Financial Aid & Tuition

Frequently asked questions

• How much does Macalester cost per year?

  2024-2025

  Tuition	$67,874
  Residence Hall	$8,304
  Meal Plan	$7,456
  Activity Fee	$230
  Comprehensive Fee (sum of above)	$83,864

  Three out of five Macalester students qualify for need-based financial aid and more than half receive a merit-based scholarship (many students qualify for both need-based aid and merit-based scholarships). Use the tools below to learn more.

  Estimate your costs with MyinTuition and Net Price Calculator.

• How do I apply for financial aid?

  Check out our Apply for Aid section for more detailed info. The process is slightly different for domestic and international students.

• What is the deadline for applying for aid?

  The application deadline varies by decision plan (early decision, regular decision, transfer). Specific deadlines and instructions for each type of applicant can be found in our Apply for Aid section. To be considered for financial aid, you must indicate your intent to apply for aid when you complete your admission application.

• How can I learn more about my chances of receiving financial aid?

  The best place to start is our MyinTuition quick estimator. MyinTuition asks six financial questions and can take as little as three minutes to complete. This tool provides a range of aid eligibility estimates based on a 90 percent confidence interval. It’s a statistical  model that gives you an idea of what Macalester students with financial situations similar to yours received in the past.

  Once you’ve tried MyinTuition, we encourage you to use our net price calculator for a more precise estimate. The net price calculator asks more questions than MyinTuition and requires more effort, but also provides a more informed estimate.

• How will my financial aid change from year to year?

  Merit scholarships from Macalester are awarded at the time of admission and do not change from year to year.

  Need-based financial aid generally stays about the same from year to year. However, students are required to reapply for need-based aid each year. The most common reasons that financial aid eligibility changes are significant changes in family income or siblings who graduate or enter college. Financial aid staff members can help to explain how these changes may effect aid eligibility in subsequent years.

  International students who qualify for need-based financial aid are provided with a four-year financial aid package at the time of admission.

• What’s the difference between need-based and merit aid?

  Most aid at Macalester is based on each applicant’s financial need, hence, “need-based” aid. We look at family income and other factors to determine aid packages. Macalester emphasizes need-based aid to keep college accessible to talented students from different economic backgrounds.

  Macalester offers several scholarships that are based on academic merit rather than financial need.

  With the exception of the National Merit Scholarship (which requires a special process), you’ll automatically be considered for merit-based aid when you apply for admission to Macalester. Merit-based scholarships are awarded for a four-year period. If you qualify, you may receive need-based financial aid in addition to these scholarships.

• Are there special application instructions for divorced parents?

  Macalester requires that both biological/adoptive parents to provide their information to apply for Macalester financial aid. Each parent is expected to contribute to college costs to the best of their ability.

• Am I eligible for financial aid when on a study away program?

  Students who participate in Macalester-approved study away programs may apply for and receive financial aid. Macalester is committed to providing financial aid to ensure that students who wish to study away may do so. Visit our more detailed frequently asked questions section for information about study away and financial aid.