Non-Profit Private
Accredited · Higher Learning Commission
Northfield, Minnesota
52.2% Acceptance Rate
St Olaf College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
52.2%Acceptance Rate
3.68Avg GPA
1373Avg SAT
30Avg ACT
$69,200Annual Cost
$65,543Grad Salary
20.1%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
52.2%
Avg GPA
3.68
Avg SAT
1373
Avg ACT
30
Selectivity
Somewhat Selective
Institution Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission
SAT Middle 50%
1260–1470
ACT Middle 50%
28–32
Need-Based Aid
20.1% receive Pell
St. Olaf College, founded in 1874 in Northfield, Minnesota, is a top liberal arts college renowned for music, science, and global studies. It ranks for undergraduate teaching.
The campus features a natural lands preserve, music hall, and advanced labs. Its study abroad programs and choir attract students worldwide.
St Olaf College Acceptance Rate
At 52.2%, admission to St Olaf College is achievable for most students who meet the basic academic profile.
What St Olaf College Admissions Looks For
- Whole-Person Review: Personal circumstances and career goals are weighed alongside grades.
- Flexible on GPA: Strong extracurriculars or work experience can offset an average transcript.
Selectivity at a Glance
Somewhat Selective
Selectivity scale: Somewhat Selective — 52.2% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.68 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.48 – 3.67
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 3.23
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
St Olaf College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
The application deadline for St Olaf College is November 1 for Early Decision I applicants, with additional plans listed below. Admission decisions are typically released by December 15.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 85 days left — Early Decision I
Early Decision I
November 1
Decision by: December 15
Early Decision II
January 15
Decision by: February 15
Regular Decision
January 15
Decision by: March 20
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
St Olaf College GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at St Olaf College is 3.68. That makes admissions here highly selective. Most admitted students carry mostly A's with the occasional B.
Between 3.38 and 3.68? 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 3.88–4.08.St Olaf College GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Selective; solid academic performance is expected.
Recommended Strategy: Focus on a Strong 'Spike' in extracurriculars or research.
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.68 – 4.00
Target/Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.48 – 3.67
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
3.28 – 3.47
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 3.27
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Requires one main essay plus three 10-word short-answer fill-ins and one optional essay.
- Median test scores for submitters: ACT 25?31, SAT 1150?1400.
- Music Scholarship/major application deadline aligns with Early Decision (Nov 1) or Regular/ED2 (Jan 15) - separate from general admission deadlines.
- One letter of recommendation required from a core academic subject teacher; a second is optional.
- 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 St Olaf College
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on St Olaf College's verified institutional data
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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.
St Olaf College Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if St Olaf College is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into St Olaf College Without SAT or ACT?
St Olaf College considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
St Olaf College Average SAT Score: 1373
The average SAT score of admitted students at St Olaf College is 1373 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1373 — Competitive
This average is solidly above the national mean, without being in elite-tier territory.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1470 SAT or 32 ACT) to stand out. Below average? St Olaf College allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
If your score is below 1260, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at St Olaf College. 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 | 675 | 620 | 730 |
| SAT Reading | 690 | 640 | 740 |
| SAT Composite | 1373 | 1260 | 1470 |
Below 1260, you're behind most admitted students; at 1470 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 1350
Can I get into St Olaf College with a 1450 SAT?
A 1450 SAT puts you ahead of most of St Olaf College'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.
St Olaf College ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at St Olaf College is 30.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 30 — Very Competitive
An average of 30 is well above the national ACT mean.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 28 | 25 | 31 |
| ACT English | 31 | 27 | 34 |
| ACT Composite | 30 | 28 | 32 |
Can I get into St Olaf College with a 32 ACT?
A 32 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of St Olaf College'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 St Olaf College.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for St Olaf College
Accessible Strategy: Academic Foundation
Getting into St Olaf College isn't the hard part. Building a solid academic foundation and securing aid early is where the real strategy lives.
Use all three 10-word micro-responses to reveal personality, not r?sum? padding
St. Olaf's supplement includes short "Everyone knows... No one knows... You should know..." fill-ins capped near 10 words each. Admissions readers specifically want texture the rest of the file doesn't show - a specific quirky detail beats a rehashed achievement. Treat these like conversation starters, not extra bullet points for your activities list.
File the separate Music Application by November 1 or January 15 if pursuing a music major or scholarship
St. Olaf's renowned music program (built around its choir tradition) runs its own application and audition process entirely outside the Common App, with its own deadlines. A strong musician who only submits the Common App and assumes band or choir experience will register automatically will miss both the major-audition pathway and a possible fine arts scholarship.
Submit the optional final essay even though it's labeled optional
St. Olaf's admissions office explicitly states they highly recommend the optional essay because it's one of the few remaining spaces to show authentic voice - especially as they've flagged concern about AI-assisted writing elsewhere in the application. Skipping it reads as disengagement at a school that reviews holistically.
Send a recommendation from a core academic subject teacher, not an elective
St. Olaf requires the one mandatory letter come from a teacher in English, science, social science, math, or world language - not an elective or extracurricular coach. Make sure the requested teacher taught a core class and can speak to both grade performance and classroom conduct.
Expert Insight:
Because St. Olaf superscores both the SAT and ACT, students sometimes assume submitting is automatically beneficial - but the school also states it evaluates the whole application, so a student whose scores sit well below the 1150?1400 SAT / 25?31 ACT median may be better served applying test-optional and leaning on the essay and short answers instead.
St Olaf College Profile
Full Name
St Olaf College
City
Northfield
State
Minnesota
ZIP Code
55057-1098
Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Higher Learning Commission (NCACHE)
Is a St Olaf College Degree Worth It?
Whether St Olaf College is worth it depends less on its reputation and more on your program choice, financial aid package, and career goals. Here's the data to weigh it against.
The average household income among admitted students is $75,700, with a graduate unemployment rate of 2.81%.
How much does a degree from St Olaf College Cost?
The sticker price is $69,200/year, but the average net price students actually pay, after Pell and federal grants, is typically much lower.
20.1% of students receive a Pell Grant and 43.6% take federal loans at St Olaf College. File your FAFSA early and list St Olaf College as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a St Olaf College Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $65,543. That's about 61% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
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, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hendrix College | Conway, AR | 1336 | 29 |
| Chapman University | Orange, CA | 1353 | 30 |
| University of Colorado Boulder | Boulder, CO | 1353 | 31 |
| University of Denver | Denver, CO | 1344 | 31 |
| United States Air Force Academy | USAF Academy, CO | 1362 | 30 |
| University of Connecticut | Storrs, CT | 1338 | 31 |
| Fairfield University | Fairfield, CT | 1323 | 31 |
| Florida State University | Tallahassee, FL | 1323 | 29 |
| Wheaton College | Wheaton, IL | 1363 | 30 |
| Centre College | Danville, KY | 1345 | 29 |
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 is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA | 1367 | 29 |
| Westmont College | Santa Barbara, CA | 1367 | 32 |
| Wheaton College | Wheaton, IL | 1363 | 30 |
| St. John's College | Annapolis, MD | 1381 | 31 |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | New Brunswick, NJ | 1383 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara University | Santa Clara, CA | 1417 | 32 |
| Colorado College | Colorado Springs, CO | 1445 | 33 |
| Colorado School of Mines | Golden, CO | 1403 | 31 |
| Connecticut College | New London, CT | 1412 | 32 |
| George Washington University | Washington, DC | 1433 | 33 |
Degree Programs at St Olaf College
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About St Olaf College Admissions
Median graduate earnings at St Olaf College run about $65,543 a year.
At about $69,200 a year, St Olaf College's cost is on the higher end; look closely at aid options.
St Olaf College's Pell Grant rate of 20.1% sits below the national average. Merit-based aid is worth checking regardless of income.
At 52.2%, St Olaf College's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at St Olaf College average a 3.68 GPA.
St Olaf College doesn't publish a hard GPA floor, but landing at or above 3.38 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 3.28, St Olaf College 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 St Olaf College — aim above 1373, ideally within the 1260–1470 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for St Olaf College is November 1 for Early Decision I applicants. Admission decisions are released by December 15.
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.
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