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Gustavus Adolphus College
Gustavus Adolphus College says yes to 61% of applicants. Focus less on getting in and more on what's below — starting with the $65,607 median earnings.
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Gustavus Adolphus College anchors the college town of Saint Peter, MN, where the private campus and town largely share a footprint. The school maintains its Evangelical Lutheran Church affiliation, which threads through campus life to a degree that varies by program.
Its highest-earning path is Accounting and Related Services, where graduates median $95,200 four years out. 20.7% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 1,878 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 88% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 25 and 31 on the ACT composite. Put your own practice estimate on Gustavus Adolphus College's range with the ACT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Gustavus Adolphus College received 4,450 applications and admitted 2,750 (61.8%), with 499 enrolling.
Gustavus Adolphus College is test-optional — scores count when submitted, none required. Gustavus Adolphus College's submitters' middle half scored 25–31 on the ACT; read that as the stronger-tester end of the admitted class.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Composite | 25 | 28 | 31 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
How Gustavus Adolphus College compares
| Gustavus Adolphus College | Minnesota median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 61% | 85.4% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $56,076 | $22,520 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $65,607 | $58,351 | $53,781 |
Earnings data favors Gustavus Adolphus College: $65,607 median at year ten, versus $58,351 across Minnesota institutions.
Cost, size & completion
Tuition runs $56,076 regardless of where you're from. At Gustavus Adolphus College, that sticker is a starting point for aid talks — not what the median family pays.
Enrollment sits at 1,878 — Gustavus Adolphus College is one of the smaller campuses on this site.
76.6% of Gustavus Adolphus College students finish a bachelor's within six years — 21.8 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $56,076 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at Gustavus Adolphus College
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services | $95,200 |
| Economics | $91,252 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $86,114 |
| Business/Commerce, General | $79,260 |
| Physics | $73,540 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $69,423 |
| Political Science and Government | $62,218 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $62,016 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $57,870 |
| Biology, General | $54,202 |
| Psychology, General | $53,277 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $49,758 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $48,822 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $47,629 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $46,987 |
Median earnings for these 15 Gustavus Adolphus College programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $65,607 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 23 additional Gustavus Adolphus College programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Gustavus Adolphus College?
The middle 50% of Gustavus Adolphus College's submitters earned ACT composites of 25–31; no GPA cutoff is published.
What is Gustavus Adolphus College's acceptance rate?
61.8% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 2,750 admitted from 4,450 applicants.
How much does Gustavus Adolphus College cost?
At Gustavus Adolphus College, published tuition is $56,076 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Gustavus Adolphus College's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Gustavus Adolphus College graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $65,607 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Minnesota
- Concordia University-Saint Paul — 78.9% admitted
- Concordia College at Moorhead — 62.6% admitted
- University of Minnesota-Twin Cities — 79.8% admitted
- Augsburg University — 82% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.