St Olaf College vs North Central University

St Olaf College and North Central University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. St Olaf, a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, boasts a rigorous academic curriculum rooted in the Lutheran tradition. North Central, a private Christian university in Minneapolis, Minnesota, emphasizes a holistic approach to education, integrating faith and learning. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	North Central University	St Olaf College
Overview
Location	Minneapolis, Minnesota	Northfield, Minnesota
Campus setting	City: 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	76.0%	91.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation	Protestant	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	94.0%	47.4%
Application fees	$25
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	553	6,494
Total number of admissions given out	520	3,080
Admitted students who chose to enroll	188	755
Yield rate	36.2%	24.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	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	$40,855	$66,570
Average net price	$24,232	$27,729
Tuition	$26,350	$52,670
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,740 Meal plan: $3,940	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)	97.0% Average amount $15,128	100.0% Average amount $37,281
Students receiving federal student loan	65.0% Average amount $5,021	49.0% Average amount $5,006
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $13,650	9.0% Average amount $15,087

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	950 Men 45.2% Women 54.8%	2,988 Men 42.2% Women 57.8%
Graduate students	84 Men 40.5% Women 59.5%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	1.6%	10.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	913	2,703
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Theology Education Multidisciplinary Studies Public Administration and Social Service	Social Sciences Ethnic Studies Foreign Languages and Literatures Mathematics and Statistics Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	59.1%	85.0%
Dropout rate	39.1%	3.9%
Transferred out	N/A	11.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,272 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $37,763 Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,251 Year 2: $27,552 Year 3: $37,109 Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,543 Year 2: $32,284 Year 3: $36,704 Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,228 Year 3: $26,698 Religious/Sacred Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,647 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,565 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,208 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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