St Olaf vs. Denison

Should I go to St Olaf College or Denison University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if St Olaf or Denison 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Kenyon Carleton College Wooster Oberlin Bucknell Lafayette College Skidmore College Macalester College Lawrence University of St Thomas DePauw Miami
St Olaf College vs. Denison University comparison
St Olaf College Denison University College 3 College 4
St Olaf College Denison University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

St Olaf Denison
Location Northfield, MN Granville, OH
Setting Distant Town Rural Fringe
Enrollment 3,046 2,416
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #156 #98
Religious Affiliation Evangelical Lutheran Church - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website stolaf.edu denison.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

St Olaf Denison
Tuition (In State) $54,650 $60,000
Tuition (Out of State) $54,650 $60,000
Room & Board $12,450 $14,400
Avg Net Price $26,171 $38,267
Avg Grant Aid $40,399 $36,497
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 97%

Admission

St Olaf Denison
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,524 12,220
Admitted 3,116 2,684
Acceptance Rate 56.4% 22%
Enrolled % 27.9% 25.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.68 3.76
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High
Applicant Competition Low Very High
ACT Range 28/33 29/32
SAT Range 1300/1480 1270/1460
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 Denison
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Physical Sciences (8%)
  • Mathematics (8%)
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Communication (7%)

Outcomes

St Olaf Denison
Graduation Rate 85% 79%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,700 $56,100
Making Student Loan Payments 91% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $279 $268

Diversity

St Olaf Denison
% Men 42% 48%
% Women 58% 52%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 75% 66%
% Black 2% 7%
% Hispanic 5% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 7% 8%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

St Olaf Denison
% In-State 47% 21%
% Out-of-State 43% 65%

Campus

St Olaf Denison
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 Denison based on total student enrollment (3,046 students vs. 2,416 students)

St Olaf vs. Denison Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St Olaf or Denison?

  • Denison University is 9.8% more expensive to attend than St Olaf for in-state tuition ($60,000.00 vs. $54,650.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 9.8% higher at Denison than St Olaf College ($60,000.00 vs. $54,650.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Olaf College than Denison ($26,171 vs. $38,267)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St Olaf College are 15.7% lower than costs at Denison University ($12,450 vs. $14,400)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St Olaf College than Denison University (99% vs. 97%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St Olaf College students is 10.7% larger than aid received Denison University ($40,399 vs. $36,497)

St Olaf vs. Denison Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Denison students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.76) than students at St Olaf (3.68)
  • St Olaf has a higher acceptance rate (56.4%) than Denison (22%)

St Olaf vs. Denison Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St Olaf or Denison? 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 Denison and St Olaf.

  • The graduation rate at St Olaf is higher than Denison University (85% vs. 79%)
  • Graduates from Denison University earn on average $2,400 more per year than St Olaf graduates after ten years. ($56,100 vs. $53,700)
  • Denison University students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than St Olaf graduates. ($26,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Denison graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than St Olaf graduates. ($268 vs. $279)
  • More St Olaf graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Denison students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 83%)

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