| Location: | Midwest |
| Setting: | Small Town Setting |
| Type: | Private |
| Affiliation: | Evangelical Lutheran Church |
| Size: | Medium (2,000 to 5,000 Undergrad) |
| Mascot: | Oles |
St. Olaf College is a selective coeducational, residential, four-year private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). It was founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian-American immigrant pastors and farmers, led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus.
An average of six St. Olaf students are awarded the Fulbright Scholarship each year. Additionally, the college has produced nine Rhodes Scholars since 1910, including two in 2007.
St. Olaf ranks as one of the top 20 small colleges (those with 5,000 or fewer students) for the number of students who go on to serve in the Peace Corps.
St. Olaf College is listed in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives.
Many Norwegian immigrants arrived in Rice County, Minnesota, and the surrounding area in the late 19th century. With nearly all the immigrants being Lutheran Christians, they desired a non-secular post-secondary institution in the Lutheran tradition that offered classes in all subjects in both Norwegian and English. The catalyst for founding St. Olaf was the Reverend Bernt Julius Muus, and he sought out the help of the Rev. N.A. Quammen and H. Thorson. Together they petitioned their parishes and others to raise money in order to buy a plot of land on which to build this new institution. The three men succeeded in receiving around $10,000 in pledges, and thus went on to form a corporation and to buy a plot of land and four buildings (old Northfield schoolhouses) for accommodations for the school.
St. Olaf, then called St. Olaf's School, opened on January 8, 1875 at its first site under the leadership of its first president, Thorbjorn Mohn. In 1887 the Manitou Messenger was founded as a campus magazine and has since evolved into the college's student newspaper.
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Top States for Incoming Freshman
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| Percent of Students International: | 1% |
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 89% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | Yes |
| Member of: | NAA, NCAA |
| Sports Include: |
Football (Minnesota Intercollegiate Ath Conf) Basketball (Minnesota Intercollegiate Ath Conf) Baseball (Minnesota Intercollegiate Ath Conf) Track (Minnesota Intercollegiate Ath Conf) |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | Expenses | ||
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 26,500 | ||
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 4,083 | 17% | |
State and Local Grants: |
$ 3,407 | 20% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 10,282 | 85% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 4,537 | 68% | |
Any Aid: |
89% |
| Acceptance Rate: | 73% (Selective) |
| Test Scores | |
| SAT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting SAT Scores: | 46% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Verbal: 590, Math: 580 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Verbal: 700, Math: 690 |
| ACT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting ACT Scores: | 85% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Composite: 25, Verbal: 24, Math: 24 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Composite: 30, Verbal: 31, Math: 29 |
| Application Fee: | $ 35.00 |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies: | Recommended |
| High School Diploma or Equivalent: | Recommended |
| High School GPA: | Required |
| High School Rank: | Recommended |
| High School Record: | Required |
| Recommendations: | Required |
| TOEFL: | Required |
| Test Scores: | Required |
College Advice
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Are there any specific restaurants or other places (bowling) that are by the campus? I want to get my little cousin a gift certificate to a place she can use around there, but she will be in a dorm with no car. Any suggestions that are not totally generic like Applebee's. I want to get her something that she can use there. Please help!!!
14 months ago
Best Answer
Um YAH YAH!
Rueb-n-Stein is a good hang-out, or the Jesse James Lanes, although these places may not do gift certificates. I am not sure Hogan Brothers is still in business, but that's a great sub-shop if it's still around. Treats is also great, again, if it's still around (it's been a couple of years for me)
A gift certificate to the bookstore could be very useful, too...there are always shirts and hats that are fun there.
Like most Ole's, she could probably find a ride or take the bus into Northfield.
You're a great cousin.
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Question:
I'm stuck in my decision between St. Olaf College and Knox College...advice and reason why?
I like the atmosphere and general feeling of St. Olaf College, I think I would really fit in well there. I want to go there, but there pre-med program is not as easy as Knox's. At Knox, there is a pre-med program that sets you up to go to University of Washington or Rush in Chicago that makes it easier to get in to them as a grad as long as you get higher than B's and impress the schools on the interview. The program is great, but I don't really like the feel I get from visiting Knox as much as St. Olaf. For me, St. Olaf immediately clicked, whereas Knox didn't exactly feel right. I know I won't decide only from this, but ideas would help. Thanks!
17 months ago
Best Answer
Well I'm not knowledgeable about St. Olaf but Knox I know. Firstly, Galesburg is a depressing location. I spent the whole weekend with the swim team while visiting the campus (I wanted to swim but man).
The whole admissions process was weird. I went to Bradley University instead.
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