Macalester CollegeMacalester College
Saint Paul, MN · Midwest
- Acceptance rate
- 28.5%
- SAT mid-50
- 1350-1510
- Cost after aid
- $32,149
- Graduation rate
- 87%
What Macalester College says matters
How Macalester College rates each admissions factor in its Common Data Set, with the full published numbers below.
- Acceptance rate
- 29%
- 2,558 of 8,968
- Yield
- 22%
- 560 enrolled
- SAT mid-50
- 1360-1490
- CDS year
- 2024-25
Acceptance rate by gender
- Men
- 25%1,033 of 4,097
- Women
- 31%1,521 of 4,855
The full Common Data Set
Every figure Macalester College published for 2024-25, section by section.
First-Time, First-Year Admission52
Applications
- Total first-time, first-year men who applied
- 4,097
- Total first-time, first-year women who applied
- 4,855
- Total first-time, first-year another gender who applied
- 13
- Total first-time, first-year unknown gender who applied
- 3
- Total first-time, first-year men who were admitted
- 1,033
- Total first-time, first-year women who were admitted
- 1,521
- Total first-time, first-year another gender who were admitted
- 4
- Total first-time, first-year unknown gender who were admitted
- 0
- Total full-time, first-time, first-year men who enrolled
- 247
- Total part-time, first-time, first-year men who enrolled
- 0
- Total full-time, first-time, first-year women who enrolled
- 310
- Total part-time, first-time, first-year women who enrolled
- 0
- Total full-time, first-time, first-year another gender who enrolled
- 3
- Total part-time, first-time, first-year another gender who enrolled
- 0
- Total full-time, first-time, first-year unknown gender who enrolled
- 0
- Total part-time, first-time, first-year unknown gender who enrolled
- 0
- Total first-time, first-year students who applied
- 8,968
- Total first-time, first-year students who were admitted
- 2,558
- Total first-time, first-year students who enrolled
- 560
Wait List
- Do you release that information to school counselors?
- Very Important
Basis for Selection
- Application Essay
- 25th Percentile
- Recommendation(s)
- 1360
- Interview
- 29.5
- Extracurricular activities
- 27
- Talent/ability
- 30
- First generation
- 29
- Alumni/ae relation
- 33
- Volunteer work
- SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
- Work experience
- 0.66
- Level of applicant’s interest
- 0.29
Entrance Exams
- SAT or ACT
- ACT Composite
- ACT Only
- 0.75
- SAT Only
- 0.21
First-time, first-year Profile
- Submitting SAT Scores
- 0.29
- Submitting ACT Scores
- 0.23
- Submitting SAT Scores
- 162
- Submitting ACT Scores
- 128
- SAT Composite: 25th Percentile
- 1,360
- SAT Composite: 50th Percentile
- 1,440
- SAT Composite: 75th Percentile
- 1,490
- SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 25th Percentile
- 680
- SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 50th Percentile
- 720
- SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 75th Percentile
- 750
- SAT Math: 25th Percentile
- 670
- SAT Math: 50th Percentile
- 720
- SAT Math: 75th Percentile
- 760
- ACT Composite: 25th Percentile
- 29.5%
- ACT Composite: 50th Percentile
- 32%
- ACT Composite: 75th Percentile
- 34%
- ACT Math: 50th Percentile
- 2024-03-16 00:00:00
- ACT English: 75th Percentile
- 2024-05-01 00:00:00
- ACT Science: 25th Percentile
- 300
Transfer Admission6
Fall Applicants
- If yes, may transfer students earn advanced standing credit by transferring credits earned from course work completed at other colleges/universities?
- Applicants
- Unknown
- Required of All
- Total
- X
- Another Gender
- X
Application for Admission
- Spring
- Priority Date
- Summer
- n/a
Student Life4
Percent Participating
- Percent who are from out of state (exclude international/nonresidents from the numerator and denominator)
- 0
- Percent of men who join fraternities
- 18%
- Percent of women who join sororities
- 18%
Activities Offered
- Concert band
- Marine Option (for Naval ROTC)
Annual Expenses9
Private Tuition
- Tuition
- 230
- Tuition
- 7456
Public Tuition
- Tuition: In-state (out-of-district):
- *Beginning in 2024-2025, tuition includes required course materials. Visit the Mac Books FAQ for more information: https://www.macalester.edu/macbooks/
All Institutions Expenses
- Required Fees:
- Residents
- Food and housing (on-campus):
- 0
- Housing Only (on-campus):
- Not Applicable
- Food Only (on-campus meal plan):
- Not Applicable
- Required Fees:
- 2270
Comprehensive Expenses
- Other:
- 2121.0625
Financial Aid22
Reporting Year
- 2024-2025
- Number of Enrolled Students Awarded Aid
- 2023-2024 Final
- Number of degree-seeking undergraduate students (CDS Item B1 if reporting on Fall 2024 cohort)
Methodology
- Federal methodology (FM)
- Number of students in line d who were awarded any non-need-based scholarship or grant aid
- Institutional methodology (IM)
- Number of students in line d whose need was fully met (exclude PLUS loans, unsubsidized loans, and private alternative loans)
- Both FM and IM
- On average, the percentage of need that was met of students who were awarded any need-based aid. Exclude any aid that was awarded in excess of need as well as any resources that were awarded to replace EFC (PLUS loans, unsubsidized loans, and private alternative loans)
Need-based Aid Awarded
- Total Scholarships/Grants
- Number of Enrolled Students Awarded Non-need-based Scholarships and Grants
- Student loans from all sources (excluding parent loans)
- Average dollar amount of institutional non-need-based scholarship and grant aid awarded to students in line n
- Federal Work-Study
- Number of students in line a who were awarded an institutional non-need-based athletic scholarship or grant
- State and other (e.g., institutional) work-study/employment (Note: Excludes Federal Work-Study captured above.)
- Average dollar amount of institutional non-need-based athletic scholarships and grants awarded to students in line p
- Parent Loans
- Note: These are the graduates and loan types to include and exclude in order to fill out CDS H4 and H5.
- Tuition Waivers Note: Reporting is optional. Report tuition waivers in this row if you choose to report them. Do not report tuition waivers elsewhere.
- Include:
- Athletic Awards
- • 2024 undergraduate class: all students who started at your institution as first-time students and received a bachelor's degree between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.
Non-need-based Aid Awarded
- Federal
- • Students who transferred in.
- State all states, not only the state in which your institution is located
- • Money borrowed at other institutions.
- Institutional: Endowed scholarships, annual gifts and tuition funded grants, awarded by the college, excluding athletic aid and tuition waivers (which are reported below).
- • Parent loans
- Scholarships/grants from external sources (e.g. Kiwanis, National Merit) not awarded by the college
- • Students who did not graduate or who graduated with another degree or certificate (but no bachelor’s degree).
Students Awarded Aid
- I. On average, the percentage of need that was met of students who were awarded any need-based aid. Exclude any aid that was awarded in excess of need as well as any resources that were awarded to replace EFC (PLUS loans, unsubsidized loans, and private alternative loans)
- Deadline for filing required financial aid forms:
- J. The average financial aid package of those in line d. Exclude any resources that were awarded to replace EFC (PLUS loans, unsubsidized loans, and private alternative loans)
- No deadline for filing required forms (applications processed on a rolling basis)
- B. Number of students in line a who applied for need-based financial aid
- b) Students notified on a rolling basis:
- C. Number of students in line b who were determined to have financial need
- Yes
- D. Number of students in line c who were awarded any financial aid
- No
- E. Number of students in line d who were awarded any need-based scholarship or grant aid
- If yes, starting date:
Disciplinary Areas of Degrees Conferred1
Diploma/Certificates
- Public administration and social services
- 0
Enrollment And Persistence29
Institutional Enrollment
- Degree-seeking, first-time first-year students: men
- 879
- Degree-seeking, first-time first-year students: another gender
- Men
- Degree-seeking, first-time first-year students: unknown
- 0
- Other first-year, degree-seeking: men
- 13
- Other first-year, degree-seeking: women
- 13
- Other first-year, degree-seeking: unknown
- 13
- All other degree-seeking: men
- Men
- All other degree-seeking: women
- 892
- Total degree-seeking: another gender
- 0
- All other undergraduates enrolled in credit courses: unknown
- 0
- Total undergraduate Full-Time Students: men
- Men
- Total undergraduate Full-Time Students: unknown
- Men
- Degree-seeking, first-time first-year students: men
- 2,138
- Degree-seeking, first-time first-year students: women
- 0
- Degree-seeking, first-time first-year students: another gender
- 2,138
- All other graduates enrolled in credit courses: women
- 115
- All other graduates enrolled in credit courses: another gender
- 1
- All other graduates enrolled in credit courses: unknown
- 114
- Degree-seeking, first-time: men
- Recipients of a Federal Pell Grant
- Degree-seeking, first-time: another gender
- 124
- Degree-seeking, first-time: unknown
- 0
- All other degree-seeking: men
- 109
- All other degree-seeking: women
- 4
- All other degree-seeking: another gender
- 2
- All other degree-seeking: unknown
- 115
All
- Total graduate Full-Time Students: men
- 16
- Total graduate Full-Time Students: women
- 2
- Total graduate Full-Time Students: another gender
- 100
- Total graduate Full-Time Students: unknown
- 0.877
About Macalester College
Macalester College is a very small private university in Saint Paul, MN, in a city setting.
What Macalester College looks for
With an acceptance rate around 29%, the application readers spend less time per file than they do at the most selective schools, but they still read. A solid GPA, strong letters, and an essay that sounds like you wrote it yourself go a long way here. The biggest unforced error: a generic supplement essay. Even moderately selective schools notice when you have not bothered to learn anything about them.
Frequently asked
What SAT score do I need for Macalester College?
Macalester College's middle 50% SAT range is 1350 to 1510. A score in or above that band keeps you in the conversation; below it, the rest of your application has to do more work.
What ACT score do I need for Macalester College?
Middle 50% ACT range is 30 to 34. The top of that range or above is what most admitted students submit when they choose to send a score.
What is the acceptance rate at Macalester College?
Macalester College admits roughly 29% of applicants. Selective, but stats inside the middle 50% put you in real contention.
What does Macalester College actually cost after financial aid?
Average net cost (after institutional aid) is about $32,149 per year. Net cost varies enormously by family income; run the school's net price calculator for an estimate that reflects your situation.
Is Macalester College a reach, match, or safety for me?
Compare your stats to the middle 50% above. If you are at or below the 25th percentile, treat Macalester College as a reach. If you are in the middle 50%, it is a match. Above the 75th percentile and the school accepts above 25% overall, it is closer to a safety. Selectivity below 20% should be treated as a reach for everyone, period.
