College of Saint Benedict vs Macalester College

College of Saint Benedict (CSB) and Macalester College stand out as two exceptional institutions of higher learning, each offering a unique educational experience. CSB, a private, Catholic, women's college, boasts a tight-knit community and a strong focus on liberal arts education. Macalester, on the other hand, is a private, coeducational liberal arts college known for its international focus and commitment to social justice. While both colleges share a dedication to academic excellence, they differ in several key aspects, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	College of Saint Benedict	Macalester College
Overview
Location	Saint Joseph, Minnesota	Saint Paul, Minnesota
Campus setting	Suburb: Midsize	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	85.0%	96.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation	Catholic	Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.8%	31.3%
Application fees		$40
SAT range	1110 - 1220	1340 - 1515
ACT range	20 - 27	29 - 33
Students submitting SAT score	5.0%	35.0%
Students submitting ACT score	53.0%	39.0%
Total number of applicants	1,705	9,046
Total number of admissions given out	1,565	2,828
Admitted students who chose to enroll	389	601
Yield rate	24.9%	21.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$64,600	$76,357
Average net price	$28,269	$30,939
Tuition	$48,990	$60,288
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,744 Meal plan: $5,830	Room/dormitory: $7,272 Meal plan: $6,270
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $34,926	87.0% Average amount $42,832
Students receiving federal student loan	70.0% Average amount $5,285	39.0% Average amount $4,799
Students taking out private loans	23.0% Average amount $14,950	29.0% Average amount $4,321

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,542 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%	2,244 Men 43.3% Women 56.7%
Graduate students	15 Men 0.0% Women 100.0%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	13.9%	N/A
International students	2.8%	13.5%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,657	1,332
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Minnesota Texas Wisconsin Illinois California	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Health Professions Multidisciplinary Studies Business Communication and Journalism	Mathematics and Statistics Foreign Languages and Literatures Multidisciplinary Studies Social Sciences Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	10:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	76.7%	89.7%
Dropout rate	4.2%	10.0%
Transferred out	19.1%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,506 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $64,967 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,133 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $63,835 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,618 Year 2: $51,607 Year 3: $60,918 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,526 Year 2: $41,193 Year 3: $50,148 Nutrition Sciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,764 Year 2: $38,906 Year 3: $47,379 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,234 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $41,921 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,557 Year 2: $27,126 Year 3: $40,533 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,176 Year 2: $34,298 Year 3: $38,443 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,663 Year 2: $31,127 Year 3: $37,417 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,025 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: N/A	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,163 Year 2: $64,493 Year 3: $72,135 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,896 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $56,193 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,635 Year 2: $35,274 Year 3: $43,620 Geography and Cartography (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,253 Year 2: $32,569 Year 3: $39,047 International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,368 Year 2: $34,526 Year 3: $36,933 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,116 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: $34,521 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,444 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: N/A Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,129 Year 2: $71,575 Year 3: N/A Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,281 Year 3: N/A

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