MLC vs. St Olaf

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

MLC St Olaf
Location New Ulm, MN Northfield, MN
Setting Remote Town Distant Town
Enrollment 880 3,046
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #156
Religious Affiliation Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mlc-wels.edu stolaf.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

MLC St Olaf
Tuition (In State) $17,420 $54,650
Tuition (Out of State) $17,420 $54,650
Room & Board $6,880 $12,450
Avg Net Price $22,293 $26,171
Avg Grant Aid $6,301 $40,399
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 99%

Admission

MLC St Olaf
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 215 5,524
Admitted 180 3,116
Acceptance Rate 83.7% 56.4%
Enrolled % 78.9% 27.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.56 3.68
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/27 28/33
SAT Range 1051/1316 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

MLC St Olaf
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (67%)
  • Theology and Religious Vvocations (33%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Physical Sciences (8%)
  • Mathematics (8%)

Outcomes

MLC St Olaf
Graduation Rate 73% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $38,000 $53,700
Making Student Loan Payments 89% 91%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,125 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $239 $279

Diversity

MLC St Olaf
% Men 47% 42%
% Women 53% 58%
Racial Diversity Extremely Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 93% 75%
% Black 1% 2%
% Hispanic 1% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 4%
% International 2% 7%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

MLC St Olaf
% In-State 20% 47%
% Out-of-State 78% 43%

Campus

MLC 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

  • St Olaf College is larger than than MLC based on total student enrollment (3,046 students vs. 880 students)

MLC vs. St Olaf Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MLC or St Olaf?

  • St Olaf College is 213.7% more expensive to attend than MLC for in-state tuition ($54,650.00 vs. $17,420.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 213.7% higher at St Olaf than Martin Luther College ($54,650.00 vs. $17,420.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Martin Luther College than St Olaf ($22,293 vs. $26,171)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Martin Luther College are 81% lower than costs at St Olaf College ($6,880 vs. $12,450)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Martin Luther College as St Olaf College (99% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St Olaf College students is 541.2% larger than aid received Martin Luther College ($40,399 vs. $6,301)

MLC vs. St Olaf Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at St Olaf College (1282) is 137 points higher than at MLC (1145)
  • Incoming St Olaf students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at MLC (25)
  • Accepted freshman St Olaf students have a 0.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.68) than students at MLC (3.56)
  • MLC has a higher acceptance rate (83.7%) than St Olaf (56.4%)

MLC vs. St Olaf Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, MLC 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 MLC.

  • The graduation rate at St Olaf is higher than Martin Luther College (85% vs. 73%)
  • Graduates from St Olaf College earn on average $15,700 more per year than MLC graduates after ten years. ($53,700 vs. $38,000)
  • Martin Luther College students graduate with a $3,875 lower median federal student loan debt than St Olaf graduates. ($23,125 vs. $27,000)
  • MLC graduates are paying $40 less per month on federal student loans than St Olaf graduates. ($239 vs. $279)
  • More St Olaf graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former MLC students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 89%)

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