Macalester College


Macalester College is a private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1874, Macalester is exclusively an undergraduate institution with an enrollment of 2,068 students in the fall of 2025. The college has Scottish and Presbyterian roots and emphasizes internationalism and multiculturalism.
In 2023, the college offered 39 majors, 40 minors, and 11 concentrations. Students also have the option to design their own major. Macalester's sports teams compete in the NCAA Division III-level Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The college's 60-acre main campus is bordered by Summit Avenue to the north and St. Clair Avenue to the south. The 300-acre Ordway Field Station, a nature reserve and research station, is on the outskirts of the Twin Cities, along the Mississippi River.

History

Macalester College was founded by Edward Duffield Neill in 1874 with help from the Presbyterian Church in Minnesota. Neill had served as a chaplain in the American Civil War and traveled to Minnesota Territory in 1849. He became connected politically and socially. He went on to found two local churches, was appointed the first Chancellor of the University of Minnesota, and became the state's first superintendent of public education. In leaving the University of Minnesota Board of Regents he desired to build a religious college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church that would also be open to members of other Christian churches.
The college's original name was Baldwin College and it was affiliated with the Baldwin School, a Presbyterian secondary school. After a large donation from Charles Macalester, a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Philadelphia, the institution was renamed Macalester College. Macalester donated a hotel, the Winslow House, as the first permanent classroom building. With additional funding from the Presbyterian Church and its trustees, Macalester College opened for courses in 1885 with five teachers, six freshmen, and 52 preparatory students.
James Wallace joined the faculty in 1887 and later became president. He helped stabilize the college's finances and advance the institution. During his tenure, Macalester created a focus on a liberal arts curriculum. In 1897, Nellie A. Hope was the first woman appointed to the institution's newly organized music department.
In 2008, Macalester publicly launched a $150 million capital campaign. In 2009, construction was completed on Markim Hall, a new home for the Institute for Global Citizenship. Plans called for the building to qualify for Platinum certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design system, a building rating system devised by the U.S. Green Building Council that evaluates structures' sustainability and environmental impact. In 2012, Macalester opened its renovated and expanded Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center.
In 2020, Suzanne Rivera became the college's 17th president; she is the first woman and first Hispanic person to serve in the role. That year, the college also marked the conclusion of its "Macalester Moment" campaign, which raised more than $126 million in endowed funds, planned gifts, and current-use support.
In 2024, the college announced a new mascot, a Highland Cow named Coo.

Campus

Sustainability

In the Sustainable Endowments Institute's 2011 College Sustainability Report Card, Macalester received an overall grade of A−, earning it recognition as an "Overall Campus Sustainability Leader". In 2011, The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education awarded Macalester a Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System Silver Rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements.
Many student organizations focus on sustainability, including Macalester Conservation and Renewable Energy Society, Minnesota Public Interest Research Group, Mac Bike, Macalester Urban Land and Community Health, Green Athletics at Mac, and Outing Club.
In April 2003, Macalester installed a 10 kW Urban Wind Turbine on campus thanks to that year's senior class gift donating the installation cost and Xcel Energy donating the tower and turbine. MacCARES is developing a proposal for Macalester to invest in a Utility-Scale Wind Turbine in the range of 2MW. Other projects include the Eco-House, a student residence with a range of green features and research opportunities; a rain garden that prevents stormwater from running off into groundwater, a bike share program, and a veggie co-op. The Class of 2008 designated its senior class gift to a Sustainability Fund to support initiatives to improve environmental sustainability on campus and in the greater community. On January 1, 2013, Macalester started campus composting.
In September 2009, Macalester set a goal to become carbon-neutral by 2025 and Zero-Waste by 2020. The school is a signatory to the Talloires Declaration and the American College and University President's Climate Commitment, the latter obligating the college to work toward carbon neutrality. On April 18, 2012, President Brian Rosenberg signed the "Commitment to Sustainable Practices of Higher Education Institutions on the Occasion of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development".
In 2009, Macalester opened Markim Hall, a LEED Platinum building that houses the school's Institute for Global Citizenship. The building uses 45% less water and 75% less energy than a typical Minnesota building. Macalester is planning to remodel its Music, Theater, and Art buildings and is designing them to Minnesota B3 Guidelines.
Recent sustainability efforts have highlighted the intersection of social justice and climate change at Macalester, as well as the potential conflict between its on-campus sustainability and its investments. Since 2012, students have criticized the college for making significant endowment investments in fossil fuel companies, including direct investments in oil and gas private partnerships. The student organization Fossil Free Mac has led a campaign urging the college to divest from fossil fuel companies. The campaign initially proposed full endowment divestment from the top 200 publicly traded fossil fuel companies, which Macalester's Social Responsibility Committee rejected in 2015. In 2018, the Social Responsibility Committee unanimously approved a revised Fossil Free Mac proposal advocating for a moratorium on the college's direct investment partnerships with oil and gas companies, which the board of trustees considered. The divestment campaign received significant support from the student body, student government, faculty, staff, and alumni. In response, in 2021 the Board of Trustees announced its decision to divest of all dedicated, publicly traded oil and gas assets, and to adopt a college investment policy that prohibits new investments that are solely invested in oil and gas assets.

Academics

Reputation and rankings

In 2025, Washington Monthly ranked Macalester 4th among 190 liberal arts colleges in the U.S. based on its contribution to the public good as measured by social mobility, research, and promoting public service. U.S. News & World Report ranked Macalester the 28th-best liberal arts college in the U.S., 10th for "Best Undergraduate Teaching" and 31st for "Best Value" liberal arts college in 2025. Macalester ranked 24th out of 378 colleges in Niche's 2026 "Best Liberal Arts Colleges in America" and 26th on its "Best Small Colleges in America" list. Among other Niche rankings, Macalester received an A+ in academics and was named Minnesota's most diverse college. Money magazine selected Macalester as a "Best College" from a pool of over 2,400 as evaluated by quality of education, affordability, and outcomes. Macalester was named one of the Hidden Ivies based on academics, admissions process, financial aid, and student experience. Its 2024 graduates' most popular majors were:

Admissions

Macalester is considered "most selective" by the U.S. News & World Report rankings. For the Class of 2029, Macalester received 8,816 applications and accepted 27% of applicants.

Faculty

Macalester has 198 full-time faculty, 91% of whom have a doctorate or the highest degree in their field. Thirty-nine percent of faculty are international or U.S. citizens of color. The student-faculty ratio is 10:1 and the average class size 17.

Academic program

Macalester offers over 800 courses each academic year, providing pathways to 39 majors, 40 minors, and 11 concentrations. Students may also design their own interdisciplinary majors. Courses are available in the physical sciences, humanities, mathematics and computer sciences, arts, social sciences, foreign languages, classics, several interdisciplinary fields, and pre-professional programs. Pre-professional programs includes pre-law, pre-medical, a cooperative architecture program, and a cooperative engineering program. The most popular majors are economics, mathematics, biology, psychology, and political science.
The academic calendar at Macalester is divided into a 14-week fall semester and a 14-week spring semester. All courses are offered for semester credit. Most courses are offered for four semester credits, but the amount of credit may vary.
During January, Macalester students may earn up to two semester credits in independent projects, internships, or Macalester-sponsored off-campus courses. They may also earn up to eight semester credits in independent study during the summer through independent projects or internships.

Study away

Studying away at Macalester is managed by the Center for Study Away, and it is called study away because there are options to study away domestically. Nearly 60% of Macalester students study away before graduation. Eleven departments require off-campus study for completion of a major.
Macalester is a member of the Macalester–Pomona–Swarthmore Consortium, which administers a study abroad program in Cape Town, South Africa. Students in the program, variously titled "Globalization, the Environment and Society", "Globalization and the Natural Environment", and the "South African Program in Interdisciplinary Studies", study an interdisciplinary course at the University of Cape Town co-taught by a faculty member from the consortium and two UCT faculty members. Macalester also partners with colleges and universities such as Carleton College, Duke University, and Middlebury College to offer study-abroad programs. It is also an exchange partner with Sciences Po in France.