Macalester College
St. Paul, MN · Private
Navora's full analysis of Macalester College — where an applicant's profile stands against the published cohort, requirements tracking, essays and deadlines — is free with an account.
See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
Macalester College admitted 28.5% of applicants university-wide (2,558 of 8,968).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 28.5% | 2,558 | 8,968 |
| In-state | 37.5% | 300 | 800 |
| Out-of-state | 31.2% | 1,500 | 4,800 |
| International applicants | 25.0% | 600 | 2,400 |
| Early Decision (binding) | 39.4% | 176 | 447 |
| Men | 25.2% | 1,033 | 4,097 |
| Women | 31.3% | 1,521 | 4,855 |
Early Decision applicants were admitted at 39.4%, vs 28.5% overall — ED is a binding commitment.
Of 2,558 admitted students, 560 enrolled (21.9% yield).
Macalester College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 1360–1490
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 30–34
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.50–3.99
Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)
Macalester College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $87,134/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $67,874 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $19,260 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $87,134/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $13,772 |
| $30k–48k | $11,982 |
| $48k–75k | $11,098 |
| $75k–110k | $20,527 |
| Over $110k | $44,880 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Macalester College Scholarship — Up to $30,000 per year (Merit)
- Charles J. Turck Presidential Honor Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Presidential)
- Macalester College Grant — Varies (Need Based)
- Macalester College Need-Based Financial Aid for International Students — Varies (up to full demonstrated need) (Need Based)
International applicants
Meets full demonstrated need for internationals.
- Macalester College Scholarship — Up to $30,000 per year (Merit)
- Charles J. Turck Presidential Honor Scholarship — $20,000 per year (Presidential)
- Macalester College Need-Based Financial Aid for International Students — Varies (up to full demonstrated need) (Need Based)
Macalester College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024
Application requirements
US applicants
- Common App Account & Application
- High School Transcript
- Counselor Recommendation
- Teacher Recommendation
- Senior Year Grades
- Application fee
International applicants
- Common App Account & Application
- High School Transcript
- Counselor Recommendation
- Teacher Recommendation
- Senior Year Grades
- Application fee
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
Macalester College · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts), plus 1 college-specific supplement:
- Please write a short response (300-500 words) explaining why you are interested in attending Macalester College.500 words · Required
Draft these in the free Essay Coach
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $63,878
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 87.1%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 92.3%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $23,000
- At graduation
Macalester College · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- U.S. News Liberal Arts: #28
- WSJ: #314
- Forbes: #207
- Niche: #105
Deadlines
- 2026-11-01Early Action — Non-binding early round
- 2026-11-01Early Decision — Binding early round
- 2027-01-15Regular Decision — Standard deadline
Macalester College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C21–C22 · 2024
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Social sciences (18%), Interdisciplinary studies (13%), Biological & life sciences (11%).
Student–faculty ratio: 10:1 · 69% of class sections have under 20 students.
Macalester College Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.