St Olaf vs. MSOE

Deciding between St Olaf College and Milwaukee School of Engineering? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

St Olaf College
Milwaukee School of Engineering

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • St Olaf Northfield, MN
  • MSOE Milwaukee, WI
  • Setting
  • St Olaf Distant Town
  • MSOE Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • St Olaf 3,124
  • MSOE 2,953
  • Type
  • St Olaf Private 4 Year
  • MSOE Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • St Olaf #143
  • MSOE #230
  • Religious Affiliation
  • St Olaf Evangelical Lutheran Church
  • MSOE -
  • Status
  • St Olaf Non-profit
  • MSOE Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • St Olaf
  • MSOE

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • St Olaf $59,760
  • MSOE $50,480
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • St Olaf $59,760
  • MSOE $50,480
  • Room & Board
  • St Olaf $13,630
  • MSOE $13,984
  • Average Net Price
  • St Olaf $26,756
  • MSOE $25,669
  • Average Grant Aid
  • St Olaf $45,098
  • MSOE $36,997
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • St Olaf 100%
  • MSOE 100%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • St Olaf 6,623
  • MSOE 6,287
  • Admitted
  • St Olaf 3,200
  • MSOE 3,705
  • Acceptance Rate
  • St Olaf 48.3%
  • MSOE 58.9%
  • Enrolled
  • St Olaf 26.8%
  • MSOE 17.2%
  • Typical SAT score
  • St Olaf 1390
  • MSOE 1280
  • Typical ACT score
  • St Olaf 30
  • MSOE 27
  • Average High School GPA
  • St Olaf 3.68
  • MSOE 3.65
  • Typical High School Grades
  • St Olaf A-
  • MSOE A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • St Olaf Very High
  • MSOE Difficult
  • Applicant Competition
  • St Olaf Low
  • MSOE Low
  • ACT Range
  • St Olaf 28/32
  • MSOE 24/30
  • SAT Range
  • St Olaf 1300/1470
  • MSOE 1160/1405
  • Submit Test Scores
  • St Olaf Test optional
  • MSOE Test-free
  • Application Deadline
  • St Olaf Jan 15, 2027
  • MSOE Sep 1, 2026

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • St Olaf 11:1
  • MSOE 12:1
  • Popular Majors
  • St Olaf
    • Social Sciences (16%)
    • Biology (12%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
    • Physical Sciences (8%)
    • Mathematics (8%)
  • MSOE
    • Engineering (66%)
    • Business (17%)
    • Health Professions (9%)
    • Engineering Technology (7%)
    • Communication (1%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • St Olaf 85%
  • MSOE 57%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • St Olaf $53,700
  • MSOE $68,900
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • St Olaf 91%
  • MSOE 83%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • St Olaf $27,000
  • MSOE $27,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • St Olaf $279
  • MSOE $279

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • St Olaf 42%
  • MSOE 70%
  • % Women
  • St Olaf 58%
  • MSOE 30%
  • Racial Diversity
  • St Olaf Low
  • MSOE Medium
  • HBCU
  • St Olaf No
  • MSOE No
  • % White
  • St Olaf 75%
  • MSOE 66%
  • % Asian
  • St Olaf 6%
  • MSOE 3%
  • % Black
  • St Olaf 2%
  • MSOE 2%
  • % Hispanic
  • St Olaf 5%
  • MSOE 5%
  • % Native American
  • St Olaf 0%
  • MSOE 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • St Olaf 0%
  • MSOE 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • St Olaf 4%
  • MSOE 2%
  • % International
  • St Olaf 7%
  • MSOE 13%
  • % Unknown Race
  • St Olaf 1%
  • MSOE 8%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • St Olaf 44%
  • MSOE 51%
  • % Out-of-State
  • St Olaf 42%
  • MSOE 44%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • St Olaf Yes
  • MSOE Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • St Olaf No
  • MSOE No
  • Meal Plan
  • St Olaf Yes
  • MSOE Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • St Olaf No
  • MSOE Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • St Olaf No
  • MSOE No

Comparable Facts

Compare St Olaf College in Northfield, MN with Milwaukee School of Engineering in Milwaukee, WI on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

St Olaf College is larger than MSOE based on total student enrollment (3,124 students vs. 2,953 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • St Olaf College is located in Northfield, MN (Distant Town setting); Milwaukee School of Engineering is in Milwaukee, WI (Large City setting).
  • St Olaf College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Milwaukee School of Engineering is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: St Olaf College 11:1; Milwaukee School of Engineering 12:1.

St Olaf vs. MSOE Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St Olaf or MSOE? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Milwaukee School of Engineering than St Olaf ($25,669 vs. $26,756).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St Olaf College are 2.5% lower than at Milwaukee School of Engineering ($13,630 vs. $13,984).
  • St Olaf College is 18.4% more expensive for in-state tuition than MSOE (about $9,280 more per year; $59,760.00 vs. $50,480.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 18.4% higher at St Olaf than at Milwaukee School of Engineering (about $9,280 more per year; $59,760.00 vs. $50,480.00).
  • The same share of students receive grant aid at St Olaf College as at Milwaukee School of Engineering (100% vs. 100%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St Olaf College students is 21.9% larger than aid received by Milwaukee School of Engineering students ($45,098 vs. $36,997).

St Olaf vs. MSOE Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, St Olaf or MSOE? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between MSOE and St Olaf.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at St Olaf College (1390) is 110 points higher than at MSOE (1280).
  • Incoming St Olaf students have a 3 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (30 vs. 27 at MSOE).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: St Olaf College 1300/1470; Milwaukee School of Engineering 1160/1405.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: St Olaf College 28/32; Milwaukee School of Engineering 24/30.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: St Olaf - Test optional; MSOE - Test-free.
  • Typical fall application deadline: St Olaf Jan 15, 2027; MSOE Sep 1, 2026.
  • Accepted freshman St Olaf students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.68) than students at MSOE (3.65).
  • MSOE has a higher acceptance rate (58.9%) than St Olaf (48.3%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 26.8% at St Olaf vs. 17.2% at MSOE.

St Olaf vs. MSOE Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for St Olaf and MSOE? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • St Olaf College's six-year graduation rate (85%) is higher than Milwaukee School of Engineering's (57%).
  • Graduates from Milwaukee School of Engineering earn a median of about $15,200 more per year than St Olaf graduates about ten years after starting college ($68,900 vs. $53,700), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Milwaukee School of Engineering and St Olaf graduates have the same median loan debt ($27,000 vs. $27,000).
  • Among borrowers in the federal data, Milwaukee School of Engineering and St Olaf graduates have the same median monthly federal student loan payment ($279 vs. $279).
  • More St Olaf graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former MSOE students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 83%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.