The real 4-year cost of Macalester College in Minnesota
Over the 18 years from 2008 to 2026, published tuition and required fees at Macalester College went from $36,504 to $74,724, an average of 3.9% a year. The 2026–27 figure is the school's own announced rate.
2026–27 rate announced: $74,724Tuition (incl. course materials) $74,394 + activity fee $330.source
2008–2030: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $36,504 | – | – |
| 2009 | $38,174 | – | – |
| 2010 | $40,046 | – | – |
| 2011 | $42,000 | – | – |
| 2012 | $43,693 | – | – |
| 2013 | $45,388 | – | – |
| 2014 | $47,195 | – | – |
| 2015 | $48,887 | – | – |
| 2016 | $50,639 | – | – |
| 2017 | $52,464 | – | – |
| 2018 | $54,344 | – | – |
| 2019 | $56,292 | – | – |
| 2020 | $58,478 | – | – |
| 2021 | $60,518 | – | – |
| 2022 | $62,500 | – | – |
| 2023 | $64,908 | – | – |
| 2026 | $74,724 | $74,724 | – |
| 2027 | – | $77,663 | $77,278–$78,048 |
| 2028 | – | $80,717 | $79,920–$81,519 |
| 2029 | – | $83,892 | $82,651–$85,145 |
| 2030 | – | $87,191 | $85,476–$88,932 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $74,724 |
| Year 2 | $77,663 |
| Year 3 | $80,717 |
| Year 4 | $83,892 |
| 4-year total | $316,996 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $276,996
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $159,060
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Announced 2026–27
- $17,430/ yr
- rising 4.4% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $74,439
School’s own published rateRoom $9,268 + meal plan $8,162.source
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Housing here is rising faster than tuition.
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at Macalester College4-year schools with similar prices in Minnesota
Closest to Macalester College by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- Carleton College$75,666
- St Olaf College$66,200
- Gustavus Adolphus College$54,310
- Saint Johns University$53,942
- College of Saint Benedict$53,884
- University of St Thomas$52,284
- Hamline University$48,311
- Augsburg University$43,942
Use this data
Published figures for Macalester College from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.