Urban access
highSaint Paul and Minneapolis provide extensive cultural and professional access.
COLLEGE FIT GUIDE
Evidence checked · 2026-10-06
Macalester College
Macalester is a small liberal-arts college embedded in the Twin Cities, with internationalism, multiculturalism, and service to society written into its mission. Students get a defined residential campus while using a major metropolitan region for internships and community work.
- International and civic liberal arts
- Academic choices and structure
- Separate institutional opportunity from individual access
QUICK READ
- Location
- Saint Paul, Minnesota · Urban setting
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 2,131
- Aggregate admission rate
- 28.5%
- Average net price
- $32,149
FIT SNAPSHOT
How this environment may feel
These are directional interpretations of the college environment, not a score or universal verdict.
Learning by doing
highMetro partnerships create many routes into civic and professional work.
Intellectual culture
highInternational and civic themes are visible across the curriculum.
Progressive climate
highService and public questions are prominent in campus life.
WHY IT MAY FIT
Consider Macalester College if…
- You want a small college in a major metro area.
- You value international and multicultural perspectives.
- You want civic engagement close at hand.
- You prefer a globally oriented peer community.
POSSIBLE TENSIONS
It may not fit if…
- You want a rural or secluded campus.
- You prefer an open curriculum with few requirements.
- You want large-university scale and athletics.
- You dislike cold winters.
WHAT STANDS OUT
The environment behind the name
International and civic liberal arts
The curriculum combines a liberal-arts major with requirements that include internationalism, U.S. identities and differences, writing, and quantitative thinking.
Source: Graduation Requirements
Academic choices and structure
Twin Cities organizations extend learning through internships, civic engagement, and community partnerships.
Source: Academics
A setting that shapes the experience
Saint Paul, Minnesota gives students a distinct context for campus life, work, community, and recreation.
Source: Academics
LOOK CLOSER
Questions worth asking before you decide
Use these prompts during a visit, an information session, or a conversation with a current student.
- 1
Separate institutional opportunity from individual access
Macalester documents substantial opportunities, but availability can differ by program, timing, prerequisites, capacity, and student initiative.
Source: Academics
- 2
Interpret scale and selectivity carefully
Federal data report 2,131 undergraduates and an aggregate admission rate of 28.5%. These figures describe the institution, not an individual applicant’s probability or a particular program’s experience.
- 3
Use the current price for your circumstances
Federal data report an average net price of $32,149. This historical average is not a quote; residency, income, housing, aid eligibility, and program costs can materially change what a family pays.
FEDERAL CLERY DATA
Campus safety statistics, with context
Federal Clery records describe reported incidents within defined campus geography. They are not a measure of crime prevalence or an overall safety rating.
2024 reported on-campus offenses:17
Per 1,000 enrolled:8.0
Reporting campuses:1
COMPARE THE TRADEOFFS
Schools that sharpen the question
A useful comparison for students evaluating Macalester across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
A useful comparison for students evaluating Macalester across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
A useful comparison for students evaluating Macalester across academics, setting, scale, and student experience.
EVIDENCE
Sources and method
View the reviewed sources
- Academics - Macalester College (official, retrieved 2026-10-06)
- Graduation Requirements - Macalester College (official, retrieved 2026-10-06)
- Macalester College institutional data - U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (federal, retrieved 2026-10-06)
Navastra interprets Macalester’s documented academic environment, setting, opportunities, and federal reference fields through preference dimensions. The page describes documented structures, not every student’s experience. It does not calculate an individual fit score, predict admission, or estimate a financial-aid award. Read the methodology →
Programs, policies, costs, and campus life change. Verify current details with the college ↗
PERSONALIZE THE QUESTION