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Macalester College
Macalester College turned away roughly 72% of its 8,099 applicants in the Fall 2023 cycle — selective enough that the middle-50% ranges below deserve a careful read.
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Macalester College sits in Saint Paul proper — a private campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. The school maintains its Presbyterian Church (USA) affiliation, which threads through campus life to a degree that varies by program.
Its highest-earning path is Computer and Information Sciences, General, where graduates median $109,457 four years out. Faculty pay averages $143,412 a year here — a rough proxy for what the school spends on the teaching itself. With 2,131 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 92.3% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1350 and 1510 — above the MN middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on Macalester College's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
You can apply to Macalester College without scores. Among admitted students who did submit, the middle half landed between 1350 and 1510; applicants below that range often simply apply without them.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 680 | 710 | 750 |
| SAT Math | 670 | 700 | 760 |
| ACT Composite | 30 | 32 | 33 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Macalester College received 8,099 applications and admitted 2,285 (28.2%), with 518 enrolling.
How Macalester College compares
| Macalester College | Minnesota median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 28.5% | 85.4% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $68,104 | $22,520 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $63,878 | $58,351 | $53,781 |
Ten years after enrolling, the median Macalester College student earns $63,878 — 9% above the Minnesota median of $58,351 for college-goers.
Cost, size & completion
Macalester College lists tuition at $68,104 for everyone — private schools don't do residency pricing. Macalester College's sticker and net price can differ sharply after aid; treat $68,104 as the ceiling, not the bill.
Macalester College enrolls 2,131 undergraduates — mid-sized, with the trade-offs Macalester College's scale implies: more programs than a small college, more anonymity too.
87.1% of Macalester College students finish a bachelor's within six years — 32.2 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $68,104 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at Macalester College
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $109,457 |
| Mathematics | $91,979 |
| Economics | $85,593 |
| Political Science and Government | $58,555 |
| Biology, General | $56,141 |
| International/Globalization Studies | $56,091 |
| Geography and Cartography | $52,557 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $45,632 |
Median earnings for these 8 Macalester College programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $63,878 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 30 additional Macalester College programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Macalester College?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1350–1510 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 28.5% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is Macalester College's acceptance rate?
28.2% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 2,285 admitted from 8,099 applicants.
How much does Macalester College cost?
At Macalester College, published tuition is $68,104 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Macalester College's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Macalester College graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $63,878 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Minnesota
- Carleton College — 20.4% admitted
- Crown College — 22.8% admitted
- Minnesota State University-Mankato — 88.4% admitted
- Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science — 39% 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.