About St. Olaf

To study at St. Olaf is to engage with and make sense of the world, to learn how to think and to reason. A liberal arts education at St. Olaf offers programs that provide students with the skills to succeed in valuable careers. But our main purpose — rooted in the depth of a major course of study and the breadth of a general education — is to help students become effective citizens in an increasingly complicated world.

Founded in 1874 by Norwegian Lutheran immigrants, St. Olaf is a nationally ranked liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Its 3,000 students are drawn to St. Olaf from 50 states and 30 other countries. The student-faculty ratio of 12.8:1 encourages individual learning and teaching, while the residential nature of the 300-acre campus helps students become part of an enduring community that takes pride in its traditions and innovations.

Academics
St. Olaf students work closely with dedicated professors who challenge them to grow in mind, body and spirit. They have the opportunity to conduct graduate-level research, study abroad in nearly every corner of the world, perform in some of the world’s great concert halls and contribute to athletic championships.

In addition to our world-class programs in music and mathematics, St. Olaf is recognized for its innovative approaches to undergraduate science education, our long-standing engagement in global education and our commitment to environmental sustainability. The college also takes pride in its record of academic excellence. Since 1995 St. Olaf has produced five Rhodes scholars, including two recipients in 2007; 26 Goldwater Scholars; and 60 Fulbright fellows.

Accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, St. Olaf offers 43 graduation majors, including 15 teaching certifications, 19 concentrations and 17 pre-professional fields. Although only one major is required for graduation, many students choose multiple majors, of which the most popular are English, biology, mathematics, economics, and psychology.

Accreditation
St. Olaf College is is accredited as a degree-granting institution by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The college’s academic programs are also accredited by the American Chemical Society, Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, Council on Social Work Education, National Association of Schools of Dance, National Association of Schools of Music, National Association of Schools of Theatre and National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

Campus Life
Renowned for its beauty and award-winning architecture, St. Olaf is set on a hilltop overlooking historic Northfield, Minn., a charming, two-college town just 35 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Ninety-six percent of students live in one of the college’s 11 residence halls, 10 service and honor houses, six academic language houses and one diversity house.

Our extracurricular activities enable students to hone their leadership skills, explore their passions and meet new friends. The college offers 27 intercollegiate athletic teams, 32 club and intramural sports, and 137 registered student organizations. With five large instrumental ensembles and seven large vocal ensembles, numerous chamber music ensembles, three jazz ensembles, two early music ensembles, and a three-production lyric theater season, more than one-third of St. Olaf students are involved in music.

College of the Church
St. Olaf strives to be an inclusive community that welcomes people of differing backgrounds and beliefs. We offer a nurturing, inclusive community that embraces spirituality and fosters compassion. As a college of the church, conversations about faith are part of campus life. The college intends that its graduates combine academic excellence and theological literacy with a commitment to lifelong learning.

Citizens of the World
St. Olaf is committed to helping students become responsible and knowledgeable citizens of the world. More than two-thirds of St. Olaf students study off campus during part of their four years of study, either domestically or abroad. Currently 132 international and U.S. off-campus study programs are offered in 46 countries.

Committed to Sustainability
St. Olaf promotes a variety of longstanding sustainability efforts, including the restoration of hundreds of acres of wetland, woodland and prairie; the conversion of lands that St. Olaf rents for agriculture to a no-till protocol; a student-run organic farm that supplies the college food service; 100 percent composting of campus food waste; and a very low carbon-per-student rate of seven metric tons. St. Olaf’s utility-grade wind turbine provides up to one-third of the college’s energy needs and its new science complex includes environmentally friendly elements such as a rooftop rain collection system.