Gustavus Adolphus College
A good fit for students who want small classes and close faculty access. no major red flags in the data. solid earnings of $58,900 within 10 years; strong 77% graduation rate.
About This School
Gustavus Adolphus College is a private nonprofit institution located in Saint Peter, Minnesota with approximately 1,878 undergraduate students enrolled. Gustavus Adolphus College has an open or accessible admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 61%. The average net price after financial aid is $22,900 per year. The graduation rate is 77%, and the typical graduate earns $58,900 within 10 years of enrollment.
Gustavus Adolphus College is a private liberal arts college in St. Peter, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1862 by Swedish Americans led by Eric Norelius and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It was named for Gustavus Adolphus, the King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632. Its residential campus includes a 125-acre arboretum.
This is a strong option for students who want a tight-knit liberal arts experience — the beautiful 125-acre arboretum campus, Lutheran heritage, and small enrollment of about 1,930 students all point to a genuinely personal college environment. The financial picture is reasonably encouraging, with median debt of $23,250 and median earnings of $58,900 a decade out, though the 76% graduation rate means roughly 1 in 4 students doesn't finish, which is worth asking the admissions office about directly.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Notable Alumni
Source: Wikidata. Used for context only.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Net Price by Family Income
Average annual cost after grants/scholarships, by household income. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Financial Aid
Full Cost
After Graduation
Earnings 6 Years After Enrollment, by Gender
Gap: 13% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
What Each Major Actually Earns
Median earnings four years after graduation, by major, next to the national median for that same major at every college. The school-wide average hides this: at most schools the spread between the best- and worst-paying majors is far wider than the gap between schools.
Gustavus Adolphus College graduates earn most above the national rate in Accounting and Related Services ($95,200 vs $76,194 nationally), and most below it in Natural Resources Conservation and Research ($49,758 vs $55,012).
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology, General | 58 | $53,277 | $50,706 | +$2,571 |
| Biology, General | 54 | $54,202 | $57,214 | −$3,012 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 48 | $57,870 | $54,562 | +$3,308 |
| Business/Commerce, General | 46 | $79,260 | $68,407 | +$10,853 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 32 | $86,114 | $88,910 | −$2,796 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 32 | $69,423 | $56,359 | +$13,064 |
| Economics | 31 | $91,252 | $82,686 | +$8,566 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 29 | $49,758 | $55,012 | −$5,254 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 28 | $95,200 | $76,194 | +$19,006 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 24 | $46,987 | $48,590 | −$1,603 |
| Political Science and Government | 22 | $62,218 | $63,293 | −$1,075 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 22 | $62,016 | $55,000 | +$7,016 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data. Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled four years after completing a bachelor's degreehere. Majors with too few graduates to report are omitted for privacy, so this is not the school's full program list.
Will This School Pay Off?
Solid return. Earnings outpace debt, though major choice matters.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (1,878 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Address
Gustavus Adolphus College
800 West College Avenue
Saint Peter, MN 56082-1498
Official Links
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See How Colleges Compare
Gustavus Adolphus College is one of thousands of colleges in our data studies, each built from the same U.S. Department of Education data shown on this page. Compare schools head to head:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Gustavus Adolphus College?
Gustavus Adolphus College has an acceptance rate of 61%, based on the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Is Gustavus Adolphus College hard to get into?
Gustavus Adolphus College is moderately selective, with an acceptance rate of 61%. Solid grades and a complete application give most applicants a real shot.
How much does Gustavus Adolphus College cost?
The average net price at Gustavus Adolphus College is about $22,900 per year after grants and scholarships, based on federal data. Your actual cost depends on your family's finances and aid package.
What is the graduation rate at Gustavus Adolphus College?
Gustavus Adolphus College has a graduation rate of 77%, according to U.S. Department of Education data.
Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
School overview from Wikipedia. Used for context only, not as a primary data source for admissions, cost, or outcomes claims.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
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