Macalester College
What Macalester College's own numbers say, from its Common Data Set 2025-26.
See your odds at Macalester College →All 4 insights at Macalester College PRO
Early DecisionMacalester College
Macalester College's ED number is inflated.
42% of Early Decision applicants get in, but that pool includes recruited athletes and legacies, admitted at far higher rates. Without them, our estimate is about 38%. Everyone else: 27%.
ED, as reported42%
ED, without hooks (estimate)≈38%
Everyone else27%
Source: Macalester College's Common Data Set 2025-26; hooked share is an estimate (A12)
Women and menMacalester College
At Macalester College, women get in 1.3× as often.
Women are admitted at 31%, men at 24%.
Women31%
Men24%
Source: Macalester College's Common Data Set 2025-26
Who says yesMacalester College
79% of students admitted to Macalester College go elsewhere.
Only 21% of admits enroll, so Macalester College admits far more students than it has seats.
Enroll21%
Go elsewhere79%
Source: Macalester College's Common Data Set 2025-26
MoneyMacalester College
Macalester College meets 100% of need.
The average need-based grant is $62,134 a year, against tuition of $70,632.
Average grant$62k
Tuition$71k
Source: Macalester College's Common Data Set 2025-26
7 more things the data says PRO
- Early Decision filled about 38% of the 2025-26 first-year class, less than most similar colleges.
- ED applicants were admitted at 42%, against 27.3% for everyone else: 1.5 times the rate.
- After ED, 331 of 532 seats were left for 8,340 other applicants: about one seat for every 25.
- It reports meeting 100% of financial need for first-years who have need.
- 446 students stayed on the waitlist and 82 were admitted from it (18.4%).
- Men were admitted at a lower rate: 31.2% for women against 24.5% for men.
- Applications rose 47% from 2018-19 to 2025-26 (5,985 to 8,819), faster than 65% of colleges here.
What students say PRO
From students' own posts on Reddit and admissions forums: self-reported, unverified, never used in your odds.
- Most admits who named a round applied Early Action (about 16 of 24), with the rest Regular Decision.
- Many admits had a clear policy, politics or debate focus, such as Model UN, debate presidents, campaign work, civic projects or legislative internships.
- Many admits held top roles, like founder, president or captain, and often grew a club or program.
- Music and performing arts were common alongside academics, such as orchestra, choir, jazz band, saxophone, viola and musicals.
- Several admits had heavy family or work duties, such as caring for siblings, a family business, long internships or interpreting for parents.
- Students report Macalester is need-aware and a reach for applicants who need aid, with several rejections and deferrals among them.
- Students report merit awards of about $20-35k per year plus need-based aid for some early admits.
- Students report the waitlist can move: reportedly 82 and 63 admitted off it in recent years, from a class just over 500.
- Students recommend the admissions interview, and say a follow-up email asking about ED elsewhere does not signal admission status.
Every number, year by year: Macalester College on Open College Data. Something wrong? Suggest a correction.