St Olaf College vs Lake Forest College

St. Olaf College and Lake Forest College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. St. Olaf, nestled in Northfield, Minnesota, boasts a higher acceptance rate (63%) compared to Lake Forest's selective admissions (38%). While St. Olaf's student body is predominantly White (83%), Lake Forest's student population is more diverse, with 54% White, 15% Asian, and 10% Hispanic students. Both colleges excel in academics, with St. Olaf's popular majors including Music, Biology, and Economics, while Lake Forest students often pursue majors in Economics, Psychology, and Political Science. St. Olaf's graduation rate stands at 83%, slightly higher than Lake Forest's 79%. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two exceptional institutions. Dive into the details and discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and

	Lake Forest College	St Olaf College
Overview
Location	Lake Forest, Illinois	Northfield, Minnesota
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	87.0%	91.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	64.4%	47.4%
Application fees	$50
SAT range	1130 - 1345	1240 - 1430
ACT range	26 - 31	28 - 33
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%	16.0%
Students submitting ACT score	15.0%	39.0%
Total number of applicants	4,358	6,494
Total number of admissions given out	2,808	3,080
Admitted students who chose to enroll	417	755
Yield rate	14.9%	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)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$66,400	$66,570
Average net price	$25,126	$27,729
Tuition	$50,100	$52,670
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,540 Meal plan: $5,958	Room/dormitory: $5,720 Meal plan: $6,280
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $38,182	100.0% Average amount $37,281
Students receiving federal student loan	43.0% Average amount $5,895	49.0% Average amount $5,006
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $15,800	9.0% Average amount $15,087

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,661 Men 41.7% Women 58.3%	2,988 Men 42.2% Women 57.8%
Graduate students	29 Men 34.5% Women 65.5%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	45.4%	N/A
International students	15.7%	10.2%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,236	2,703
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Illinois Arizona California Colorado Minnesota	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Education Foreign Languages and Literatures Psychology	Social Sciences Ethnic Studies Foreign Languages and Literatures Mathematics and Statistics Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	73.0%	85.0%
Dropout rate	4.8%	3.9%
Transferred out	22.2%	11.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,498 Year 2: $44,468 Year 3: $58,948 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,662 Year 2: $41,007 Year 3: $50,604 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,515 Year 2: $40,647 Year 3: $46,215 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,630 Year 2: $30,409 Year 3: $42,995 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,945 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $37,497 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,373 Year 2: $23,807 Year 3: $32,580 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,153 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,832 Year 3: N/A Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,544 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,197 Year 2: N/A 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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