ISU vs. St Olaf

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

ISU St Olaf
Location Ames, IA Northfield, MN
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 29,969 3,046
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #352 #156
Religious Affiliation - Evangelical Lutheran Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iastate.edu stolaf.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

ISU St Olaf
Tuition (In State) $8,678 $54,650
Tuition (Out of State) $25,162 $54,650
Room & Board $9,358 $12,450
Avg Net Price $15,310 $26,171
Avg Grant Aid $11,043 $40,399
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 99%

Admission

ISU St Olaf
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,919 5,524
Admitted 19,776 3,116
Acceptance Rate 90.2% 56.4%
Enrolled % 29% 27.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.68
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 21/28 28/33
SAT Range 1090/1350 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

ISU St Olaf
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Communication (5%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Physical Sciences (8%)
  • Mathematics (8%)

Outcomes

ISU St Olaf
Graduation Rate 68% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,700 $53,700
Making Student Loan Payments 74% 91%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,868 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $246 $279

Diversity

ISU St Olaf
% Men 55% 42%
% Women 45% 58%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 76% 75%
% Black 3% 2%
% Hispanic 5% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 7% 7%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

ISU St Olaf
% In-State 52% 47%
% Out-of-State 45% 43%

Campus

ISU St Olaf
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
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 St Olaf based on total student enrollment (29,969 students vs. 3,046 students)

ISU vs. St Olaf Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ISU or St Olaf?

  • St Olaf College is 529.8% more expensive to attend than ISU for in-state tuition ($54,650.00 vs. $8,678.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 117.2% higher at St Olaf than Iowa State University ($54,650.00 vs. $25,162.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Iowa State University than St Olaf ($15,310 vs. $26,171)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Iowa State University are 33% lower than costs at St Olaf College ($9,358 vs. $12,450)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St Olaf College than Iowa State University (99% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St Olaf College students is 265.8% larger than aid received Iowa State University ($40,399 vs. $11,043)

ISU vs. St Olaf Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at St Olaf College (1282) is 140 points higher than at ISU (1142)
  • Incoming St Olaf students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at ISU (25)
  • Accepted freshman ISU students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at St Olaf (3.68)
  • ISU has a higher acceptance rate (90.2%) than St Olaf (56.4%)

ISU vs. St Olaf Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ISU 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 ISU.

  • The graduation rate at St Olaf is higher than Iowa State University (85% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates of Iowa State University and St Olaf have equivalent average earnings after ten years ($53,700 vs. $53,700)
  • Iowa State University students graduate with a $3,132 lower median federal student loan debt than St Olaf graduates. ($23,868 vs. $27,000)
  • ISU graduates are paying $33 less per month on federal student loans than St Olaf graduates. ($246 vs. $279)
  • More St Olaf graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ISU students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 74%)

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