How this school serves students from different economic backgrounds, including Pell students, first-generation pathways, and long-term mobility outcomes.
Macalester College admits about 28.5% of applicants. The middle range of SAT scores for admitted students falls between 1,350 and 1,510, and ACT scores typically fall between 30 and 34. Among enrolled undergraduates, 17.2% receive Pell Grants and 12.8% are first-generation college students. Transfer enrollment is limited, at 3.3%. Azimuth ranks Macalester College #688 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access ranking reflects Macalester's selective admissions funnel: at roughly 28.5% acceptance, the institution enrolls a smaller absolute number of low-income and first-generation students relative to institutions that admit larger shares of their applicant pools. The six-year graduation rate stands at 87.1%, with freshman retention at 92.3%. Azimuth ranks Macalester College #456 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The mobility ranking reflects both the strength of outcomes for low-income graduates and the scale at which Macalester serves them. While the institution's admission selectivity limits the raw number of Pell-eligible students who enroll, those who do gain admission complete at high rates and move into careers aligned with the institution's social-sciences focus. The pattern underscores a structural dynamic: Macalester delivers strong outcomes for the low-income students it admits, but the admission scale constrains how many students benefit from that pathway relative to broader-access peers.
Macalester College admits about 28.5% of applicants. The middle range of SAT scores for admitted students falls between 1,350 and 1,510, and ACT scores typically fall between 30 and 34. Among enrolled undergraduates, 17.2% receive Pell Grants and 12.8% are first-generation college students. Transfer enrollment is limited, at 3.3%. Azimuth ranks Macalester College #688 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access ranking reflects Macalester's selective admissions funnel: at roughly 28.5% acceptance, the institution enrolls a smaller absolute number of low-income and first-generation students relative to institutions that admit larger shares of their applicant pools. The six-year graduation rate stands at 87.1%, with freshman retention at 92.3%. Azimuth ranks Macalester College #456 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The mobility ranking reflects both the strength of outcomes for low-income graduates and the scale at which Macalester serves them. While the institution's admission selectivity limits the raw number of Pell-eligible students who enroll, those who do gain admission complete at high rates and move into careers aligned with the institution's social-sciences focus. The pattern underscores a structural dynamic: Macalester delivers strong outcomes for the low-income students it admits, but the admission scale constrains how many students benefit from that pathway relative to broader-access peers.
Macalester College admits about 28.5% of applicants. The middle range of SAT scores for admitted students falls between 1,350 and 1,510, and ACT scores typically fall between 30 and 34. Among enrolled undergraduates, 17.2% receive Pell Grants and 12.8% are first-generation college students. Transfer enrollment is limited, at 3.3%. Azimuth ranks Macalester College #688 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access ranking reflects Macalester's selective admissions funnel: at roughly 28.5% acceptance, the institution enrolls a smaller absolute number of low-income and first-generation students relative to institutions that admit larger shares of their applicant pools. The six-year graduation rate stands at 87.1%, with freshman retention at 92.3%. Azimuth ranks Macalester College #456 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The mobility ranking reflects both the strength of outcomes for low-income graduates and the scale at which Macalester serves them. While the institution's admission selectivity limits the raw number of Pell-eligible students who enroll, those who do gain admission complete at high rates and move into careers aligned with the institution's social-sciences focus. The pattern underscores a structural dynamic: Macalester delivers strong outcomes for the low-income students it admits, but the admission scale constrains how many students benefit from that pathway relative to broader-access peers.
