Mills College vs. Macalester College

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

Mills College Macalester College
Location Oakland, CA Saint Paul, MN
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 658 2,142
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #104
Religious Affiliation - Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mills.edu macalester.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Mills College Macalester College
Tuition (In State) $62,000 $64,678
Tuition (Out of State) $62,000 $64,678
Room & Board $18,790 $15,477
Avg Net Price - $38,571
Avg Grant Aid $0 $40,329
% Receiving Grant Aid 0% 88%

Admission

Mills College Macalester College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,177 8,099
Admitted 2,841 2,285
Acceptance Rate 16.5% 28.2%
Enrolled % 17.1% 22.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.57 3.81
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High High
ACT Range 31/33 30/33
SAT Range 1390/1520 1350/1510
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, 2026

Academics

Mills College Macalester College
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • English and Literature (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Ethnic Studies (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Foreign Languages (10%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Mathematics (6%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

Mills College Macalester College
Graduation Rate 57% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,400 $54,100
Making Student Loan Payments 66% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,500 $22,670
Median Loan Payment $242 $234

Diversity

Mills College Macalester College
% Men 10% 0%
% Women 8% 0%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 48% 66%
% Black 7% 2%
% Hispanic 24% 6%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 10% 5%
% International 1% 14%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

Mills College Macalester College
% In-State 75% 18%
% Out-of-State 22% 69%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Macalester College is larger than than Mills College based on total student enrollment (2,142 students vs. 658 students)

Mills College vs. Macalester College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Mills College or Macalester College?

  • Macalester College is 4.3% more expensive to attend than Mills College for in-state tuition ($64,678.00 vs. $62,000.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.3% higher at Macalester College than Mills College ($64,678.00 vs. $62,000.00)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Macalester College are 21.4% lower than costs at Mills College ($15,477 vs. $18,790)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Macalester College than Mills College (88% vs. 0%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Macalester College students is ?% larger than aid received Mills College ($40,329 vs. $0)

Mills College vs. Macalester College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Macalester College (1358) is 175 points higher than at Mills College (1183)
  • Incoming Macalester College students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Mills College (27)
  • Accepted freshman Macalester College students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at Mills College (3.57)
  • Macalester College has a higher acceptance rate (28.2%) than Mills College (16.5%)

Mills College vs. Macalester College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Mills College 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 Mills College.

  • The graduation rate at Macalester College is higher than Mills College (87% vs. 57%)
  • Graduates from Macalester College earn on average $9,700 more per year than Mills College graduates after ten years. ($54,100 vs. $44,400)
  • Macalester College students graduate with a $830 lower median federal student loan debt than Mills College graduates. ($22,670 vs. $23,500)
  • Macalester College graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than Mills College graduates. ($234 vs. $242)
  • More Macalester College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mills College students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 66%)

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