Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) vs St Olaf College

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and St Olaf College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, nestled in the heart of North Adams, Massachusetts, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. St Olaf College, located in the charming town of Northfield, Minnesota, stands out with its rigorous academic programs, reflected in its lower acceptance rate. While Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts excels in fields like Psychology and Business, St Olaf College shines in the realms of Biology and Music. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further distinctions, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your college decision.

	Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts	St Olaf College
Overview
Location	North Adams, Massachusetts	Northfield, Minnesota
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	63.0%	91.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.0%	47.4%
Application fees	$50
SAT range	N/A	1240 - 1430
ACT range	N/A	28 - 33
Students submitting SAT score		16.0%
Students submitting ACT score		39.0%
Total number of applicants	1,371	6,494
Total number of admissions given out	1,247	3,080
Admitted students who chose to enroll	167	755
Yield rate	13.4%	24.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $25,928 Out of state: $34,873	$66,570
Average net price	$14,902	$27,729
Tuition	In state: $1,030 Out of state: $9,975	$52,670
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,240 Meal plan: $5,044	Room/dormitory: $5,720 Meal plan: $6,280
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $8,496	100.0% Average amount $37,281
Students receiving federal student loan	97.0% Average amount $3,734	49.0% Average amount $5,006
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $9,492	9.0% Average amount $15,087

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	870 Men 39.2% Women 60.8%	2,988 Men 42.2% Women 57.8%
Graduate students	124 Men 33.1% Women 66.9%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	N/A	10.2%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,020	2,703
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Mississippi New York Vermont Connecticut Rhode Island	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Computer and Information Science Health Professions Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Social Sciences Ethnic Studies Foreign Languages and Literatures Mathematics and Statistics Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	58.4%	85.0%
Dropout rate	41.6%	3.9%
Transferred out	N/A	11.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,895 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $73,830 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,172 Year 2: $34,467 Year 3: $40,733 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,359 Year 2: $27,181 Year 3: $40,148 Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,284 Year 3: $35,408 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,617 Year 2: $32,569 Year 3: $34,741 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,798 Year 2: $31,828 Year 3: $32,817 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,438 Year 2: $28,236 Year 3: $32,425 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,231 Year 2: $29,374 Year 3: $31,158 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,032 Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: N/A Visual and Performing Arts, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,169 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,475 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $85,264 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,389 Year 2: $60,623 Year 3: $67,970 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,177 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $61,505 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,461 Year 2: $42,123 Year 3: $48,934 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,797 Year 2: $46,478 Year 3: $47,009 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,149 Year 2: $38,829 Year 3: $45,715 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,228 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $44,563 Sociology and Anthropology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,528 Year 2: $31,708 Year 3: $42,811 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,398 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $41,551 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,226 Year 2: $23,166 Year 3: $38,521

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