Northfield, Minnesota · ★ — / 5 Overall
Calebrw / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Private not-for-profit · 4-year · Bachelor's
St. Olaf College is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1874 by a group of Norwegian-American pastors and farmers led by Pastor Bernt Julius Muus. The college is named after the King and the Patron Saint Olaf II of Norway and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. As of 2025, the college had 3,124 undergraduate students and 326 full and part-time faculty members. The campus, including its adjacent 430-acre (170 ha) natural lands, is west of downtown Northfield, Minnesota. Northfield is also the home of its neighbor and friendly rival, Carleton College. Between 1995 and 2020, 154 St. Olaf graduates were named Fulbright Scholars and 35 received Goldwater Scholarships.
Best Classroom Experience
Ranked #8 in Best Classroom Experience (2027). Source: Princeton Review ↗
Great Financial Aid
Ranked #9 in Great Financial Aid (2027). Source: Princeton Review ↗
Liberal Arts Colleges
Ranked #41 in Liberal Arts Colleges (2025). Source: Washington Monthly ↗
Unfiltered student reviews about the real
experience at this University
Loading...
1520 St Olaf Ave, Northfield, Minnesota, 55057-1098
Visit University SiteNational Liberal Arts Colleges
Ranked #50 in National Liberal Arts Colleges (2026). Source: US News ↗
National rank
Ranked #189 in Forbes Top Colleges (2026). Source: Forbes ↗
Value rank
Ranked #199 on Washington Monthly Best Bang for the Buck (2025). Source: WM Best Value ↗
25th–75th percentile
SAT total: 1260–1470
SAT ERW: 640–740
SAT math: 620–730
ACT composite: 28–32
Total: 3,074
Undergrad: 3,074
Undergrad full-time: 3,044
Part-time: 30
In-state
Tuition: $56,970
Total cost on campus: $71,870
Out-of-state
Tuition: $56,970
Total cost on campus: $71,870
Room & board: $13,000
Books & supplies: $1,000
Receive aid: 100%
Avg grant aid: $41,918
Pell grant recipients: 20%
Rent: $862 / mo
Average city asking rent, as a roommate share. Zillow Observed Rent Index.
Coffee: $5.25
State average cafe price. Numbeo, 2024.
Gas: $4.33 / gal
State average price. AAA.
Average meal: $10.79
Published board plan, per meal. IPEDS.