Macalester College, founded in 1874, is a private college of liberal arts and sciences. Its academic program ranks among the top 20 in the nation and includes broad research and internship opportunities. In small classes where rigorous debate is encouraged, Macalester challenges students to consider ideas from multiple perspectives, to be responsible global citizens, and to forge solutions to current and future global problems.

Read More
collegeType
Private
studentType
Coed
1,958
Undergraduates
801
Men - 40.9%
1,054
Women - 53.8%
Admissions iconAdmissions
See More
Admissions iconAdmissions
expand icon
Entrance Difficulty
Very difficult
Overall Admission Rate
28% of 8,819 applicants were admitted
Early Action Offered
Yes
Early Decision Offered
Yes
Regular Admission Deadline
January 15
Qualifications of Enrolled Freshmen
Average GPA
Not reported
SAT Math
696 average
650-750 range of middle 50%
SAT EBRW
709 average
680-750 range of middle 50%
ACT Composite
31 average
30-33 range of middle 50%
Financials iconFinancials
See More
Financials iconFinancials
expand icon
Cost of Attendance
$95,658
Tuition and Fees
$74,724
Room and Board
$17,430
Average Percent of Need Met
100%
Average Freshman Award
$67,404
Average Indebtedness of 2024 Graduates
$25,511
Academics iconAcademics
See More
Academics iconAcademics
expand icon
Academic Calendar System
Semester
General Education/Core Curriculum
Required for most or all students
Full-Time Faculty Teaching Undergraduates
198
Regular Class Size (Students)
2-9
18%
10-19
56%
20-29
21%
30-39
4%
40-49
1%
Campus life iconCampus Life
See More
Campus life iconCampus Life
expand icon
St. Paul Population
290,770
Nearest Metropolitan Area
St. Paul - Minneapolis (Twin Cities)
Freshman Housing Guarantee
College offers housing to students
Students in College Housing
59% of all students
Athletic Conferences
NCAA Division III
Mascot
Scot
Sororities
Not reported
Fraternities
Not reported
Students iconStudents
See More
Students iconStudents
expand icon
Ethnicity of Students from U.S.
American Indian/Alaskan Native
0.1%
Asian
9.2%
Black/African-American
6.9%
Hispanic/Latino
12.7%
Multi-race (not Hispanic/Latino)
10.7%
Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander
0.2%
White
57.9%
Unknown
2.2%
International Students
16.1% from 108 countries
First-Year Students Returning
92.0%
Students Graduating Within 4 Years
81.5%
Graduates Offered Full-Time Employment Within 6 Months
56%
Graduates Pursuing Advanced Study Directly
17.0%
Undergraduate and Undergraduate Financial Aid data displayed on CollegeData’s college profiles is from the 2024-25 academic year.
A portion of the College Profile data is provided under license by:
Peterson's Undergraduate and Undergraduate Financial Aid Databases, copyright © 2026 Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.