St. Olaf College: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

St. Olaf College is a private liberal arts college with an acceptance rate of 48%. Founded in 1874, St. Olaf is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, St. Olaf shares its small hometown with rival Carlton College. Environmental sustainability is a top priority at St. Olaf. The college's 65 majors and concentrations are supported by a 12-to-1 student / faculty ratio. St. Olaf College has two Early Decision options that can improve admission chances for students who are sure the college is their top choice school.

Considering applying to St. Olaf College? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, St. Olaf College had an acceptance rate of 48%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 48 students were admitted, making St Olaf's admissions process competitive.

SAT Scores and Requirements

Beginning with the 2020-21 admissions cycle, St. Olaf College will offer test-optional admissions. Applicants may submit SAT or ACT scores, but they are not required. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 30% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of St. Olaf's admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to St. Olaf scored between 590 and 710, while 25% scored below 590 and 25% scored above 710. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 600 and 720, while 25% scored below 600 and 25% scored above 720. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1430 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at St. Olaf College.

Requirements

St. Olaf does not require the optional SAT essay section. Note that St. Olaf participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates.

ACT Scores and Requirements

Beginning with the 2020-21 admissions cycle, St. Olaf College will offer test-optional admissions. Applicants may submit SAT or ACT scores, but they are not required. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 74% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of St. Olaf's admitted students fall within the top 18% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to St. Olaf received a composite ACT score between 26 and 32, while 25% scored above 32 and 25% scored below 26.

Requirements

St. Olaf College does not require the optional ACT writing section. Unlike many schools, St. Olaf superscores ACT results; your highest subscores from multiple ACT sittings will be considered.

GPA

In 2019, the average high school GPA of St. Olaf College's incoming freshmen class was 3.62, and over 53% of incoming students had average GPAs of 3.75 and above. These results suggest that most successful applicants to St. Olaf College have primarily A grades.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to St. Olaf College. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

St. Olaf College, which accepts fewer than half of applicants, has a competitive admissions pool with above average GPAs and SAT/ACT scores. However, St. Olaf also has a holistic admissions process and is test-optional, and admissions are based on other factors beyond your grades and test scores. A strong application essay, St. Olaf writing supplement, and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule. While not required, St. Olaf strongly recommends interviews for interested applicants. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their grades and test scores are outside St. Olaf's average range.

In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. You can see that the majority of students admitted to St. Olaf had grades in the "A" range, SAT scores (ERW+M) above 1200, and ACT composite scores above 25. 

If You Like St. Olaf College, You May Also Like These Schools

• Carleton College
• Macalester College
• Bowdoin College
• Haverford College
• Oberlin College
• UM Morris 
• UM Twin Cities 

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and St. Olaf College Undergraduate Admissions Office.