Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota · Private Nonprofit · 28.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 64/100 · Fair Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Macalester College scores 64 on overall ROI (Fair Value tier). The score reflects a pattern: extraordinary completion (87%) and repayment outcomes (91% three-year repayment rate) coexist with high sticker tuition that depresses the cost-side metrics in standard ROI scoring. Tuition is $68,104, but Macalester's substantial endowment funds aggressive need-based aid, bringing average net price to $32,149 (~$128,596 over four years). Average earnings six years out are $36,900 - modest because Macalester graduates concentrate heavily in graduate school, nonprofit, and international careers that delay early earnings - climbing to a median $63,878 by year ten as graduates emerge from MA, JD, MD, and PhD programs. The 0.62 debt-to-earnings ratio reflects the early-career under-earnings pattern. Macalester's STEM and economics programs post strong ROI grades; international-studies majors face front-loaded financial challenges that resolve mid-career. This is a defensible value pick for high-aid-eligible students.
Macalester College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $68,104/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $68,104/yr |
| Average net price | $32,149/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $128,596 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $63,878 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $36,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $23,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $244 |
| Estimated payback period | 9.3 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 87.1% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,131 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $68,104/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $32,149/year, or roughly $128,596 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $13,772/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $44,880/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $23,000, which works out to about $244 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($36,900) and comes to 0.62, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $13,772 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $11,982 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $11,098 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $20,527 |
| $110,001+ | $44,880 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $13,772 net, and the $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays $11,982, $48,001-$75,000 pays $11,098 - the cheapest bracket. With Macalester's robust need-based aid, four-year cost runs about $44,000-$55,000 for the lowest three income brackets. Combined with the strong outcomes, this is genuinely strong value for low-and-middle-income high-achieving students.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket is the cheapest at $11,098 - a notable bracket inversion where this middle band pays less than both lower-income tiers. The $75,001-$110,000 bracket pays $20,527. Across the middle-and-upper-middle range, four-year cost is $44,000-$82,000. Strong value across the income spectrum given completion and earnings outcomes.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,001 pay $44,880 - effectively full-pay at $179,520 over four years, the steep figure that drags Macalester's headline ROI score. At this price, the calculation depends on graduate-school plans: students heading to medical, law, or PhD programs see strong long-term outcomes.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Macalester College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $109,457 | B+ |
| Mathematics | $91,979 | B |
| Economics | $85,593 | B |
| Biology | $56,141 | C |
| International Relations | $58,555 | C |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | $38,027 | C |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | $45,450 | C+ |
| Natural Resources Conservation | $45,632 | C |
| International/Globalization Studies | $56,091 | F |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $29,487 | C |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer Science is Macalester's flagship by ROI: $81,964 first-year and an exceptional $109,457 four-year median earnings against just $20,829 median debt produce a 0.25 debt-to-earnings ratio and a B+ ROI grade. 72 graduates per cohort - the largest program. Twin Cities tech employers, Silicon Valley, and graduate CS programs absorb the pipeline.
Economics
Economics earns B ROI: $59,752 first-year and $85,593 four-year median earnings against $24,000 median debt produce a 0.40 debt-to-earnings ratio. 61 graduates per cohort feed finance, consulting, and graduate economics PhD programs. Strong ROI for an elite small-college economics program.
Mathematics
Mathematics earns B ROI: $57,166 first-year and $91,979 four-year median earnings against $22,483 median debt produce a 0.39 debt-to-earnings ratio. 63 graduates per cohort feed actuarial, finance, data science, and graduate math/statistics programs. Excellent value for a quantitative liberal arts pipeline.
Neurobiology and Neurosciences
Neuroscience earns C+ ROI: $45,450 first-year median earnings against $24,177 median debt produce a 0.53 debt-to-earnings ratio. 35 graduates per cohort. Like most undergrad neuroscience programs, the bachelor's-only earnings curve is bounded - the real ROI emerges after MD, PhD, or PsyD pathways. Solid pre-med/pre-PhD pipeline.
International/Globalization Studies
International/Globalization Studies posts an F ROI grade: $21,176 first-year earnings against $23,324 median debt produce a 1.10 debt-to-earnings ratio - graduates owe more in debt than they earn early. 28 graduates per cohort. The four-year median climbs to $56,091 (a 165% increase), suggesting graduates pursue MA, JD, or international development paths that monetize the credential mid-career. Patience and grad school are required.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 87.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 90.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 89.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 93.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Macalester College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 28.5% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 670-760 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 680-750 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 30-34 |
| Enrollment | 2,131 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 17.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $11,951 |
Macalester admits 29% of applicants. SAT mid-ranges are 670-760 Math and 680-750 Reading, with ACT 30-34. The 87% completion rate is consistent with that academic preparation profile and is a major driver of the school's ROI score. Selectivity-to-completion correlation here is intact and exceptional.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macalester College (this school) | 64 | $32,149 | $63,878 |
| AdventHealth University | 63 | $30,135 | $72,282 |
| Mount Holyoke College | 60 | $26,441 | $58,418 |
| St. Francis College | 57 | $18,129 | $58,099 |
| Augsburg University | 53 | $23,873 | $58,829 |
| Bethany Lutheran College | 35 | $20,148 | $46,110 |
Who Thrives Here
With 2,131 students and a 17% Pell rate, Macalester serves a high-achieving, internationally-oriented student population concentrated in upper-middle-income and high-income families. The fit profile: students who thrive in a small, intellectually-intense liberal arts community, who plan graduate school in significant numbers (medicine, law, PhD programs, international affairs), and who can stack the school's robust need-based aid into manageable net prices. Strongest tracks: Computer Science (B+ ROI, 72 graduates - the largest), Economics (B, 61), Mathematics (B, 63), Biology (C, 49). International-focused majors run heavier early-career risk.
The Verdict: A Reasonable Bet - With Caveats
Macalester College is a fair-value bet, but how well it pays off depends a lot on you. At $32,149 a year after aid ($128,596 over four years), with the typical graduate earning $63,878 a decade out, the cost takes about 9.3 years to earn back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
What it has going for it: its 87.1% graduation rate, high loan repayment success.
Median debt of $23,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $36,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Macalester College: Common Questions
Is Macalester College worth it?
In our view, it's a fair-value bet - whether Macalester College is worth it depends a lot on your major and aid package. It scores 64/100 on our ROI scale. At $32,149 a year after aid ($128,596 over four years) against $63,878 in typical earnings a decade out, the cost takes about 9.3 years to earn back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Macalester College cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $32,149 a year, or roughly $128,596 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Macalester College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $63,878 ten years after enrolling, roughly $22,078 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Macalester College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 9.3 years for Macalester College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Macalester College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $23,000, against average earnings of $36,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Macalester College?
The six-year graduation rate is 87.1%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
NewsletterCollege decisions are better with data.
From CampusROI, when there is something worth acting on.
Rankings & Links
Guides & Tools
Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.