Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Macalester College, Colorado College, Trinity University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | MacalesterSaint Paul, MN | ColoradoColorado Springs, CO | Trinity UniversitySan Antonio, TX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 28.5% | 18.5% | 25.9% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1350–1510 | 1230–1460 | 1340–1500 |
| Average net price | $32,14917.2% on Pell grants | $33,37514.4% on Pell grants | $23,46418.8% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $68,104Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $70,734Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $53,676Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 87.1% | 87.7% | 84.0% |
| First-year retention | 92.3% | 93.6% | 92.9% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 17.2% | 14.4% | 18.8% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $63,878 | $65,222 | $71,668 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $23,000 | $18,257 | $22,954 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 10:1 | 9:1 | 9:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,131 | 2,014 | 2,505 |
| Consensus percentile | 26Lower is better | 26Lower is better | 22Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 64 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 59 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 40 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Macalester | Colorado | Trinity University |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #28 of 207Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 | #29 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 | #40 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 |
| Forbes | #207 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #138 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #82 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #38 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #220 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #476 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #333 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #332 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #212 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #136 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #195 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #65 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Macalester College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Colorado College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Trinity University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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