Non-Profit Private
Accredited · Higher Learning Commission
Saint Joseph, Minnesota
91.4% Acceptance Rate
College of Saint Benedict — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
91.4%Acceptance Rate
3.72Avg GPA
1185Avg SAT
24Avg ACT
$66,878Annual Cost
$63,260Grad Salary
18.7%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
91.4%
Avg GPA
3.72
Avg SAT
1185
Avg ACT
24
Selectivity
Inclusive
Institution Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission
SAT Middle 50%
950–1220
ACT Middle 50%
21–27
Need-Based Aid
18.7% receive Pell
College of Saint Benedict (MN) is a women's liberal arts college that shares a strong collaborative academic community with Saint John's University. Admissions are holistic, valuing academic rigor, leadership, and a commitment to Benedictine values. They seek students who are intellectually active and eager to engage in collaborative discourse.
College of Saint Benedict Acceptance Rate
College of Saint Benedict (Saint Benedict) runs an open-access admission policy. With a 91.4% acceptance rate, the focus is on getting qualified students in, not filtering them out.
What to Expect
- Eligibility First: A high school diploma or GED typically clears the main bar.
- Plan Ahead for Placement: Placement tests can shape which courses you start in. They are worth preparing for.
Selectivity at a Glance
Inclusive
Selectivity scale: Inclusive — 91.4% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.72 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.52 – 3.71
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 3.27
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
College of Saint Benedict Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
The application deadline for College of Saint Benedict is November 15 for Early Action applicants, with additional plans listed below.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 99 days left — Early Action
Early Action
November 15
Regular Decision
February 1
💡 The scholarship deadline (November 15, 2026) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
Saint Benedict GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at Saint Benedict is 3.72. That makes admissions here highly selective. Most admitted students carry mostly A's with the occasional B.
Between 3.42 and 3.72? A strong standardized test score is worth prioritizing.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently. For an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 3.92–4.12.Saint Benedict GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Highly selective; GPA is within the typical admitted range.
Recommended Strategy: Standardized Test Scores (SAT/ACT) in the top 5th percentile.
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.72 – 4.00
Competitive Reach
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.52 – 3.71
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
3.32 – 3.51
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 3.31
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- CSB is a single-sex undergraduate college for women; Saint John's University (six miles away) is single-sex for men; the two share one curriculum, faculty, and degree requirements but maintain separate single-sex missions.
- In 2021, CSB and SJU adopted a "Strong Integration" governance model, unifying under one shared president for the first time (Brian J. Bruess, since July 2022) after decades of a "coordinate" relationship with separate presidents.
- Army ROTC is offered on-campus only at Saint John's University, not at the College of Saint Benedict.
- CSB hosts graduate nursing programs (MSN and Doctor of Nursing Practice), which are coeducational at the graduate level despite CSB's single-sex undergraduate mission.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: A slightly lower GPA (say 3.8) paired with multiple AP or IB courses often outweighs a flat 4.0 from a standard curriculum.
- Trajectory Matters: A lower start in 9th or 10th grade, followed by a clear upward trend senior year, reads as academic resilience rather than a weakness.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at Saint Benedict
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on College of Saint Benedict's verified institutional data
--%
Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
College of Saint Benedict (Saint Benedict) Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if Saint Benedict is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into Saint Benedict Without SAT or ACT?
Saint Benedict considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
College of Saint Benedict Average SAT Score: 1185
The average SAT score of admitted students at College of Saint Benedict is 1185 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1185 — Less Competitive
This average is slightly below the national mean SAT score.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1220 SAT or 27 ACT) to stand out. Below average? College of Saint Benedict allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
If your score is below 950, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at Saint Benedict. Retaking multiple times is completely normal. Most competitive applicants sit for it two or three times. There's no official limit on attempts.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 545 | 480 | 610 |
| SAT Reading | 540 | 470 | 610 |
| SAT Composite | 1185 | 950 | 1220 |
Below 950, you're behind most admitted students; at 1220 or above, you're ahead of 75% of them. (25th/75th percentile = the score below which that share of admitted students fall.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1200
Can I get into College of Saint Benedict (Saint Benedict) with a 1200 SAT?
A 1200 SAT puts you ahead of most of Saint Benedict's admitted class, but admissions still weighs GPA, course rigor, and essays alongside it. A strong score opens the door; the rest of your profile decides what happens next.
College of Saint Benedict (Saint Benedict) ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at Saint Benedict is 24.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 24 — Slightly Competitive
This sits close to the national average ACT score.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 23 | 20 | 26 |
| ACT English | 24 | 20 | 27 |
| ACT Composite | 24 | 21 | 27 |
Can I get into College of Saint Benedict with a 27 ACT?
A 27 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of Saint Benedict's admitted students. That's a strong position, though the ACT is only one benchmark among several that admissions weighs.
Unlike the SAT, the ACT scores four separate sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science, each on a 1–36 scale. A noticeably weak section, especially Science at STEM-focused schools, stands out to reviewers, so it's worth checking your section breakdown for outliers before applying.
Your ACT score clears the first filter, but GPA, course rigor, extracurricular depth, recommendations, and essays are what carry an application the rest of the way at Saint Benedict.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Saint Benedict
Inclusive Strategy: Success & Transfer
Saint Benedict provides an open gateway to higher education. Success here is about using available resources well and planning your longer-term academic or career path.
Know that CSB is a single-sex institution for women, coordinated with the men's Saint John's University
CSB is a residential college exclusively for women, sharing one curriculum, faculty, and degree requirements with Saint John's University (for men) six miles away in Collegeville - students take classes on both campuses, but each institution maintains its own single-sex undergraduate identity and mission around gender-specific leadership development. If you're a prospective student, understand this genuinely dual-campus, single-sex structure (not simply "a coed school with two buildings") before applying, since your primary residential and student-government community will be exclusively at CSB even as your classes span both campuses.
Factor in the 2021 "Strong Integration" governance shift when evaluating long-term institutional stability
After decades of operating as loosely "coordinate" institutions with separate presidents, CSB and SJU adopted a new "Strong Integration" governance model in 2021, unifying under a single president (Brian J. Bruess, since July 2022) for the first time in their history. Ask admissions directly what specific student-facing changes (if any) have resulted from this governance shift, since a structural change this significant, even a few years in, can still affect program continuity, campus-specific traditions, or resource allocation between the two campuses.
If you want Army ROTC, know it's based at Saint John's, not on your home CSB campus
Army ROTC is offered on-campus specifically at Saint John's University, not at the College of Saint Benedict - meaning CSB students interested in ROTC will need to factor in the cross-campus commute (via the LINK shuttle bus) into their daily schedule as a standing commitment, not an occasional cross-registration. If ROTC is a serious interest, ask admissions about the realistic logistics of a CSB student's ROTC schedule before assuming it's as convenient as a program housed on your own campus.
Consider CSB's graduate nursing programs (MSN, DNP) as a long-term extension of your undergraduate path
CSB is home to nationally recognized graduate nursing programs - including a Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice - that build on the college's liberal arts foundation and are open to both women and men at the graduate level, unlike CSB's single-sex undergraduate program. If a nursing career is a long-term goal, ask specifically how CSB's undergraduate program (if you're pursuing a related major) is positioned to feed into these graduate nursing tracks, since this is a genuine internal pipeline most single-sex undergraduate colleges don't offer.
Expert Insight:
A specific and easy-to-miss detail is assuming CSB functions identically to a standard coeducational college simply because classes are shared with Saint John's University - key student-facing structures (residential life, student government via the separate Saint Ben's Senate, and certain programs like Army ROTC) remain organized around each single-sex institution individually, so a student should verify which specific resources are shared versus campus-exclusive rather than assuming full interchangeability.
Saint Benedict Profile
Full Name
College of Saint Benedict (Saint Benedict)
City
Saint Joseph
State
Minnesota
ZIP Code
56374
Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission (NCACHE)
Is a Saint Benedict Degree Worth It?
Saint Benedict offers a rigorous academic environment, but 'worth it' is a personal calculation of cost, program fit, and outcomes. The figures below are a starting point.
The average household income among admitted students is $70,900, with a graduate unemployment rate of 2.58%.
How much does a degree from Saint Benedict Cost?
The sticker price is $66,878/year, but the average net price students actually pay, after Pell and federal grants, is typically much lower.
18.7% of students receive a Pell Grant and 63.1% take federal loans at Saint Benedict. File your FAFSA early and list Saint Benedict as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a Saint Benedict Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $63,260. That's about 56% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than College of Saint Benedict. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntingdon College | Montgomery, AL | 1148 | 23 |
| University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR | 1174 | 25 |
| Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, CA | 1155 | 22 |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs, CO | 1140 | 25 |
| Lynn University | Boca Raton, FL | 1136 | 25 |
| Florida International University | Miami, FL | 1154 | 23 |
| University of West Florida | Pensacola, FL | 1137 | 24 |
| Georgia College & State University | Milledgeville, GA | 1150 | 24 |
| Georgia State University | Atlanta, GA | 1149 | 23 |
| Toccoa Falls College | Toccoa Falls, GA | 1155 | 23 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as College of Saint Benedict. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harding University | Searcy, AR | 1187 | 25 |
| Dominican University of California | San Rafael, CA | 1194 | 26 |
| University of New Haven | West Haven, CT | 1190 | NA |
| Nova Southeastern University | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 1182 | 25 |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, GA | 1178 | 25 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than College of Saint Benedict. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | 1251 | 26 |
| University of Mobile | Mobile, AL | 1220 | 24 |
| University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ | 1261 | 26 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott | Prescott, AZ | 1256 | 27 |
| John Brown University | Siloam Springs, AR | 1222 | 26 |
Degree Programs at Saint Benedict
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Saint Benedict Admissions
Median graduate earnings at College of Saint Benedict run about $63,260 a year.
At about $66,878 a year, College of Saint Benedict's cost is on the higher end; look closely at aid options.
College of Saint Benedict's Pell Grant rate of 18.7% sits below the national average. Merit-based aid is worth checking regardless of income.
At 91.4%, College of Saint Benedict's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at College of Saint Benedict average a 3.72 GPA.
College of Saint Benedict doesn't publish a hard GPA floor, but landing at or above 3.42 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 3.32, College of Saint Benedict becomes a harder reach, though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
A strong SAT score matters at College of Saint Benedict — aim above 1185, ideally within the 950–1220 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for College of Saint Benedict is November 15 for Early Action applicants.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is November 15, 2026. Submit FAFSA before then for maximum consideration.
Yes, transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most, along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.
Explore Other Options
Acceptance Rate of all Minnesota Colleges
Average SAT Score of Minnesota Colleges
Average ACT Score
Admissions deadlines of Colleges in Minnesota
Bachelor Programs in Minnesota
Test Optional Colleges in Minnesota
SAT Score Wise Best Colleges
ACT Score Wise Best Colleges
Rolling Admissions Colleges in Minnesota