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University or college · Private nonprofit

Gustavus Adolphus College

St. Peter, MN1 online only

Gustavus Adolphus College is a private nonprofit college in St. Peter, MN, with about 1,951 students on campus.

Visit gustavus.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
1,951
plus 1 studying only online
Admission rate
61%
lower than at 75% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$22,900
higher than at 64% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
77%
higher than at 87% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$65,607
higher than at 90% of U.S. colleges
In brief

The short version on Gustavus Adolphus College

Few families pay the sticker price

The full cost of a year is $67,613, but the average family on federal aid pays $22,900 after grants, about 66% less. What it costs ↓

What you study here makes a big difference to pay

Among Gustavus Adolphus College’s biggest bachelor’s programs, accounting graduates earn a median $95,200 four years out. English language and literature graduates earn $46,987. Majors ↓

Rent in St. Peter is below the state median

Median rent in St. Peter is $961 a month, 25% below the state median. Living in St. Peter ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

★ What stands out · What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $67,613 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $56,076Room & board $11,804Books & supplies $900

After grants, the average family on aid pays $22,900.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$13,875

About $55,500 over 4 years · 79% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Gustavus Adolphus College?

61%

of applicants admitted

About 12 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

ACT
24–30

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1290.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
77%
within 6 years · Pell students 73%
Come back for year two
88%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$65,607
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$26,774
about $284 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

6.6%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$284 a month against about $4,296 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

83%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 97% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$53k
Middle income$30–75k
$66k
Higher incomeover $75k
$71k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Business 13%Biology 11%Psychology 8%Parks, recreation & fitness 7%Social sciences 7%Visual & performing arts 7%Everything else 48%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Psychology, General58 graduates a year · typical debt $25,791
$53k4 yrs out
Biology, General54 graduates a year · typical debt $25,105
$54k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness48 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$58k4 yrs out
Business/Commerce, General46 graduates a year · typical debt $25,500
$79k4 yrs out
Communication and Media Studies32 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$69k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing32 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$86k4 yrs out
Economics31 graduates a year · typical debt $23,250
$91k4 yrs out
Natural Resources Conservation and Research29 graduates a year · typical debt $23,250
$50k4 yrs out
Who goes there

The students

1,878 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 79%Hispanic 6%Black 2%Asian 2%Two or more 4%International 5%

Women and men

Women 53%Men 47%
12 : 1
students per teacher
21%
get Pell grants (lower income)
54%
take federal loans
1%
undergrads 25 or older
2%
study part time
The town around it

Living in St. Peter

21% of St. Peter’s 12,275 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ St. Peter pages.

St. Peter →
$961/momedian rent · 25% below the state$298Ktypical home valueA−Safety Grade6° / 83°January low / July high · 38" of snowB+Health GradeAll colleges in and near St. PeterCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Gustavus Adolphus College; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Bethany Lutheran CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Mankato
10.9 mi765 students
South Central CollegeCommunity college · Public · North Mankato
11 mi1,762 students
Minnesota State University-MankatoUniversity or college · Public · Mankato
12.3 mi12,325 students
Martin Luther CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · New Ulm
24.8 mi618 students

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Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.