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Macalester College: Macalester Old Main
Photo: McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

College · Catholic life on campus

Macalester College

  • LocationSaint Paul, MN
  • Type and sizePrivate nonprofit · 4-year · 2,142 students

Affiliation: Presbyterian Church (USA)

Official website

Macalester College is not a Catholic college. This rating measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes.

Catholic life here hasn’t been researched yet. We research from official sources only, starting with the largest campuses, and we never guess. The nearest Catholic church mapped in OpenStreetMap is 0.8 miles away.

Know the official campus ministry or Mass schedule page? Send us the link.

Catholic churches nearby

Map of Macalester College, its Catholic center and nearby Catholic churches0.25 mi0.5 mi1 miNativity of Our Lord Catholic Church: 0.8 mi1Holy Spirit Parish: 0.9 mi2Church of St. Mark: 1.0 mi3Our Lady of the Presentation Chapel: 1.0 mi4Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas: 1.1 mi5St. Thomas More Catholic Church: 1.1 mi6Macalester College (campus)N0.5 mi
CampusCatholic church (numbered below)Open a street map ›
  1. Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church — 0.8 mi
  2. Holy Spirit Parish — 0.9 mi
  3. Church of St. Mark — 1.0 mi
  4. Our Lady of the Presentation Chapel — 1.0 mi
  5. Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas — 1.1 mi
  6. St. Thomas More Catholic Church — 1.1 mi · 1079 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul

Within 3 miles, as mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The map may be incomplete. Confirm with the parish or diocese.

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Academic Excellence

AAcademic Excellence: Strong (grade A): 85 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.
97 of 100
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.87%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.92%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,440 · ACT 32
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.10 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$25,033

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

Cost and value

Federal data, shown separately. Cost, debt, and earnings are never part of any grade.

Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
2,142
Total students2,142
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$32,149
Cost of attendance (per year)$82,991
Median federal debt at graduation$23,000
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
87%
First-year retention92%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$63,878
Admission rate29%
Students receiving Pell grants17%
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1440
SAT reading & writing680–750
SAT math670–760
ACT composite30–34
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value index: 59 / 100 (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Local Church

Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

The Most Reverend Bernard A. Hebda, Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Formal address: “Your Excellency”

Cathedral: Cathedral of Saint Paul

Source: archspm.org, archspm.org, verified Oct. 7, 2026.

Diocese determined from the county using NCES Catholic school records. Confirm with the diocese.

About this school’s data

Questions families ask

Is Macalester College a Catholic college?
No. Macalester College is not a Catholic college. Its listed religious affiliation is Presbyterian Church (USA). Catholic School Compass rates the Catholic life on its campus instead.

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