Brand Foundation

St. Olaf can be the difference between finding a job and loving a job. We provide pathways to develop students’ strengths, talents, and vocation.

Reasons to Believe: Our resources and Lutheran tradition. Identifying a vocation is a fundamental part of our Lutheran tradition. The Piper Center for Vocation and Career provides resources and experiences designed to help students leverage their liberal arts education to achieve their full potential.

Meaningful Results. Beyond a great education, St. Olaf provides one-on-one career coaching and peer advising. We help students find internships and other experiences to ensure that Oles are able to leverage their education into a job that’s meaningful and relevant.

The St. Olaf College experience is a broader world experience. We engage students to be citizens of the world.

Reasons to Believe: Outstanding Study Abroad Program. Ranked #2 among baccalaureate college in the number of students who study abroad.

Curriculum with a global view. Through languages and area studies, students explore specific countries and cultures, but global issues are embedded in courses across the curriculum.

Campus community. Increasing international diversity of our students, faculty, and staff, who collectively come from more than 80 countries.

Lutheran Tradition. We encourage the exploration of faith and values, personal fulfillment and loving/serving your neighbor.

Reasons to Believe: Accepting. Our community includes and welcomes people of many religions and of no particular religious tradition. • 21+ religious organizations.

Active faith tradition. The college was founded by Lutheran immigrants from Norway. Daily chapel and Sunday worship services and an ELCA student congregation are supported by a college pastor and associate pastor. Because we value and draw from the deep well of Lutheran tradition, we welcome others who do the same with their traditions.

Religious study. All students take core courses in religion, faith, and values as well as theological studies and ethical reasoning.

Lifelong friendships are forged on the Hill. We support an inclusive and vibrant residential campus that builds lifelong connections.

Reasons to Believe. Community. St. Olaf is a vibrant residential community where Oles live, work, play, and study alongside peers who want to leave their mark on our campus and eventually the world.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We strive to be a campus of welcome where students thrive by bringing their full humanity — gender identity, sexuality, race, ethnicity, national origin, socioeconomic class, disability, religion, spirituality, and age — to the Hill each day.

Honor code and code of conduct. All students acknowledge the St. Olaf Honor Code and Code of Conduct that promotes individual responsibility and shared accountability.

Sustainability. 350 acres of restored wetlands, woodlands, and native tall-grass prairie. A college-owned wind turbine, combined with 40 acres of solar panels on college land, achieving 100 percent carbon-free electrical power.