Tuition, Fees, and Other Charges

• Tuition & Required Course Materials
• Additional Tuition and Fees Information
• Additional Room and Meal Plan Information
• Health Insurance
• Charges From Other Offices
• Finance Charges
• Returned Check/Payment Charges
• Credit Balance Refunds

Tuition & Required Course Materials and Fees

Tuition & Required Course Materials and Fees for 2024 – 2025 

* Beginning in 2024-2025, tuition includes required course materials.
Visit the Mac Books FAQ for more information.

Information Regarding 2024-2025 Federal Cost of Attendance 

Additional Tuition and Fees Information for 2024-2025

$2,121 Part-Time, less than 12 hours per semester (per semester hour)

$4,242 Hours in excess of 18 (per semester hour to a maximum of 20)

Note: Charges for hours in excess of 18 per semester are waived if students enroll for 12-14 hours in the other semester of the same academic year. They are not waived if students enroll in fewer than 12 hours or withdraw from a fourth course.

$2,121 Macalester Graduate, maximum of 5 hours per semester

Note: Graduates taking more than the stated credit limit are billed the regular part-time or full-time tuition rate for all credits.

$530 Audit only, non-Macalester graduate (per credit)

$2,121 Summer Independent Study (Summer 2025, per semester hour)

No Charge January Break Independent Study (January 2025, 2 semester hours max)

$525 Private Music Lessons, non-major student

Additional Room and Meal Plan Information

$7,456 Meal Plan Charge ($3,728) per semester)

$  975 Commuter Meal Plan (per semester)

$8,304 Dormitory Room Charge ($4,152 per semester)

$8,559 Language Houses (room only) ($4,279.50 per semester)

$9,448 Apartment (room only) ($4,724 per semester)

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Charges From Other Offices

Many Macalester departments and offices, such as the Library, Registrar’s Office, Music Department, Residential Life and Health Services put charges and credits on students’ accounts. The Student Accounts Office acts as a clearinghouse for these transactions.

If an item on your account needs clarification or adjustment, you should first contact the originating department to discuss it.

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Finance Charges

If your account is not paid by the dates indicated, a finance charge of .67% per month (8% per annum) will be assessed on the unpaid balance.

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Returned Check/Payment Charges

All returned payments are charged back to the student billing account.  All returned payments are assessed a $20 fee. After three returned payments, the student/authorized user will be required to make further payments with cash or cashier’s check. A hold will be placed on the student’s account and further privileges may be suspended at the Student Accounts Office.

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Credit Balance Refunds

Requesting refunds for credit balances on student billing accounts will be processed as follows:

• Credit balance refund requests must be received in the Student Accounts Office on or before Monday at 4pm to be disbursed on the Friday of that week.  Holiday schedules may apply and change availability of disbursements.
• Credit balance refund requests may be emailed to the Student Accounts Office or the student may stop by the Student Accounts Office to have the form filled out. Email: [email protected]
• Credit balance refunds due to financial aid/payments/credits will not be processed before the first day of class of the semester for which they are intended.
• Credit balance refunds will not be disbursed until the credit balance is on the student billing account and will not be processed for more than the amount of the credit balance.
• Credit balance refunds will be disbursed to the student.  The only exception is when a credit balance is due to a Federal Plus Loan- in this case only, the credit balance refund may go to the parent.
• Credit balance refunds (direct deposit or check) may be requested up to three times (maximum) per semester.
• Cash disbursements of $50 or less due to credit balances will only be granted once per month.
• Newly disbursed financial aid or credit balance due to other account changes may be refunded upon request and will follow the normal refund process and policies.
• Credit balances due to over payments or payments made when a balance was not owing will remain on the student billing account for future charges.  Macalester College will not act as an intermediary for transference of funds through the credit balance refund process.
• Credit balances due to over payments or payments made by wire transfer will remain on the student billing account for future charges or returned to the sending institution.  Macalester College will not act as an intermediary for transference of funds through the credit balance refund process.
• If a student reduces their credit load and the change in enrollment status creates a credit balance, the credit balance will remain on the student billing account for future charges.  Macalester College will not act as an intermediary for transference of funds through the credit balance refund process.
• If a student or other person on behalf of the student is enrolled in the Nelnet Campus Commerce (Nelnet) payment plan, no refund will be issued until the plan has been paid in full.
• If a student reduces their credit load and the change in enrollment status creates a credit balance, the student may be required to apply the credit balance to their institutional loan disbursements.
• If a student withdraws from the College, makes changes to their registration and/or room and meal plan, or incurs tax assessments after receiving a refund, the student may be required to repay all or a portion of the refund amount back to the College.
• If a student withdraws from the College and a credit balance results because of the change, the College will post the available credit balance as repayment of institutional loans taken during that semester prior to issuing any refund.
• Credit balance refunds are processed 3-4 weeks following a status change due to non-registration.  This would include graduation, withdrawal, leave of absence, etc.