Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Macalester College #852 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $58,560, placing Macalester College in the 38.6 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Macalester College #456 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions — reflecting strong outcomes for students from diverse backgrounds. --- Azimuth ranks Macalester College among the top private four-year institutions for overall value, with graduates achieving strong early-career earnings. The college's mobility ranking highlights its ability to support students into meaningful post-graduation outcomes.
Azimuth ranks Macalester College #852 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A private baccalaureate college in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Macalester College enrolls roughly 2,131 undergraduates. Retention is 92.3% and the six-year graduation rate is 87.1%, reflecting strong institutional support for degree completion. Macalester College performs strongest in return on investment. Azimuth ranks Macalester College #701 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $58,560, a figure that reflects the college's strength in Social Sciences and its pipeline into careers with sustained earning growth. The college's program portfolio emphasizes liberal arts breadth alongside professional preparation, positioning students for both immediate earnings and long-term career mobility. Access and affordability anchor the composite at different levels. Macalester College enrolls 17.2% Pell-eligible students and 12.8% first-generation undergraduates, reflecting a selective admissions posture with an admission rate of 28.5%. The college sits in the 53.5 percentile for access and the 14.1 percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mobility outcomes place the institution in the 61.5 percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, indicating that graduates move into stable, well-compensated career paths at rates comparable to or exceeding peer institutions. For admitted students, Macalester College offers need-based financial aid designed to make attendance feasible for families across income levels, though the college's private tuition structure means net prices vary meaningfully by family circumstances.
Macalester College's published cost of attendance is $82,991, but need-based aid substantially reshapes that figure across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $13,772; middle-income families pay around $11,098; and higher-income families pay approximately $44,880. Azimuth ranks Macalester College #1224 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown. Macalester's aid structure is need-based, with demonstrated financial need met through a combination of grants, loans, and work-study opportunities. The college participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional aid programs. Most admitted students receive need-based aid packages, and the college's commitment to meeting demonstrated need helps narrow the gap between published cost and what families actually pay. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $23,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $36,129; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $58,560, median federal debt of $23,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $260 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Macalester College is a strong fit for students seeking a private liberal arts experience in the Midwest with a focus on the social sciences and humanities. The college's intimate scale and location in Saint Paul, MN offer a distinctive environment for students who value close faculty interaction and urban access without the intensity of a large research university. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $58,560, placing Macalester College in the 38.6 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The social sciences dominate the program mix at 18% of degrees, creating a clear academic signature for students drawn to those fields. The college enrolls a meaningful share of Pell-eligible and first-generation students — 17.2% receive Pell Grants and 12.8% are first-generation — while maintaining selective admissions with an acceptance rate around 28.5%. This balance makes Macalester particularly compelling for high-achieving students from diverse backgrounds who want strong outcomes without sacrificing access to need-based aid. Fit depends on two realistic filters: the 28.5% admit rate makes the application process competitive, and the program mix favors analytical fields over applied-professional ones. Students whose interests align with the college's social sciences orientation will find both strong outcomes and a distinctive undergraduate experience.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
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Financial GPS Tool
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This is the Macalester College hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Macalester College's published cost of attendance is $82,991, but need-based aid substantially reshapes that figure across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $13,772; middle-income families pay around $11,098; and higher-income families pay approximately $44,880.
Azimuth ranks Macalester College #1224 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.
Macalester's aid structure is need-based, with demonstrated financial need met through a combination of grants, loans, and work-study opportunities. The college participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional aid programs.
Most admitted students receive need-based aid packages, and the college's commitment to meeting demonstrated need helps narrow the gap between published cost and what families actually pay. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $23,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $36,129; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.
For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $58,560, median federal debt of $23,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $260 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates of Macalester College earn median 4-year earnings of $58,560, placing Macalester College in the 38.6 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).
Azimuth ranks Macalester College #701 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Macalester College's concentration in social sciences and humanities fields, where graduates move into professional, analytical, and policy-oriented careers that build earnings over time.
The strongest aggregate-return major is Artificial Intelligence, which combines solid enrollment with competitive four-year earnings. Among the largest programs, Artificial Intelligence enrolls 58 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $109,457, and Political Science enrolls 56 graduates earning $58,555.
Biology, General and Economics round out the major programs, with four-year earnings of $56,141 and $85,593 respectively. The program mix — anchored in Social Sciences at 18%, other STEM fields at 7%, and Arts at 5% — supports a broad range of career pathways with earnings that align with national benchmarks for liberal arts graduates.
Explore alternatives with comparable outcomes based on location, selectivity, and value:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Hamline University Higher acceptance rate (61.6 percentage points higher) with similar program focus and located 2 miles away; similar graduate earnings | MN | 90% | $61,106 | Compare |
Gustavus Adolphus College Higher acceptance rate (33.6 percentage points higher) with similar program focus and located 58 miles away; similar graduate earnings | MN | 62% | $65,607 | Compare |
St Olaf College Higher acceptance rate (23.9 percentage points higher) with similar program focus and located 33 miles away; similar graduate earnings | MN | 52% | $65,543 | Compare |
Wheaton College Higher acceptance rate (61.8 percentage points higher) with similar program focus; similar graduate earnings | IL | 90% | $63,756 | Compare |
Kalamazoo College Higher acceptance rate (48 percentage points higher) with similar program focus; similar graduate earnings | MI | 76% | $65,590 | Compare |
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agnes Scott College Similar quality tier (#25972 ranked) | GA | 62% | $56,274 | #25972 | Compare |
Walsh University Similar quality tier in Midwest (#25969 ranked) | OH | 71% | $59,764 | #25969 | Compare |
Midamerica Nazarene University Similar quality tier in Midwest (#25967 ranked) | KS | 79% | $62,972 | #25967 | Compare |
Inter American University Of Puerto Rico-Metro Similar quality tier (#25975 ranked) | PR | 70% | $30,821 | #25975 | Compare |
Bethel University Similar quality tier (#25977 ranked) | TN | 60% | $47,482 | #25977 | Compare |
Computer and Information Sciences, General
58 graduates
Mathematics
48 graduates
Economics
49 graduates
Political Science and Government
56 graduates
Biology, General
52 graduates
Macalester College's program mix is anchored in the social sciences, reflecting the college's identity as a liberal arts institution with particular strength in policy-oriented and analytical fields. Artificial Intelligence is the largest program with 58 graduates, followed by Political Science, Biology, General, Economics, and Mathematics.
Across 31 total programs, 0 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold, with several delivering strong four-year earnings outcomes that reflect the college's emphasis on fields with direct labor-market pathways. The strongest earnings outcomes cluster in applied social sciences and quantitative fields.
Artificial Intelligence graduates earn median four-year earnings of $109,457 with 58 graduates, while Mathematics delivers $91,979 with 48 graduates. Economics and Political Science follow with median earnings of $85,593 and $58,555 respectively, demonstrating consistent strength across the college's core disciplinary areas.
These programs represent high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the workforce directly and earnings reflect national labor-market outcomes in policy, business, and analytical sectors. Macalester College's program portfolio reflects a liberal arts college positioning within the social sciences and humanities.
The concentration in Social Sciences at 18%, combined with meaningful enrollment in other STEM fields at 7% and Arts at 5%, creates a distinctive profile oriented toward policy, international relations, and analytical careers. The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these fields align with national labor-market trends and employer demand in sectors like nonprofit leadership, government, and international development.
