What the Guidebooks Say
St. Olaf in College-Search Publications
Colleges That Change Lives
St. Olaf is one of eight Midwestern colleges profiled in Colleges That Change Lives, a guide to 40 of the country’s less-discovered colleges that former New York Times higher-education editor Loren Pope deems worthy of attention.
Lauded as “enlightened, forward-looking, and innovative,” a place “where the welfare of the student takes top priority” and where professors care about their students as human beings, St. Olaf is the only college in Minnesota and the only Lutheran college in the nation to be featured.
Among other attributes cited in the nine-page overview of St. Olaf: the college’s “magnificent” new health-and-fitness center, the faculty’s commitment to active scholarship and the off-campus and study-abroad opportunities that the guidebook deems “nearly without limit.”
Kiplinger’s “Best Value”
The cost of higher education, especially a private liberal arts education, has risen exponentially in recent years. That’s why St. Olaf trusts a ranking by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance to be fair and accurate — which is important to families.
Kiplinger’s measured academic excellence and affordability to rank St. Olaf among the top 50 private colleges for “best value.” Categories included admission rates, SAT or ACT scores, student-faculty ratio, four- or five-year graduation rates, total costs, the cost after need-based aid, aid from grants and non-need-based aid, and average debt at graduation.
St. Olaf was one of only three liberal arts colleges in Minnesota to make the list.
Fiske Guide to Colleges
During lunchtime conversations recently with St. Olaf students from beyond the Midwest, the Fiske Guide to Colleges was cited as a pre-eminent resource for choosing St. Olaf. Maybe it was the four-star rankings for quality of life and academics, or the description of “ Minnesota nice” that seemed too good to be true to those who aren’t from here.
“You can’t go anywhere without saying hi to people,” one student told the Fiske researchers. “Even if you don’t know a person, there is still a feeling of belonging to the same community.”
According to the 2008 Fiske Guide, St. Olaf is “a school where students work hard, are encouraged by good teachers, toughened by Minnesota winters and nourished by strong moral values.” The guide also praises the “outstanding” Division III athletic programs, the rigorous general education requirements and the “meticulously landscaped” 300-acre campus.
America’s Best Value Colleges
The Princeton Review bases its findings on data from administrators (that’s to be expected), as well as on the lively opinions of the students themselves. Which is why the Princeton guidebooks are among the most entertaining and informative on the market.
“Socially conscious, keenly political and with an active concern for the greater good, Oles are willing to work hard to achieve results that tie into their beliefs,” says the 2008 edition of America’s Best Value Colleges. St. Olaf also has been noted in Princeton Review's The Best 366 Colleges for the quality of its food (No. 8 in the nation), its town-gown relationship with the community of Northfield (No. 1) and its library resources (No. 9). And for best quality of life we're No. 5.
“Making a Difference” Guide
Called “a great guidebook for college-bound young activists,” the Making a Difference Colleges guide uses 10 criteria to rate colleges for their focus on environmental issues, mission and values, and commitment to a global education.
In a three-page review (longer than many), St. Olaf is noted for its Global Semester, founded in the mid-1960s, as well as its programs in American Racial & Multicultural Studies (ARMS), environmental studies, women’s studies and Hispanic studies.
Washington Monthly
Washington Monthly calls its guide a “different kind of college ranking,” and their list of 201 liberal arts colleges ranks St. Olaf No. 12. The Washington Monthly rankings concentrate on three criteria: social mobility, or how the school recruits and graduates less advantaged students; how the school supports and conducts research and, as in St. Olaf’s case, produces Ph.D. candidates; and how well the school fosters a culture of service.
U.S. News & World Report
According to U.S. News & World Report, St. Olaf ranks No. 47 among the nation’s 266 liberal arts colleges.