St Olaf vs. RIT

Deciding between St Olaf College and Rochester Institute of Technology? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

St Olaf College
Rochester Institute of Technology

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • St Olaf Northfield, MN
  • RIT Rochester, NY
  • Setting
  • St Olaf Distant Town
  • RIT Large Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • St Olaf 3,124
  • RIT 17,098
  • Type
  • St Olaf Private 4 Year
  • RIT Private 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • St Olaf #143
  • RIT #175
  • Religious Affiliation
  • St Olaf Evangelical Lutheran Church
  • RIT -
  • Status
  • St Olaf Non-profit
  • RIT Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • St Olaf
  • RIT

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • St Olaf $59,760
  • RIT $59,274
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • St Olaf $59,760
  • RIT $59,274
  • Room & Board
  • St Olaf $13,630
  • RIT $16,142
  • Average Net Price
  • St Olaf $26,756
  • RIT $39,534
  • Average Grant Aid
  • St Olaf $45,098
  • RIT $35,077
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • St Olaf 100%
  • RIT 98%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • St Olaf 6,623
  • RIT 27,911
  • Admitted
  • St Olaf 3,200
  • RIT 18,682
  • Acceptance Rate
  • St Olaf 48.3%
  • RIT 66.9%
  • Enrolled
  • St Olaf 26.8%
  • RIT 16.3%
  • Typical SAT score
  • St Olaf 1390
  • RIT 1380
  • Typical ACT score
  • St Olaf 30
  • RIT 31
  • Average High School GPA
  • St Olaf 3.68
  • RIT 3.7
  • Typical High School Grades
  • St Olaf A-
  • RIT A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • St Olaf Very High
  • RIT Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • St Olaf Low
  • RIT Low
  • ACT Range
  • St Olaf 28/32
  • RIT 29/33
  • SAT Range
  • St Olaf 1300/1470
  • RIT 1300/1460
  • Submit Test Scores
  • St Olaf Test optional
  • RIT Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • St Olaf Jan 15, 2027
  • RIT Jan 15, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • St Olaf 11:1
  • RIT 13:1
  • Popular Majors
  • St Olaf
    • Social Sciences (16%)
    • Biology (12%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
    • Physical Sciences (8%)
    • Mathematics (8%)
  • RIT
    • Visual and Performing Arts (16%)
    • Computer and Information Sciences (14%)
    • Engineering (13%)
    • Business (13%)
    • Engineering Technology (11%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • St Olaf 85%
  • RIT 64%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • St Olaf $53,700
  • RIT $64,900
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • St Olaf 91%
  • RIT 75%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • St Olaf $27,000
  • RIT $28,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • St Olaf $279
  • RIT $289

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • St Olaf 42%
  • RIT 64%
  • % Women
  • St Olaf 58%
  • RIT 36%
  • Racial Diversity
  • St Olaf Low
  • RIT Medium
  • HBCU
  • St Olaf No
  • RIT No
  • % White
  • St Olaf 75%
  • RIT 66%
  • % Asian
  • St Olaf 6%
  • RIT 8%
  • % Black
  • St Olaf 2%
  • RIT 5%
  • % Hispanic
  • St Olaf 5%
  • RIT 7%
  • % Native American
  • St Olaf 0%
  • RIT 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • St Olaf 0%
  • RIT 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • St Olaf 4%
  • RIT 3%
  • % International
  • St Olaf 7%
  • RIT 6%
  • % Unknown Race
  • St Olaf 1%
  • RIT 5%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • St Olaf 44%
  • RIT 44%
  • % Out-of-State
  • St Olaf 42%
  • RIT 51%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • St Olaf Yes
  • RIT Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • St Olaf No
  • RIT No
  • Meal Plan
  • St Olaf Yes
  • RIT Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • St Olaf No
  • RIT Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • St Olaf No
  • RIT Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare St Olaf College in Northfield, MN with Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Rochester Institute of Technology is larger than St Olaf based on total student enrollment (17,098 students vs. 3,124 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • St Olaf College is located in Northfield, MN (Distant Town setting); Rochester Institute of Technology is in Rochester, NY (Large Suburban setting).
  • St Olaf College is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Rochester Institute of Technology is a private, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: St Olaf College 11:1; Rochester Institute of Technology 13:1.

St Olaf vs. RIT Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St Olaf or RIT ? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Olaf College than RIT ($26,756 vs. $39,534).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St Olaf College are 15.6% lower than at Rochester Institute of Technology ($13,630 vs. $16,142).
  • St Olaf College is 0.8% more expensive for in-state tuition than RIT (about $486 more per year; $59,760.00 vs. $59,274.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 0.8% higher at St Olaf than at Rochester Institute of Technology (about $486 more per year; $59,760.00 vs. $59,274.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at St Olaf College than at Rochester Institute of Technology (100% vs. 98%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by St Olaf College students is 28.6% larger than aid received by Rochester Institute of Technology students ($45,098 vs. $35,077).

St Olaf vs. RIT Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, St Olaf or RIT ? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between RIT and St Olaf.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at St Olaf College (1390) is 10 points higher than at RIT (1380).
  • Incoming RIT students have a 1 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (31 vs. 30 at St Olaf).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: St Olaf College 1300/1470; Rochester Institute of Technology 1300/1460.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: St Olaf College 28/32; Rochester Institute of Technology 29/33.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: St Olaf - Test optional; RIT - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: St Olaf Jan 15, 2027; RIT Jan 15, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman RIT students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.7) than students at St Olaf (3.68).
  • RIT has a higher acceptance rate (66.9%) than St Olaf (48.3%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 26.8% at St Olaf vs. 16.3% at RIT .

St Olaf vs. RIT Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for St Olaf and RIT ? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • St Olaf College's six-year graduation rate (85%) is higher than Rochester Institute of Technology's (64%).
  • Graduates from Rochester Institute of Technology earn a median of about $11,200 more per year than St Olaf graduates about ten years after starting college ($64,900 vs. $53,700), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, St Olaf College graduates have a $1,000 lower median loan debt than RIT graduates ($27,000 vs. $28,000).
  • Among borrowers, St Olaf graduates have an estimated $10 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than RIT graduates ($279 vs. $289).
  • More St Olaf graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former RIT students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 75%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.