St Olaf vs. Oberlin

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

St Olaf Oberlin
Location Northfield, MN Oberlin, OH
Setting Distant Town Midsize Suburban
Enrollment 3,046 2,992
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #156 #148
Religious Affiliation Evangelical Lutheran Church - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website stolaf.edu oberlin.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

St Olaf Oberlin
Tuition (In State) $54,650 $61,106
Tuition (Out of State) $54,650 $61,106
Room & Board $12,450 $18,390
Avg Net Price $26,171 $46,462
Avg Grant Aid $40,399 $35,040
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 98%

Admission

St Olaf Oberlin
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,524 11,066
Admitted 3,116 3,859
Acceptance Rate 56.4% 34.9%
Enrolled % 27.9% 22.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.68 3.67
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low High
ACT Range 28/33 30/33
SAT Range 1300/1480 1360/1530
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, 2025 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

St Olaf Oberlin
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Physical Sciences (8%)
  • Mathematics (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (26%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)

Outcomes

St Olaf Oberlin
Graduation Rate 85% 88%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,700 $43,900
Making Student Loan Payments 91% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,579
Median Loan Payment $279 $274

Diversity

St Olaf Oberlin
% Men 42% 41%
% Women 58% 59%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 75% 68%
% Black 2% 5%
% Hispanic 5% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 6%
% International 7% 8%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

St Olaf Oberlin
% In-State 47% 6%
% Out-of-State 43% 84%

Campus

St Olaf Oberlin
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

  • St Olaf College is larger than than Oberlin based on total student enrollment (3,046 students vs. 2,992 students)

St Olaf vs. Oberlin Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St Olaf or Oberlin?

  • Oberlin College is 11.8% more expensive to attend than St Olaf for in-state tuition ($61,106.00 vs. $54,650.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 11.8% higher at Oberlin than St Olaf College ($61,106.00 vs. $54,650.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Olaf College than Oberlin ($26,171 vs. $46,462)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St Olaf College are 47.7% lower than costs at Oberlin College ($12,450 vs. $18,390)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St Olaf College than Oberlin College (99% vs. 98%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St Olaf College students is 15.3% larger than aid received Oberlin College ($40,399 vs. $35,040)

St Olaf vs. Oberlin Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Oberlin College (1357) is 75 points higher than at St Olaf (1282)
  • Incoming Oberlin students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at St Olaf (29)
  • Accepted freshman St Olaf students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.68) than students at Oberlin (3.67)
  • St Olaf has a higher acceptance rate (56.4%) than Oberlin (34.9%)

St Olaf vs. Oberlin Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St Olaf or Oberlin? 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 Oberlin and St Olaf.

  • The graduation rate at Oberlin is higher than St Olaf College (88% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from St Olaf College earn on average $9,800 more per year than Oberlin graduates after ten years. ($53,700 vs. $43,900)
  • Oberlin College students graduate with a $421 lower median federal student loan debt than St Olaf graduates. ($26,579 vs. $27,000)
  • Oberlin graduates are paying $5 less per month on federal student loans than St Olaf graduates. ($274 vs. $279)
  • More St Olaf graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Oberlin students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 82%)

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