
Room & Board $9,358 $14,000
Avg Net Price $15,310 $36,095
Avg Grant Aid $11,043 $40,262
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 89%

Admission

ISU Macalester College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,919 8,434
Admitted 19,776 2,397
Acceptance Rate 90.2% 28.4%
Enrolled % 29% 23%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.81
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Exceptional
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 21/28 30/34
SAT Range 1090/1350 1340/1500
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

ISU Macalester College
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Communication (5%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Foreign Languages (10%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Mathematics (6%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

ISU Macalester College
Graduation Rate 68% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,700 $54,100
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,868 $22,670
Median Loan Payment $246 $234

Diversity

ISU Macalester College
% Men 55% 42%
% Women 45% 58%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 76% 66%
% Black 3% 2%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 7% 14%
% Unknown Race 5% 0%

Students

ISU Macalester College
% In-State 52% 18%
% Out-of-State 45% 69%

Campus

ISU Macalester College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Iowa State University is larger than than Macalester College based on total student enrollment (29,969 students vs. 2,175 students)

ISU vs. Macalester College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ISU or Macalester College?

  • Macalester College is 617.6% more expensive to attend than ISU for in-state tuition ($62,270.00 vs. $8,678.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 147.5% higher at Macalester College than Iowa State University ($62,270.00 vs. $25,162.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Iowa State University than Macalester College ($15,310 vs. $36,095)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Iowa State University are 49.6% lower than costs at Macalester College ($9,358 vs. $14,000)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Macalester College than Iowa State University (89% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Macalester College students is 264.6% larger than aid received Iowa State University ($40,262 vs. $11,043)

ISU vs. Macalester College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Macalester College (1358) is 216 points higher than at ISU (1142)
  • Incoming Macalester College students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at ISU (25)
  • Accepted freshman Macalester College students have a 0.11 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at ISU (3.7)
  • ISU has a higher acceptance rate (90.2%) than Macalester College (28.4%)

ISU vs. Macalester College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ISU or Macalester College? 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 Macalester College and ISU.

  • The graduation rate at Macalester College is higher than Iowa State University (87% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates from Macalester College earn on average $400 more per year than ISU graduates after ten years. ($54,100 vs. $53,700)
  • Macalester College students graduate with a $1,198 lower median federal student loan debt than ISU graduates. ($22,670 vs. $23,868)
  • Macalester College graduates are paying $12 less per month on federal student loans than ISU graduates. ($234 vs. $246)
  • More Macalester College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ISU students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 74%)

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