Northwestern College vs. The College of Saint Scholastica

Northwestern College vs. The College of Saint Scholastica comparison

	Northwestern College	The College of Saint Scholastica	College 3	College 4
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Overview	Northwestern College	The College of Saint Scholastica
Location	Saint Paul, MN	Duluth, MN
Setting	Large Suburban	Small City
Enrollment	3,253	3,207
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking	#554	#274
Religious Affiliation	Other Protestant	Roman Catholic	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	nwc.edu	css.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Northwestern College	The College of Saint Scholastica
Tuition (In State)	$34,490	$38,750
Tuition (Out of State)	$34,490	$38,750
Room & Board	$10,644	$10,996
Avg Net Price	$25,704	$24,578
Avg Grant Aid	$20,487	$28,022
% Receiving Grant Aid	100%	100%

Admission	Northwestern College	The College of Saint Scholastica
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	1,349	1,653
Admitted	1,248	1,597
Acceptance Rate	92.5%	96.6%
Enrolled %	31.9%	23%
Avg High School GPA	3.58	3.5
Typical High School Grades	B+	B+
Admissions Standards	Challenging	Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range	21/28	22/27
SAT Range	1015/1311	1110/1310
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	Aug 1, 2025

Academics	Northwestern College	The College of Saint Scholastica
Student to Faculty Ratio	15:1	10:1
Popular Majors	Theology and Religious Vvocations (22%) Business (18%) Education (11%) Psychology (10%) Communication (10%)	Health Professions (34%) Business (30%) Biology (9%) Human Services (6%) Psychology (5%)
Outcomes	Northwestern College	The College of Saint Scholastica
Graduation Rate	64%	63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$41,100	$54,800
Making Student Loan Payments	78%	71%
Median Student Loan Debt	$22,070	$21,154
Median Loan Payment	$228	$218

Diversity	Northwestern College	The College of Saint Scholastica
% Men	39%	28%
% Women	61%	72%
Racial Diversity	Very Low	Very Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	84%	83%
% Black	3%	3%
% Hispanic	4%	3%
% Native American	0%	2%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	3%	3%
% International	1%	3%
% Unknown Race	1%	1%

Students	Northwestern College	The College of Saint Scholastica
% In-State	77%	82%
% Out-of-State	22%	14%
Campus	Northwestern College	The College of Saint Scholastica
Campus Housing	Yes	Yes
Freshman Dorm Required	No	No
Meal Plan	Yes	Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes	No	Yes
Daycare Facility	No	No
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• Northwestern College is larger than than The College of Saint Scholastica based on total student enrollment (3,253 students vs. 3,207 students)

Northwestern College vs. The College of Saint Scholastica Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Northwestern College or The College of Saint Scholastica?

• The College of Saint Scholastica is 12.4% more expensive to attend than Northwestern College for in-state tuition ($38,750.00 vs. $34,490.00)
• Out of state tuition is 12.4% higher at The College of Saint Scholastica than Northwestern College ($38,750.00 vs. $34,490.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at The College of Saint Scholastica than Northwestern College ($24,578 vs. $25,704)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Northwestern College are 3.3% lower than costs at The College of Saint Scholastica ($10,644 vs. $10,996)
• The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Northwestern College as The College of Saint Scholastica (100% vs. 100%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by The College of Saint Scholastica students is 36.8% larger than aid received Northwestern College ($28,022 vs. $20,487)

Northwestern College vs. The College of Saint Scholastica Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• The average SAT score at Northwestern College (1102) is 35 points higher than at The College of Saint Scholastica (1067)
• Incoming Northwestern College students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at The College of Saint Scholastica (23)
• Accepted freshman Northwestern College students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.58) than students at The College of Saint Scholastica (3.5)
• The College of Saint Scholastica has a higher acceptance rate (96.6%) than Northwestern College (92.5%)

Northwestern College vs. The College of Saint Scholastica Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Northwestern College or The College of Saint Scholastica? 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 The College of Saint Scholastica and Northwestern College.

• The graduation rate at Northwestern College is higher than The College of Saint Scholastica (64% vs. 63%)
• Graduates from The College of Saint Scholastica earn on average $13,700 more per year than Northwestern College graduates after ten years. ($54,800 vs. $41,100)
• The College of Saint Scholastica students graduate with a $916 lower median federal student loan debt than Northwestern College graduates. ($21,154 vs. $22,070)
• The College of Saint Scholastica graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than Northwestern College graduates. ($218 vs. $228)
• More Northwestern College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former The College of Saint Scholastica students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 71%)

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