McDaniel College vs. Gustavus Adolphus College

Should I go to McDaniel College or Gustavus Adolphus College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if McDaniel College or Gustavus Adolphus 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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McDaniel College vs. Gustavus Adolphus College comparison
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McDaniel College Gustavus Adolphus College
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Overview

McDaniel College Gustavus Adolphus College
Location Westminster, MD Saint Peter, MN
Setting Small Suburban Remote Town
Enrollment 3,000 2,072
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - Evangelical Lutheran Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mcdaniel.edu gustavus.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

McDaniel College Gustavus Adolphus College
Tuition (In State) $46,800 $52,490
Tuition (Out of State) $46,800 $52,490
Room & Board $12,302 $11,010
Avg Net Price $23,733 $30,297
Avg Grant Aid $38,848 $32,808
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 94%

Admission

McDaniel College Gustavus Adolphus College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,311 3,781
Admitted 3,537 2,794
Acceptance Rate 82% 73.9%
Enrolled % 13.2% 16.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.64 3.69
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Apr 1, 2025

Academics

McDaniel College Gustavus Adolphus College
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Education (7%)

Outcomes

McDaniel College Gustavus Adolphus College
Graduation Rate 74% 82%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,400 $56,300
Making Student Loan Payments 81% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $279

Diversity

McDaniel College Gustavus Adolphus College
% Men 34% 45%
% Women 66% 55%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 70% 83%
% Black 14% 2%
% Hispanic 6% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 1% 4%
% Unknown Race 6% 0%

Students

McDaniel College Gustavus Adolphus College
% In-State 71% 79%
% Out-of-State 27% 15%

Campus

McDaniel College Gustavus Adolphus College
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

  • McDaniel College is larger than than Gustavus Adolphus College based on total student enrollment (3,000 students vs. 2,072 students)

McDaniel College vs. Gustavus Adolphus College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, McDaniel College or Gustavus Adolphus College?

  • Gustavus Adolphus College is 12.2% more expensive to attend than McDaniel College for in-state tuition ($52,490.00 vs. $46,800.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 12.2% higher at Gustavus Adolphus College than McDaniel College ($52,490.00 vs. $46,800.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at McDaniel College than Gustavus Adolphus College ($23,733 vs. $30,297)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Gustavus Adolphus College are 11.7% lower than costs at McDaniel College ($11,010 vs. $12,302)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at McDaniel College than Gustavus Adolphus College (100% vs. 94%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by McDaniel College students is 18.4% larger than aid received Gustavus Adolphus College ($38,848 vs. $32,808)

McDaniel College vs. Gustavus Adolphus College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Gustavus Adolphus College students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.69) than students at McDaniel College (3.64)
  • McDaniel College has a higher acceptance rate (82%) than Gustavus Adolphus College (73.9%)

McDaniel College vs. Gustavus Adolphus College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, McDaniel College or Gustavus Adolphus 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 Gustavus Adolphus College and McDaniel College.

  • The graduation rate at Gustavus Adolphus College is higher than McDaniel College (82% vs. 74%)
  • Graduates from Gustavus Adolphus College earn on average $2,900 more per year than McDaniel College graduates after ten years. ($56,300 vs. $53,400)
  • Gustavus Adolphus College and McDaniel College graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($27,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Gustavus Adolphus College and McDaniel College graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($279 vs. $279)
  • More Gustavus Adolphus College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former McDaniel College students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 81%)

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