Notre Dame vs. St Olaf

Should I go to University of Notre Dame or St Olaf College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Notre Dame or St Olaf 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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University of Notre Dame vs. St Olaf College comparison
University of Notre Dame St Olaf College College 3 College 4
University of Notre Dame St Olaf College
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Overview

 Notre Dame St Olaf
Location Notre Dame, IN Northfield, MN
Setting Rural Fringe Distant Town
Enrollment 13,105 3,046
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #31 #156
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic Evangelical Lutheran Church - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website nd.edu stolaf.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Notre Dame St Olaf
Tuition (In State) $59,794 $54,650
Tuition (Out of State) $59,794 $54,650
Room & Board $16,710 $12,450
Avg Net Price $28,474 $26,171
Avg Grant Aid $49,859 $40,399
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 99%

Admission

 Notre Dame St Olaf
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 26,509 5,524
Admitted 3,421 3,116
Acceptance Rate 12.9% 56.4%
Enrolled % 59.5% 27.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.91 3.68
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 32/35 28/33
SAT Range 1450/1550 1300/1480
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 1, 2024 Jan 15, 2024

Academics

 Notre Dame St Olaf
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Physical Sciences (8%)
  • Mathematics (8%)

Outcomes

 Notre Dame St Olaf
Graduation Rate 96% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $89,800 $53,700
Making Student Loan Payments 92% 91%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,500 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $222 $279

Diversity

 Notre Dame St Olaf
% Men 53% 42%
% Women 47% 58%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 69% 75%
% Black 4% 2%
% Hispanic 11% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 6% 7%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Notre Dame St Olaf
% In-State 6% 47%
% Out-of-State 84% 43%

Campus

 Notre Dame St Olaf
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

  • University of Notre Dame is larger than than St Olaf based on total student enrollment (13,105 students vs. 3,046 students)

Notre Dame vs. St Olaf Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Notre Dame or St Olaf?

  • University of Notre Dame is 9.4% more expensive to attend than St Olaf for in-state tuition ($59,794.00 vs. $54,650.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 9.4% higher at Notre Dame than St Olaf College ($59,794.00 vs. $54,650.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Olaf College than Notre Dame ($26,171 vs. $28,474)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St Olaf College are 34.2% lower than costs at University of Notre Dame ($12,450 vs. $16,710)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at St Olaf College than University of Notre Dame (99% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Notre Dame students is 23.4% larger than aid received St Olaf College ($49,859 vs. $40,399)

Notre Dame vs. St Olaf Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Notre Dame (1455) is 173 points higher than at St Olaf (1282)
  • Incoming Notre Dame students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at St Olaf (29)
  • Accepted freshman Notre Dame students have a 0.23 point higher average high school GPA (3.91) than students at St Olaf (3.68)
  • St Olaf has a higher acceptance rate (56.4%) than Notre Dame (12.9%)

Notre Dame vs. St Olaf Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Notre Dame or St Olaf? 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 St Olaf and Notre Dame .

  • The graduation rate at Notre Dame is higher than St Olaf College (96% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from University of Notre Dame earn on average $36,100 more per year than St Olaf graduates after ten years. ($89,800 vs. $53,700)
  • University of Notre Dame students graduate with a $5,500 lower median federal student loan debt than St Olaf graduates. ($21,500 vs. $27,000)
  • Notre Dame graduates are paying $57 less per month on federal student loans than St Olaf graduates. ($222 vs. $279)
  • More Notre Dame graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former St Olaf students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 91%)

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