St Olaf vs. Lawrence

Should I go to St Olaf College or Lawrence University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if St Olaf or Lawrence is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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St Olaf College vs. Lawrence University comparison
St Olaf College Lawrence University College 3 College 4
St Olaf College Lawrence University
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Overview

St Olaf Lawrence
Location Northfield, MN Appleton, WI
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 3,046 1,426
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #156 #207
Religious Affiliation Evangelical Lutheran Church - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website stolaf.edu lawrence.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

St Olaf Lawrence
Tuition (In State) $54,650 $53,667
Tuition (Out of State) $54,650 $53,667
Room & Board $12,450 $11,520
Avg Net Price $26,171 $26,368
Avg Grant Aid $40,399 $40,089
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 100%

Admission

St Olaf Lawrence
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,524 2,943
Admitted 3,116 2,127
Acceptance Rate 56.4% 72.3%
Enrolled % 27.9% 17.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.68 3.52
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 28/33 27/32
SAT Range 1300/1480 1210/1460
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2024 Jan 15, 2024

Academics

St Olaf Lawrence
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Physical Sciences (8%)
  • Mathematics (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (26%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Foreign Languages (7%)

Outcomes

St Olaf Lawrence
Graduation Rate 85% 77%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,700 $45,600
Making Student Loan Payments 91% 76%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $27,350
Median Loan Payment $279 $282

Diversity

St Olaf Lawrence
% Men 42% 46%
% Women 58% 54%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 75% 70%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 5% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 7% 10%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

St Olaf Lawrence
% In-State 47% 22%
% Out-of-State 43% 68%

Campus

St Olaf Lawrence
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • St Olaf College is larger than than Lawrence based on total student enrollment (3,046 students vs. 1,426 students)

St Olaf vs. Lawrence Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St Olaf or Lawrence?

  • St Olaf College is 1.8% more expensive to attend than Lawrence for in-state tuition ($54,650.00 vs. $53,667.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.8% higher at St Olaf than Lawrence University ($54,650.00 vs. $53,667.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Olaf College than Lawrence ($26,171 vs. $26,368)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Lawrence University are 8.1% lower than costs at St Olaf College ($11,520 vs. $12,450)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Lawrence University than St Olaf College (100% vs. 99%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St Olaf College students is 0.8% larger than aid received Lawrence University ($40,399 vs. $40,089)

St Olaf vs. Lawrence Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, St Olaf or Lawrence? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Lawrence or St Olaf .

  • Accepted freshman St Olaf students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (3.68) than students at Lawrence (3.52)
  • Lawrence has a higher acceptance rate (72.3%) than St Olaf (56.4%)

St Olaf vs. Lawrence Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St Olaf or Lawrence? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Lawrence and St Olaf.

  • The graduation rate at St Olaf is higher than Lawrence University (85% vs. 77%)
  • Graduates from St Olaf College earn on average $8,100 more per year than Lawrence graduates after ten years. ($53,700 vs. $45,600)
  • St Olaf College students graduate with a $350 lower median federal student loan debt than Lawrence graduates. ($27,000 vs. $27,350)
  • St Olaf graduates are paying $3 less per month on federal student loans than Lawrence graduates. ($279 vs. $282)
  • More St Olaf graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Lawrence students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 76%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/