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St. Olaf a national ‘best value’ college in U.S. News ranking

An aerial view of the St. Olaf campus featuring Holland Hall, Old Main, and Regents Hall of Natural and Mathematical Sciences.
An aerial view of the St. Olaf campus featuring Holland Hall, Old Main, and Regents Hall of Natural and Mathematical Sciences.

The newest college rankings from U.S. News & World Report lists St. Olaf among the top “Best Value” national liberal arts colleges.

St. Olaf, one of just three institutions in Minnesota and one of 80 in the United States to meet the demonstrated financial need of 100 percent of admitted students, ranked No. 13 on the “Best Value” list.

“We are excited and proud to be recognized as one of the best values among national liberal arts colleges,” says St. Olaf Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Chris George, noting that the college has a clear commitment to affordability and tools on its site to help families quickly calculate the financial aid they will receive. “By providing an easy way for families to estimate the amount of grant and scholarships their student will receive based on family income, we are working to show that the net price a student pays is very often significantly less than our published comprehensive fee. Ultimately, this commitment puts St. Olaf within reach for families from all socioeconomic backgrounds and makes it possible for students to engage in the full range of curricular and co-curricular opportunities.”

In addition to a place on the “Best Value” list, St. Olaf also came in at No. 17 for study abroad in the U.S. News ranking. The college’s Smith Center for Global Engagement  offers study abroad programs in more than 40 countries around the world and study away programs in destinations across the United States, and these programs are a hallmark of a St. Olaf education.

St. Olaf also placed at No. 49 for undergraduate teaching and No. 51 for most innovative schools, coming in at No. 63 overall on the list of top national liberal arts colleges.

St. Olaf has earned high marks in other prominent college rankings this year, placing in the Princeton Review’s Top 50 Best Value Colleges and coming in at No. 6 on Money Magazine’s list of “The 10 Best Liberal Arts Colleges.”