by our College Data Analytics TeamThis overview lays out the cost of attending Macalester College, from the published cost of attendance and projected degree cost through to net price, median student debt at graduation, default outcomes, and how aid varies by family income.
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The cost of attendance at Macalester College is about $78,900.00 a year.
Below, the published cost is shown three ways — the full sticker price with no aid, the net price after the average grant package, and the net price for low-income students who typically receive the most aid.
| Tuition and fees | $68,104.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $10,796.00 |
| Total cost | $78,900.00 |
| That is 141% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $78,900.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$50,842.00 |
| Net price | $28,058.00 |
| That is 14% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $78,900.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$69,219.00 |
| Net price | $9,681.00 |
| That is 70% below the national average net price. | |
| For the full breakdown, see tuition and fees and living costs. |
Cost of attendance here has been rising at about 4.0% per year, so the four-year total runs well above today’s cost. The detailed projections below compare a degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and a no-aid student. The loan rows amortise the projected total over a ten-year, 6.8% repayment.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.0% | 4.0% | 4.0% |
| Freshman year | $10,070.00 | $29,185.00 | $82,070.00 |
| Senior year | $11,333.00 | $32,846.00 | $92,363.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $42,772.00 | $123,966.00 | $348,595.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $16,295.00 | $47,226.00 | $132,802.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $492.00 | $1,427.00 | $4,012.00 |
| Total amount paid | $59,067.00 | $171,192.00 | $481,397.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.0% | 4.0% | 4.0% |
| Freshman year | $10,070.00 | $29,185.00 | $82,070.00 |
| Senior year | $10,474.00 | $30,358.00 | $85,367.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $20,544.00 | $59,543.00 | $167,436.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $7,827.00 | $22,684.00 | $63,787.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $236.00 | $685.00 | $1,927.00 |
| Total amount paid | $28,371.00 | $82,226.00 | $231,223.00 |
See the full net-price breakdown in the Net Price section.
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the published sticker price. For most families it is a more realistic figure than the published cost.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $32,149.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $29,980.00 |
The real cost varies by income because need-based aid scales with financial need. Below, average net price is broken out by family income:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $12,877.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $11,441.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $13,050.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $26,584.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $43,253.00 |
Use Macalester College Net Price Calculator, or check with the financial aid office.
Curious how grants and scholarships are distributed? Explore the financial aid breakdown.
The median graduating debt at Macalester College works out to $19,500.00, which the Department of Education classifies as a Low ($10-20k) debt-burden category.
The full distribution of debt at graduation looks like this:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $5,500.00 |
| 25th | $11,979.00 |
| Median (50th) | $19,500.00 |
| 75th | $27,000.00 |
| 90th | $30,372.00 |
How far apart the 10th and 90th percentiles sit tells you how uneven debt outcomes are.
For the full borrowing and repayment picture, see the student loan debt page.
Debt outcomes vary substantially with family income. Below the data splits borrowers across three income groups:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $18,912.00 |
| Middle income | $19,000.00 |
| High income | $19,500.00 |
First-generation students frequently graduate with different debt than continuing-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $20,000.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $19,000.00 |
First-generation graduates from Macalester College leave with $1,000.00 more debt than continuing-generation students.
Pell Grant eligibility is a useful proxy for low-income status among undergraduates. Comparing Pell recipients vs non-recipients shows how debt is distributed by need.
The median debt difference between Pell-eligible and non-Pell graduates of Macalester College comes to $24.00. This institution is flagged by federal data for Pell-debt inequity.
The default-rate category at Macalester College is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 1.2% |
To put the rates in context, Stafford loans at Macalester College total $54,005,749.00 covering 4,051 disbursements.
Veterans and active-duty service members may qualify for substantial federal education benefits such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD Tuition Assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 21 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $25,422.00 |
Dig into veteran education benefits on the college veterans page.
Numbers only tell part of the story. As you weigh Macalester College, think through the questions below:
Use the pages below to go deeper on a specific part of the cost story:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.