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St. Olaf improves overall ranking in U.S. News & World Repo

By Amy Gage
August 21, 2005

St. Olaf College placed 55th overall in U.S. News & World Report magazine's 2005 annual rankings of the best liberal arts colleges in the nation. St. Olaf moved up seven places in the widely read rankings, which were released to the media Aug. 19.

The college was among 22 colleges and universities ranked alphabetically for outstanding study-abroad programs. St. Olaf shared that honor this year, as it did last year, with three other Minnesota schools: Carleton College in Northfield, Macalester College in St. Paul and the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

St. Olaf is the third-highest ranked liberal arts college in Minnesota, behind Carleton and Macalester.

Provost and Dean of the College James May contends that the most important factor in this or any ranking is the strength of the St. Olaf academic program.

"We continue to offer a fantastic education to our students, who continue to love St. Olaf," says May, a professor of classics. "Hence, the steady climb in graduation and retention rates."

St. Olaf improved its already high rankings in categories such as academic reputation (35th this year, up from 39th); graduation and retention rates (33rd this year, up from 36th); and graduation rate performance (33rd this year, up from 43rd).

Vice President for Admissions and Enrollment Michael Kyle was quoted in a story about the rankings in the Minneapolis-based Star Tribune.

U.S. News bases its rankings on a college's academic reputation, admissions selectivity, retention and graduation rates, class size, financial resources and alumni giving, among other factors.

St. Olaf continues to earn top rankings in its average freshman retention rate, with 93 percent of all first-year students returning for their sophomore year. With an 84 percent graduation rate, the college also scores well compared with its peer colleges in the rankings.

The acceptance rate of applications at St. Olaf in 2004 was 64 percent, down 11 percentage points from the previous year. A college's acceptance rate indicates its selectivity, with a lower percentage indicating higher selectivity.

Forty-eight percent of first-year students at St. Olaf were in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class. The incoming Class of 2009 includes 41 National Merit Scholars, placing St. Olaf among the top three liberal arts colleges nationwide.

Sitting at the top of the U.S. News rankings this year are Williams College in Massachusetts (first), Amherst College in Massachusetts (second), Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania (third), Wellesley College in Massachusetts (fourth) and Carleton College in Northfield (fifth).

In addition to Carleton, the rankings for other liberal arts colleges in Minnesota include: Macalester, tied for 25th place; St. John's, in 69th place; and Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter tied for 73rd.

(Read how Princeton Review's current college guide ranks St. Olaf here.)

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.