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TCU Baylor UT Austin UT Dallas Carleton College Texas A&M Tulane Rice Trinity SCU Macalester College Lawrence| St Olaf College | Southern Methodist University | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
St Olaf | SMU | ||
| Location | Northfield, MN | Dallas, TX | ||
| Setting | Distant Town | Large Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 3,046 | 12,053 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #156 | #67 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | Evangelical Lutheran Church | United Methodist | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | stolaf.edu | smu.edu | ||
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Costs |
St Olaf | SMU | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $54,650 | $55,012 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $54,650 | $55,012 | ||
| Room & Board | $12,450 | $17,750 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $26,171 | $45,094 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $40,399 | $35,344 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 99% | 73% |
Admission |
St Olaf | SMU | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 5,524 | 16,150 | ||
| Admitted | 3,116 | 8,439 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 56.4% | 52.3% | ||
| Enrolled % | 27.9% | 19.4% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.68 | 3.68 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Exceptional | Exceptional | ||
| Applicant Competition | Low | Low | ||
| ACT Range | 28/33 | 31/34 | ||
| SAT Range | 1300/1480 | 1370/1510 | ||
| 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, 2025 | Jan 15, 2025 |
Academics |
St Olaf | SMU | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 12:1 | 11:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
St Olaf | SMU | ||
| Graduation Rate | 85% | 75% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $53,700 | $73,000 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 91% | 76% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $27,000 | $21,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $279 | $222 |
Diversity |
St Olaf | SMU | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 42% | 50% | ||
| % Women | 58% | 50% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Low | Medium | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 75% | 65% | ||
| % Black | 2% | 5% | ||
| % Hispanic | 5% | 11% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 4% | 4% | ||
| % International | 7% | 8% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 1% | 0% |
Students |
St Olaf | SMU | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 47% | 38% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 43% | 58% | ||
Campus |
St Olaf | SMU | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | Yes | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Southern Methodist University is larger than than St Olaf based on total student enrollment (12,053 students vs. 3,046 students)
St Olaf vs. SMU Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, St Olaf or SMU?
- Southern Methodist University is 0.7% more expensive to attend than St Olaf for in-state tuition ($55,012.00 vs. $54,650.00)
- Out of state tuition is 0.7% higher at SMU than St Olaf College ($55,012.00 vs. $54,650.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Olaf College than SMU ($26,171 vs. $45,094)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St Olaf College are 42.6% lower than costs at Southern Methodist University ($12,450 vs. $17,750)
- More students receive financial grant aid at St Olaf College than Southern Methodist University (99% vs. 73%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by St Olaf College students is 14.3% larger than aid received Southern Methodist University ($40,399 vs. $35,344)
St Olaf vs. SMU Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, St Olaf or SMU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between SMU or St Olaf .
- The average SAT score at Southern Methodist University (1330) is 48 points higher than at St Olaf (1282)
- Incoming SMU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at St Olaf (29)
- Accepted freshman St Olaf students have at the same average high school GPA (3.68) as students at SMU (3.68)
- St Olaf has a higher acceptance rate (56.4%) than SMU (52.3%)
St Olaf vs. SMU Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, St Olaf or SMU? 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 SMU and St Olaf.
- The graduation rate at St Olaf is higher than Southern Methodist University (85% vs. 75%)
- Graduates from Southern Methodist University earn on average $19,300 more per year than St Olaf graduates after ten years. ($73,000 vs. $53,700)
- Southern Methodist University students graduate with a $5,500 lower median federal student loan debt than St Olaf graduates. ($21,500 vs. $27,000)
- SMU graduates are paying $57 less per month on federal student loans than St Olaf graduates. ($222 vs. $279)
- More St Olaf graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SMU students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 76%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/