Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, North Central College, Luther College. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Saint Mary'sWinona, MN | North CentralNaperville, IL | LutherDecorah, IA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 92.8% | 77.3% | 71.5% |
| SAT middle 50% | Not reportedSaint Mary's University of Minnesota reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | 1055–1310 | 1078–1406 |
| Average net price | $11,70424.5% on Pell grants | $21,04423.9% on Pell grants | $23,09720.4% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $45,080Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $45,726Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $52,120Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 66.0% | 64.0% | 71.1% |
| First-year retention | 74.6% | 77.1% | 77.0% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 24.5% | 23.9% | 20.4% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $58,170 | $60,123 | $59,850 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,500 | $24,500 | $27,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 18:1 | 12:1 | 10:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,073 | 2,428 | 1,379 |
| Consensus percentile | 57Lower is better | 56Lower is better | 55Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 71 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 80 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 85 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 | Saint Mary's | North Central | Luther |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #283 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #19 of 165Regional univ. (Midwest)Regional Universities (Midwest) · 2026 | #108 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 |
| Forbes | #442 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #458 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #489 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | Not ranked by this source | #1299 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #853 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #286 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #441 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #914 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #341 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Saint Mary's University of Minnesota 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 North Central 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 Luther 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.
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