Northwestern vs. St Olaf

Should I go to Northwestern University or St Olaf College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Northwestern 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

UChicago Notre Dame Duke Vanderbilt WUSTL Johns Hopkins Cornell Carleton College Georgetown Michigan Stanford Loyola
Northwestern University vs. St Olaf College comparison
Northwestern University St Olaf College College 3 College 4
Northwestern University St Olaf College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Northwestern St Olaf
Location Evanston, IL Northfield, MN
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 23,161 3,046
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #15 #156
Religious Affiliation - Evangelical Lutheran Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website northwestern.edu stolaf.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Northwestern St Olaf
Tuition (In State) $62,391 $54,650
Tuition (Out of State) $62,391 $54,650
Room & Board $19,440 $12,450
Avg Net Price $22,095 $26,171
Avg Grant Aid $61,716 $40,399
% Receiving Grant Aid 50% 99%

Admission

Northwestern St Olaf
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 51,261 5,524
Admitted 3,695 3,116
Acceptance Rate 7.2% 56.4%
Enrolled % 55.2% 27.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.92 3.68
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Extreme Low
ACT Range 33/35 28/33
SAT Range 1490/1570 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 1, 2025 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

Northwestern St Olaf
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Physical Sciences (8%)
  • Mathematics (8%)

Outcomes

Northwestern St Olaf
Graduation Rate 94% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $89,800 $53,700
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 91%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,378 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $200 $279

Diversity

Northwestern St Olaf
% Men 46% 42%
% Women 54% 58%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 50% 75%
% Black 6% 2%
% Hispanic 12% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 8% 7%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

Northwestern St Olaf
% In-State 22% 47%
% Out-of-State 67% 43%

Campus

Northwestern St Olaf
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Northwestern University is larger than than St Olaf based on total student enrollment (23,161 students vs. 3,046 students)

Northwestern vs. St Olaf Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Northwestern or St Olaf?

  • Northwestern University is 14.2% more expensive to attend than St Olaf for in-state tuition ($62,391.00 vs. $54,650.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 14.2% higher at Northwestern than St Olaf College ($62,391.00 vs. $54,650.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northwestern University than St Olaf ($22,095 vs. $26,171)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St Olaf College are 56.1% lower than costs at Northwestern University ($12,450 vs. $19,440)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St Olaf College than Northwestern University (99% vs. 50%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Northwestern University students is 52.8% larger than aid received St Olaf College ($61,716 vs. $40,399)

Northwestern vs. St Olaf Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Northwestern University (1460) is 178 points higher than at St Olaf (1282)
  • Incoming Northwestern students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at St Olaf (29)
  • Accepted freshman Northwestern students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at St Olaf (3.68)
  • St Olaf has a higher acceptance rate (56.4%) than Northwestern (7.2%)

Northwestern vs. St Olaf Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Northwestern 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 Northwestern.

  • The graduation rate at Northwestern is higher than St Olaf College (94% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from Northwestern University earn on average $36,100 more per year than St Olaf graduates after ten years. ($89,800 vs. $53,700)
  • Northwestern University students graduate with a $7,622 lower median federal student loan debt than St Olaf graduates. ($19,378 vs. $27,000)
  • Northwestern graduates are paying $79 less per month on federal student loans than St Olaf graduates. ($200 vs. $279)
  • More St Olaf graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Northwestern students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 87%)

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