St Olaf College Acceptance Rate and Admission Requirements (2025)

St Olaf College is somewhat selective in its admission process. The acceptance rate of St Olaf College is 56.41%. This means that 56 out of every 100 applicants get admitted.

How Competitive are St Olaf College Admissions?

Competitive: Applicants need good academics and extracurriculars.
GPA, SAT/ACT, and AP/IB courses significantly impact admission chances.
A holistic review considers essays, recommendations, and leadership roles.

St Olaf College Admission Competitiveness

To secure admission, you must convince the admission staff that you are both mentally and physically fit for the course of study. More importantly, your GPA, class performance, SAT/ACT scores, and IB or AP courses can help your application stand out. Additionally, if you do not perform well in one area, you can showcase your strengths in other areas, as the St Olaf College is not very strict in its admission process, so improving other areas will help you secure admission.

As the acceptance rate is above 50%, you still have a chance if your GPA is not excellent. You can make up for a lower GPA by scoring high on the SAT, and ACT, and taking IB or AP courses.

Additionally, a well-written letter of recommendation, your participation in co-curricular and extracurricular activities, and your interpersonal communication skills can enhance your admission chances.

St Olaf College Admission Requirements

St Olaf College GPA Requirement

The average GPA of the admitted students at St Olaf College is 3.68. St Olaf College is highly selective.

Mostly A’s with a few B’s will keep you competitive. Taking AP/IB courses related to your field will improve your chances.

If your GPA is between 3.38 and 3.68, a strong SAT or ACT score is recommended. You need at least a 3.28 GPA to secure admission.

Can I Get Into St Olaf College Without SAT Or ACT?: St Olaf College considers admission test scores (SAT/ACT) during the application process but does not require them. Although it is not strictly a requirement, the test scores are considered for admission decisions. Hence, it is advisable to prepare well for the test and submit the best scores. Normally, students may appear in the test 4 to 5 times to improve their scores. Hence you are required to plan early and appear in upcoming SAT / ACT tests. Check the schedule of the test and plan accordingly. It is advisable to appear multiple times in the test unless you score well above the average SAT / ACT score of the admitted students, as given below.

St Olaf College SAT Requirements

Each school has different requirements for SAT and ACT testing. Only a few schools require the SAT or ACT, but many consider your scores if you choose to submit them. The test score policy is already mentioned.

St Olaf College Average SAT Score: 1377
The average SAT score of the admitted students at St Olaf College is 1377 on the 1600 SAT scale.

St Olaf College SAT Competitiveness

This score makes it Competitive for SAT scores. You need to do well to score 1377 on the SAT.

Key Insight:Aim for the 75th percentile (1480 SAT or 33 ACT) to stand out. If your scores are below average, consider retaking the test. St Olaf College allows Score Choice for the SAT and Superscoring for the ACT, giving you flexibility to submit your best scores.

If your score is below 1300, you must retake the SAT to improve your chances of admission to St Olaf College. It is not strange to appear multiple times for the SAT to improve scores. Colleges don’t mind if you have appeared multiple times, but not more than 5 times.

St Olaf College SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections

Section	Average	25th Percentile	75th Percentile
SAT Math	695	640	750
SAT Reading	695	660	730
SAT Composite	1377	1300	1480

It means that if you have scored less than 1300 then you are below most of the admitted students at St Olaf College and your chances of admission are very few. But if you have scored 1480 or more, your chances of admission are higher. 25th percentile means that only 25% of the admitted students have fewer scores than this score. 75th percentile marks the score of the upper 25% of the students. View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1400

Can I get into St Olaf College with a 1500 SAT?

With a 1500 SAT Score, your chances of admission at St Olaf College are good but the admission staff at St Olaf College tests your all-around personality and your academics. Your GPA, Class performance, SAT/ACT/Test scores, and AP or IB Courses can help your application stand out. Co-curricular and extra-curricular activities and interpersonal communication skills are very important. Additionally, if you cannot perform well in one area, you have a chance to showcase your strengths and abilities in other areas, improving other areas will help you secure admission. You need to show better performance in all areas. An equally high GPA, taking IB or AP Courses and your role in leadership activities will increase your chances of admission. However, if you equally compete well in all other areas, your chances of admission are high.

St Olaf College ACT Requirements

The average ACT Score at St Olaf College is 31.

St Olaf College ACT Competitiveness

This score makes St Olaf College very Competitive for ACT scores. You need to do very well to score 31 on the ACT.

St Olaf College ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections

Section	Average	25th Percentile	75th Percentile
ACT Math	29	26	31
ACT English	31	27	34
ACT Composite	31	28	33

Can I get into St Olaf College with a 33 ACT?

With a 33 ACT Score, your chances of admission at St Olaf College are good but the admission staff does not check your ACT Score only. The College Admission process tests your all-around personality and academics. Your GPA, Class performance, SAT/ACT/Test scores, and AP or IB Courses can help your application stand out. Co-curricular and extra-curricular activities and interpersonal communication skills are very important. Additionally, if you cannot perform well in one area, you have a chance to showcase your strengths and abilities in other areas, improving other areas will help you secure admission.

SAT Vs ACT: Which score to send

You can compare your scores in SAT and ACT to the average SAT and ACT Scores of the admitted students at St Olaf College. More importantly, comparing your scores with the 25th and 75th percentiles of SAT and ACT scores will give you a better understanding of where you stand. If your score on the SAT is near the 75th percentile SAT score, then you must send your SAT score. If your ACT score is near the 75th percentile, then you must send your ACT Score.

But there is more, if both of your scores are in the same range, then it is better to send an ACT Score, as in the case of ACT, you can control which score to send as opposed to SAT.

Here is how: When sending the ACT Score, you can decide which score you want to send to the colleges. You could take 8 ACT tests, and only send your highest one. This is not the case with the SAT, where your score report mentions all of your attempts.

View a list of all colleges with an average ACT score of 31.

St Olaf College Profile

Name: St Olaf College

City: Northfield

URL: wp.stolaf.edu/

State: Minnesota

Type: Non-Profit Private

Zip: 55057-1098

Campus: Main

Accredited by: Higher Learning Commission (NCACHE)

How much does a degree from St Olaf College Cost?

The average annual cost of the degree at St Olaf College is USD: 66570. As most of the students receive Pell Grants and Federal Grants the average annual net price a student has to pay at St Olaf College is much less than this.

How can I get a scholarship?

20.01% of the students are receiving Pell Grant and 45.28 percent are receiving Federal Grants. So it is a better choice to go to St Olaf College and apply for PELL or federal loan grants.

At St Olaf College, you will have no problem receiving any scholarship from the federal government. Fill in the FAFSA application form at the earliest and enlist St Olaf College as your choice in the form.

How much a St Olaf College Graduate make?

The average annual salary of the St Olaf College graduate after 4-6 years of graduation is USD 65543. An average St Olaf College graduate makes this much after 10 years of enrollment (4-6 years after graduation).

The average annual income of a graduate in the United States is USD: 40595

Less Competitive Schools

These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than St Olaf College. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower than the requirements of St Olaf College, you'll be competitive for these schools.

School	Location	SAT	ACT
Thomas Aquinas College	Thomas Aquinas College, CA	1328	30
University of Denver	University of Denver, CO	1348	30
University of Connecticut	University of Connecticut, CT	1340	31
University of Georgia	University of Georgia, GA	1335	30
Illinois Institute of Technology	Illinois Institute of Technology, IL	1328	30
Wheaton College	Wheaton College, IL	1367	31
Centre College	Centre College, KY	1366	30
Bentley University	Bentley University, MA	1346	30
College of the Holy Cross	College of the Holy Cross, MA	1361	30
Wheaton College (Massachusetts)	Wheaton College (Massachusetts), MA	1346	30

Equally Competitive Schools

These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as St Olaf College. If your SAT or ACT score are competitive for St Olaf College, you'll be competitive for these schools also.

School	Location	SAT	ACT
Loyola Marymount University	Loyola Marymount University, CA	1378	31
Santa Clara University	Santa Clara University, CA	1379	31
Westmont College	Westmont College, CA	1380	32
Trinity College	Trinity College, CT	1387	31
American University	American University, DC	1386	31

More Competitive Schools

These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than St Olaf College. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

School	Location	SAT	ACT
Occidental College	Occidental College, CA	1434	33
Connecticut College	Connecticut College, CT	1427	32
Wesleyan University	Wesleyan University, CT	1426	33
George Washington University	George Washington University, DC	1420	33
University of Miami	University of Miami, FL	1409	32

Degree Programs

Bachelor Degree Programs

Full list of All degree programs offered by St Olaf College.

Data on this page is sourced from IPEDS, College Scorecard's latest data as provided in 2024, US Department of Education's latest 2024 statistics, Institute's official websites and printed material as well as additional publicly available sources.