This article translates one of those cases: Macalester College, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. I am not going to tell you whether it is the right college for your child, because an article cannot decide that. But I can show you, as clearly as the official data allow, what kind of school it is, what it really costs, how hard it is to get in, and what happened to those who enrolled before. With that in hand, you decide whether it is worth keeping on the list.
Who Macalester College is
Let us start with the basics, because the basics matter more than they may seem.
Macalester College is a private, nonprofit, four-year institution. The highest level it reports offering is the bachelor's degree: no master's or doctoral degrees are recorded here. That is an institutional fact, not a description of every major, so if your child is already thinking about a specific graduate program, that detail should be verified directly with the school.
The federal system that classifies colleges in this country places it in a particular group: a small, four-year, highly residential bachelor's college focused on arts and sciences. “Highly residential” means something specific: at the time of that classification, at least half of degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in housing owned or controlled by the institution, and at least 80 out of every 100 studied full time. The system also places it among the schools with the most selective admissions in the country.
None of these labels tells you how many out of every hundred applicants get in. That is a different number, and we will look at it later, before your child finishes putting together a list.
Geographically, it is in Saint Paul, Minnesota, within Ramsey County, in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metropolitan area. The census code places it in a principal city with a population of 250,000 or more. That does not mean the campus is right downtown; how to get there and what there is nearby are questions the data do not answer. If your child were considering living at home and commuting, I recommend driving the route on a weekday at the actual time of the classes. The time shown on the map is almost never the real travel time.
And one clarification is worth making directly, without hedging: Macalester College has none of these three federal designations. It is not a historically Black college or university (HBCU), it is not a tribal college or university, and it is not a land-grant institution. Those are three different answers, with three different histories, and of the 3,012 colleges in this directory, 138 have at least one of the three. Macalester's not having one does not tell you which students it serves, how many Latino students are on campus, or how your child will feel there. Ask directly what cultural centers and student organizations exist today and, better yet, talk with someone who already studies there.
The size of the community and who makes it up
In the fall of 2023, Macalester College had 2,142 enrolled students. It is midsized: it falls within the range of 1,000 to 4,999 students, and compared with the 941 selective-admission, private four-year schools that make up its reference group, its size is among the most common, in the middle of the group. There is no graduate enrollment in that count: all 2,142 are undergraduates.
Of those 2,142, IPEDS estimates a full-time equivalent of 2,123 students and reports 518 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking undergraduate students. That last number is not the entire entering class for that year; it is a specific subset.
Does being a midsized school mean anything by itself? Not much, honestly. Being large does not mean more options. Being small does not mean more attention for your child. What matters is asking about the specific major that interests your child, not the size of the entire school.
Now, who makes up that community:
| Undergraduate composition (fall 2023) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 11 out of every 100 |
| Women | 58 out of every 100 |
| Students ages 25 to 64 | rounds to zero (almost no one) |
Eleven out of every hundred is a small minority. Compared with the 941 selective private schools in its group that reported this figure, Macalester ranks above the midpoint of the group but below the highest quartile. But that comparison has a real limitation: peers are grouped by school type and control, not by state, and the comparison does not adjust for the part of the country where the college is located. It also does not go down to the major level; all these percentages are for the entire school.
Put plainly: there are few Latino students here. That does not take the school off anyone's list. But if that community matters to your family, ask during the visit what exists for Latino students: a student group, a cultural center, someone in the office who speaks Spanish. The data will not tell you; the visit will.
As for where new students came from, IPEDS simply does not provide that information for this school in this reporting cycle. It is unavailable and is not estimated.
How the academic year is organized and what is taught
Macalester College reported that its year is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. It accepts credits from AP exams, but did not check the box for credit for life experience. And it does not enroll high school students in college courses for credit.
Accepting AP does not mean the school awards credit for every exam at every score. The data do not say what scores are required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits count toward your child's specific major. Before enrolling, ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
In a recent year, Macalester awarded 511 bachelor's degrees across 16 families of academic programs. The family awarding the most degrees was social sciences, with 22 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year, but no other family exceeded it and none accounts for 30 out of every 100. The awards are spread across fields rather than dominated by a single area. This counts degrees awarded in one year, not people or the current catalog of majors. It does not measure quality or the jobs graduates obtain afterward. Before deciding, ask directly how many students graduated in the exact major that interests your child, how long they took, and what the curriculum is like.
The official ratio of students to instructional staff, with both measured as full-time equivalents, is 10 to 1. Compared with the 941 schools in its group, it falls below the midpoint: its ratio is lower than that of most schools. It is a low aggregate ratio, but by itself it does not demonstrate that more staff are available to each student in every class. IPEDS does not report the actual size of first-year classes.
The institution also reports one specific structured academic opportunity: study abroad.
Getting into Macalester: how the door works
Here begins the part almost every family wants to see first, so let us take it slowly, because every number comes with its own terms.
What they require. Macalester reported that it does not have open admission: it reviews certain materials before saying yes. Of the nine admissions considerations evaluated in this count, it marked three as required: the high school record, letters of recommendation, and an English proficiency exam for applicants for whom it applies. Other materials are not required but are considered if submitted: high school GPA, class rank, completion of the college-preparatory program the school requires, the personal essay, and work experience. The report does not say how much weight each carries in the final decision.
One practical and welcome fact: the published undergraduate application fee is $0.
And some scheduling advice, because letters of recommendation are required: ask for them a month in advance. Give the teacher a sheet describing what your child has done over these years. No one remembers everything without help.
How selective it really is. In the 2023 cycle, Macalester received 8,099 first-time undergraduate applications and offered admission to 2,285 applicants. That is 28 out of every 100. Compared with the 942 selective private schools in its group, it is among those accepting the smallest shares: nine out of ten schools in that group, or more, accepted a higher percentage of applicants. On the other side of that calculation are 5,814 applicants who did not receive an offer—and that number does not distinguish among those who were rejected, wait-listed, or withdrew their applications.
It is fine for this school to be on your child's list. It should not be the only one.
What happens after admission. Out of every 100 admitted first-time students, 23 ultimately enrolled at Macalester. The other 77 had a place and did not take it. Compared with its peer group, this figure is among the most common, in the middle of the group. Put simply: out of every four who receive a yes, about one ends up attending. And this is not a mark against the school—the federal record does not say why each person made the choice they did. What others decided does not tell you what the school will offer you. Wait for your letter with the net price, which is what the year will really cost, and use that number to decide whether this school stays on the list.
About the SAT and ACT. They are not required. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application remains active just the same. Even so, among students who enrolled, 30 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores—one of the highest shares among 653 comparable colleges. Among those who submitted scores, the middle half scored between 680 and 750 in reading and writing, and between 670 and 760 in mathematics. Those ranges describe students who enrolled and submitted scores, not all applicants. The 680 is not a minimum and the 750 is not a guarantee.
About transfers. In the first-time entering cohort of 2017, only 3 out of every 100 transferred without completing their degree here within 150% of normal time. That is a low share compared with its group. Separately, in the fall of 2023, only 10 students entered Macalester for the first time after previously studying at another institution. These are small numbers in both directions: very few leave by transferring, and very few arrive as transfers. The fact that few transfer does not mean everyone graduated; that is a different calculation, which we will look at later.
The cost: the number you need to face directly
At Macalester College, among 32 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $12,877. Among 31 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $13,050; among 124 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $43,253. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income with their own.
There is a difference of $30,376 between the average for the lowest-income band (32 students) and the average for the highest-income band (124 students). These are group averages, not a prediction of your family's price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $38,571.
Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, Macalester falls within the least expensive quartile for lower-income families after grants and scholarships are subtracted. That does not mean it will be inexpensive for your family. It is a fact that matters when you put together the list of schools to apply to.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours comes first. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grants and scholarships, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. What governs is the aid letter you receive.
Aid and loans: who pays what
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students at Macalester, 88 received a grant or scholarship that does not have to be repaid. Among those who received it, the average was $40,537 for the year—an average that hides those who received much more and those who received much less.
But there is a distinction every family should understand clearly: Pell, the federal aid specifically for students with demonstrated financial need, reached only 17 out of every 100. That means at least 71 out of every 100 received aid, but from another source: the school, the state, or another program. The report combines every type of aid without saying where it came from, so it cannot tell you what your child would receive. Ask directly who provides that grant or scholarship, who qualifies, and what is required to renew it each year.
None of this is your personal offer. A high average among those who received aid does not mean yours will be that large. When the letter arrives, look at how much your family would have to pay out of pocket. That is the number to compare among schools, not the size of the discount.
About loans: 37 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in the 2022-23 academic year. More than two out of ten, but fewer than half. Of those who borrowed, each took out an average of $5,834 that year. Compared with 942 schools in its group, Macalester is on the low side: seven out of ten, or more, of those schools had a higher share of students with loans.
Some young people here make it through the year without debt, and some borrow. This percentage does not decide which group your child will fall into. The financial aid letter your child receives in writing does. And one important clarification: this average of $5,834 is for a single year and only for federal loans in the student's name. It does not include PLUS loans that parents sometimes end up signing for, debt from banks, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt with which someone graduates after four years; that would require adding up each year, and that number is not in this report.
As an additional payment option, the institution reports offering a tuition payment plan.
Life on campus: housing, athletics, and support
Living on campus at Macalester is not optional for full-time, first-time, degree-seeking students: it is required. The school also offers meal plans, and its largest plan has a fixed number of meals per week. IPEDS reports a maximum capacity of 1,304 students in housing controlled by the institution.
Why does this matter for cost? Because when you compare Macalester's price with another school's, you have to add room and board from the beginning. Where living on campus is required, that expense cannot be removed from the calculation. Tuition alone is misleading.
About ROTC: in its most recent report, Macalester did not mark any ROTC opportunity, either the general box or any of the three branches. Of the four-year institutions in this guide, 926 out of 1,786 did mark at least one. Macalester was not among them. If your child's plan depends on ROTC, whether for the scholarship or a military career, this school did not report it—but the fact that it was not marked does not prove there is no option nearby. Ask admissions directly before ruling it out for this reason.
In athletics, Macalester does compete at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA. Membership is reported for football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. But that membership belongs to the school, not to your child: if your child is interested in competing, write directly to the coach of the sport in question, ask whether there is a place available, what division they compete in, and whether that sport awards athletic scholarships. Ask for a written response.
It does not offer distance education: not a single course, at either the undergraduate or graduate level. Zero out of every 100 students take all their classes that way. If your child needs to work or care for someone at home while studying, the schedule will have to fit entirely within in-person classes.
The library operates with paid staff, its annual expenditures exceed the threshold tracked by the government, it has physical and digital materials, and it offers interlibrary lending. That is a floor, not a ceiling: exceeding that threshold does not guarantee that the specific databases your child's major needs are available. Ask about that by the name of the major.
And regarding general support, the institution reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for graduates, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program, and a published web address for services for students with disabilities.
What happened to those who already enrolled
For me, this is one of the most useful parts of the complete record, because it speaks to the outcome, not just the promise.
Retention. Of 552 first-time, full-time students who entered in 2022, 522 were still enrolled or had already completed their bachelor's degree one year later. That is 95 out of every 100. Compared with 930 schools in its group, Macalester is among those retaining the largest shares of their entering classes: nine out of ten schools in that group, or more, retained an equal or smaller share. It is a very high number, but it is important to understand exactly what it measures: it combines those who are still enrolled with those who have already graduated, without distinguishing which of the two happened to each person. It is not a final graduation rate.
Graduation. Of those who entered a bachelor's degree program in 2017, attended full time, and had never previously attended another college, 90 out of every 100—490 out of 542—completed a degree within six years. Within four years, the figure is 82 out of every 100, eight percentage points lower. Compared with 920 schools in its group, Macalester is among those graduating the largest shares of students.
A high number like this does not promise anything about your child in particular. It describes what happened to the class that entered that school in 2017. What is within your control as a family is making sure your child enters with credits in order and knows, from the first semester, who the academic advisor is and when registration opens for courses in the major.
At eight years, taking a broader view. Looking at a different cohort—589 undergraduate students, with and without prior postsecondary experience, who entered between July 2015 and June 2016—as of August 2023, 90 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school. Among those who received a Pell Grant, the figure was 89 out of every 100, just two percentage points below the rest. Compared with 935 schools in its group, Macalester is also among those graduating the largest shares here.
A high number does not predict one person's outcome. It describes an entire cohort at a specific point in time. It is worth asking about the program's current support and the outcomes of more recent cohorts, not just this one.
What this article cannot tell you
There is no information here about what happens after someone graduates from Macalester: no earnings, employment, or debt at the time of completing the degree. That piece requires other sources, and this record does not include it.
Putting the pieces together
You have now seen the map of one of the three pieces you need to decide: what Macalester College really is and offers.
None of those facts decides anything by itself. The decision comes from combining this piece with the other two: what your child wants and has built so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. Your child's part is to explore, work hard, write the essay, speak with the counselor, and choose a major. Your part is the money, the documents, the dates, and providing support without leaving your child to carry alone a process that is only now becoming familiar. The college's part is to admit, deny, and offer—or not offer—the aid that makes it possible for your child to walk through that door.
A plan comes from that combination, not from a single number.
Source note: The information in this article comes from data reported by Macalester College to the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS system, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent Macalester College or any agency of the United States government; this article organizes and explains public information to help families understand it.