Macalester College
St. Paul, Minnesota | Admissions Phone: 651-696-6357
E-mail: admissions@macalester.edu | Website: www.macalester.edu
ADMISSION
Admission Rate: 41%
Admission Rate - Men: 40%
Admission Rate - Women: 42%
EA Admission Rate: Not Offered
ED Admission Rate: 52%
Admission Rate (5-Year Trend): +7%
ED Admission Rate (5-Year Trend): -1%
% of Admits Attending (Yield): 25%
Transfer Admission Rate: 13%
# Offered Wait List: 426
# Accepted Wait List: 238
# Admitted Wait List: 0
SAT Reading/Writing (Middle 50%): 650-730
SAT Math (Middle 50%): 660-770
ACT Composite (Middle 50%): 29-33
Testing Policy: ACT/SAT Required
SAT Superscore: Yes
ACT Superscore: Yes
% Graduated in Top 10% of HS Class: 63%
% Graduated in Top 25% of HS Class: 91%
% Graduated in Top 50% of HS Class: 99%
ENROLLMENT
Total Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,174
% Part-Time: 2%
% Male: 40%
% Female: 60%
% Out-of-State: 82%
% Fraternity: Not Offered
% Sorority: Not Offered
% On-Campus (Freshman): 100%
% On-Campus (All Undergraduate): 60%
% African-American: 3%
% Asian: 8%
% Hispanic: 8%
% White: 58%
% Other: 6%
% Race or Ethnicity Unknown: 0%
% International: 16%
% Low-Income: 17%
ACADEMICS
Student-to-Faculty Ratio: 10:1
% of Classes Under 20: 73%
% of Classes Under 40: 98%
% Full-Time Faculty: 71%
% Full-Time Faculty w/ Terminal Degree: 94%
Top Programs
Anthropology
Chemistry
Economics
Environmental Studies
Geography
International Studies
Mathematics
Political Science
Retention Rate: 96%
4-Year Graduation Rate: 85%
6-Year Graduation Rate: 90%
Curricular Flexibility: Somewhat Flexible
Academic Rating: 
FINANCIAL
Institutional Type: Private
In-State Tuition: $56,062
Out-of-State Tuition: $56,062
Room & Board: $12,592
Required Fees: $230
Books & Supplies: $1,191
Avg. Need-Based Aid: $42,916
Avg. % of Need Met: 100%
Avg. Merit-Based Aid: $15,361
% Receiving Merit-Based Aid: 20%
Avg. Cumulative Debt: $24,880
% of Students Borrowing: 66%
CAREER
Who Recruits
1. ScribeAmerica
2. ESRI
3. BMO Capital Markets
4. Twin Cities Public Television
5. Airbnb
Notable Internships
1. Minnesota Wild
2. U.S. Bank
3. U.S. House of Representatives
Top Industries
1. Business
2. Education
3. Social Services
4. Research
5. Operations
Top Employers
1. Wells Fargo
2. UnitedHealth Group
3. Target
4. Epic
5. 3M
Where Alumni Work
1. Minneapolis
2. New York City
3. San Francisco
4. Washington, DC
5. Chicago
Median Earnings
College Scorecard (Early Career): $47,600
EOP (Early Career): $47,000
PayScale (Mid-Career): $100,400
RANKINGS
Forbes: 86
Money: 371
U.S. News: 25, Liberal Arts Colleges
Wall Street Journal/THE: 83
Washington Monthly: 36, Liberal Arts Colleges
Inside the Classroom
One might expect a small liberal arts school in Minnesota to be set in a remote tundra, its own little universe surrounded by a stark landscape and frigid air. In the case of Macalester College, the frigid air would be accurate, but this collection of 2,133 undergraduate students is a rarity in the liberal arts world—it is situated in the metropolis of St. Paul on the border of Minneapolis. While typically lagging slightly behind rival Carleton College in most rankings, Macalester is every bit in the same league, boasting a strong reputation for rigorous academics that draw 85 percent of the school’s student body from outside Minnesota and a stunning 24 percent from ninety-seven foreign countries.
International students aren’t flocking to Mac for the weather or Great Plains scenery; they are here for the academic reputation. Students can choose from thirty-nine majors and over 800 courses that are offered each academic year. Requirements for all students are fairly straightforward and include a first-year course that is a small, writing-intensive seminar, courses in each of the schools four divisions—Fine Arts, Humanities, Social Studies, and Natural Science and Mathematics, and courses in multiculturalism and internationalism. Perhaps the most notable mandate is in foreign language where proficiency equivalent to four semesters of study must be demonstrated.
Being an undergraduate-only institution, Macalester students enjoy the full benefits of the school’s 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The average class size is only seventeen students, and 17 percent of class sections have single-digit enrollments. Fewer than 2 percent of the overall courses contain more than forty students, so the chances are high that you will never be in a course where the professor does not know your name. That level of intimacy leads to plentiful chances for being part of faculty-led research, including through the Collaborative Summer Research Program that provides stipends for student-faculty research ventures. In total, 54 percent of students participate in some form of undergraduate research. Study abroad opportunities, typically twelve weeks in length, are taken advantage of by 60 percent of Macalester undergrads.
As an elite liberal arts institution with no attached graduate schools, Macalester possesses strong offerings across many different disciplines. Programs in economics, international studies, and mathematics are among the best anywhere. In addition, science majors of all varieties benefit from the school’s strong reputation for premed and preparing future PhD scientists. Prestigious postgraduate fellowships are routinely awarded to Mac seniors. In the last decade, grads have walked away with fifty-seven Fulbright Scholarships, including eight such awards in 2018 alone. In that same time, students and alumni have procured a Rhodes Scholarship, thirty-nine National Science Foundation Fellowships, nine Watson Fellowships, four Goldwater Scholarships, and three Truman Scholarships.
Outside the Classroom
Due to limited availability of college-owned housing, only 60 percent of Macalester students live on campus. However, 100 percent of freshmen live in one of four residence halls for first-years; sophomores, who are also required to live on campus, have their own dorms as well. There is no Greek life here, so undergrads find other ways to forge deep bonds. With twenty-one sports teams and roughly 400 student-athletes, one-quarter of the student population dons a Scots jersey as they compete in NCAA Division III. Intramurals and club teams also draw heavy participation, leading to a majority of Mac students being involved in some type of formalized athletics. There are also ninety-nine student-run organizations, including eleven musical ensembles, student theater groups with 125 participants, three student publications, including the popular Mac Weekly, and a campus radio station, WMCN. The LGBTQ+ population on campus is notably large—25 percent identify in that category. This cozy 53-acre campus provides ample activity, but access to the city nightlife is quite easy by car. The Mall of America is less than a fifteen-minute drive from the college, and students also enjoy Minnesota’s pro sports scene, museums, restaurants, and nightlife.
Career Services
The Career Development Center is staffed by seven professionals (not counting graduate/undergraduate fellows or office assistants), equating to a student-to-advisor ratio of 305:1, better than the average college included in this book. That level of support allows the CDC to implement its four-phase process of “explore/design/connect/launch” that ultimately results in favorable outcomes for graduates. Events such as the fall and spring career fairs are small in scale—the fall 2018 Career Fair was attended by thirty-five employers. In the 2018-19 school year, it held 1,918 one-on-one advising appointments and enticed 103 employers to recruit on campus. Internships and/or mentored research experiences are enjoyed by 72 percent of Macalester undergraduates. Internships, specifically, are obtained and completed by 60 percent of students. In 2017-18, almost 400 students engaged in credit-bearing internships at organizations as varied as the US Department of State, EY, Minnesota Public Radio, the New York University School of Medicine, and Lockheed Martin. This strong internship program sets up students for a successful transition into a meaningful first job. Among 2018 grads who found employment within six months of leaving, 91 percent said their first job was congruent with their interests. While Macalester grads do not go on to earn high starting salaries, they do find fulfilling jobs aligned with their interests and have success entering and completing top graduate/professional degree programs.
Professional Outcomes
Six months after graduating 94 percent of the Macalester Class of 2018 had found employment, graduate school, or a fellowship; 6 percent were still actively seeking their next destination. Fifty-five percent of those finding employment landed with for-profit corporations, 20 percent with nonprofit organizations, 15 percent with educational institutions, and 9 percent with federal, state, or local government. Employers of recent grads include ABC News, Google, Goldman Sachs, Dow Chemical Company, McKinsey & Company, the ACLU, the National Cancer Institute, and National Geographic. Across all sectors, the average starting salary was $47,000. Geographically, 52 percent of grads elected to stay in the North Star State while many others migrated to the West Coast (13 percent), East Coast (11 percent) or overseas (8 percent).
Graduates from 2012-2017 most frequently attended graduate schools such as the University of Washington – Seattle (28), University of Wisconsin – Madison (25), Harvard (21), Georgetown (19), NYU (17), and Johns Hopkins (16). Those from the classes of 2017 and 2018 who enrolled in graduate school entered science and mathematics programs at a 42 percent rate. In those same years, 100 percent of Macalester grads who applied to graduate school received at least one acceptance. From 2007-2016 the college ranked fourteenth among liberal arts schools with the most grads who went on to earn PhDs. Among students with at least a 3.5 GPA and decent MCAT scores, 90 percent were admitted to at least one medical school. Recent medical school acceptances include Tufts University, Northwestern, Brown, and Washington University in St. Louis. The most popular medical school attended by alumni is the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.
Admission
Macalester received just under 6,000 applications for admission into the Class of 2022, and it admitted 41 percent; of that group, 25 percent went on to enroll in the school. Admitted students averaged a 1430 on the SAT and a 32 on the ACT. An impressive 70 percent hailed from the top decile of their high school’s graduating class. The profile of the average freshman who enrolls is a bit more down to earth with 63 percent in the top 10 percent of their high school class and a 33 ACT representing the 75th percentile. Comparing this incoming freshman class to the freshman cohort of a decade earlier, there are few differences to be found. With a comparable acceptance rate and almost identical standardized test scores, this is one liberal arts school that has not changed much in recent years.
The admissions committee ranks the rigor of one’s secondary programming and GPA earned as the two most critical factors in the process. The second rung of still “important” factors is comprised of SAT/ACT scores, recommendations, essays, extracurricular activities, and character/personal qualities. Macalester insists that it does not consider demonstrated interest in the admissions process, an unusual move for a school with a relatively low yield rate (the percent of accepted students who go on to enroll). That being said, applying via early decision is a wise choice for those committed to attending the college as the ED acceptance rate is 52 percent. Attracting students from all fifty states and eighty-eight countries, this school’s Minnesota locale draws talented applicants from around the world. Lots of AP courses and excellent grades should set up candidates for success.
Worth Your Money?
Sixty-eight percent of the Macalester student population receives need-based aid for an average grant of $42,916 per year. Of those that qualify, 63 percent see 100 percent of their demonstrated need met by Mac, with many others receiving packages that cover nearly all of their college costs. Unfortunately, if you don’t qualify for need-based aid, do not expect much in the way of merit aid—most likely you’ll be paying close to the full annual cost of attendance of $73,500. With so many graduates pursuing advanced degrees, average early career earnings aren’t spectacular, but Mac is still a school with phenomenal long-term career outcomes, and a very wise investment for students who can afford the price without racking up higher-than-average debt.