DU vs. St Olaf

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

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University of Denver vs. St Olaf College comparison
University of Denver St Olaf College College 3 College 4
University of Denver St Olaf College
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Overview

DU St Olaf
Location Denver, CO Northfield, MN
Setting Large City Distant Town
Enrollment 13,387 3,074
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #86 #161
Religious Affiliation - Evangelical Lutheran Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website du.edu stolaf.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

DU St Olaf
Tuition (In State) $58,032 $56,970
Tuition (Out of State) $58,032 $56,970
Room & Board $17,049 $13,000
Avg Net Price $43,324 $27,282
Avg Grant Aid $32,023 $41,918
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 100%

Admission

DU St Olaf
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 19,214 5,956
Admitted 13,679 3,106
Acceptance Rate 71.2% 52.1%
Enrolled % 10.7% 26.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.72 3.68
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Very High Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 29/32 28/32
SAT Range 1240/1410 1260/1470
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, 2026 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

DU St Olaf
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (42%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Physical Sciences (8%)
  • Mathematics (8%)

Outcomes

DU St Olaf
Graduation Rate 78% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $63,400 $53,700
Making Student Loan Payments 72% 91%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,699 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $245 $279

Diversity

DU St Olaf
% Men 17% 0%
% Women 35% 0%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 67% 75%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 10% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 9% 7%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

DU St Olaf
% In-State 28% 47%
% Out-of-State 69% 43%

Campus

DU 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

  • University of Denver is larger than than St Olaf based on total student enrollment (13,387 students vs. 3,074 students)

DU vs. St Olaf Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, DU or St Olaf?

  • University of Denver is 1.9% more expensive to attend than St Olaf for in-state tuition ($58,032.00 vs. $56,970.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.9% higher at DU than St Olaf College ($58,032.00 vs. $56,970.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Olaf College than DU ($27,282 vs. $43,324)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St Olaf College are 31.1% lower than costs at University of Denver ($13,000 vs. $17,049)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St Olaf College than University of Denver (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St Olaf College students is 30.9% larger than aid received University of Denver ($41,918 vs. $32,023)

DU vs. St Olaf Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at St Olaf College (1282) is 33 points higher than at DU (1249)
  • Incoming St Olaf students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at DU (28)
  • Accepted freshman DU students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.72) than students at St Olaf (3.68)
  • DU has a higher acceptance rate (71.2%) than St Olaf (52.1%)

DU vs. St Olaf Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, DU 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 DU.

  • The graduation rate at St Olaf is higher than University of Denver (85% vs. 78%)
  • Graduates from University of Denver earn on average $9,700 more per year than St Olaf graduates after ten years. ($63,400 vs. $53,700)
  • University of Denver students graduate with a $3,301 lower median federal student loan debt than St Olaf graduates. ($23,699 vs. $27,000)
  • DU graduates are paying $34 less per month on federal student loans than St Olaf graduates. ($245 vs. $279)
  • More St Olaf graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former DU students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 72%)

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