Macalester College

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 (LEED) 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

Saint Paul, Minnesota

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 (AASHE) awarded Macalester a Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) Silver Rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements.

Many student organizations focus on sustainability, including Macalester Conservation and Renewable Energy Society (MacCARES), Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG), Mac Bike, Macalester Urban Land and Community Health (MULCH), 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.{{cite web | access-date =July 5, 2009 | archive-date =September 3, 2009 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20090903194353/http://www.macalester.edu/maccares/turbine.htm | url-status =live | access-date =July 5, 2009 | archive-date =November 23, 2008 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20081123012846/http://www.macalester.edu/sustainability/SustainabilityMap.pdf | url-status =live

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: :: Social Sciences (113) :: Biological and Biomedical Sciences (68) ::* Computer & Information Sciences (50) ::* Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies (45) ::* Physical Sciences (39) ::* Mathematics and Statistics (39)

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 (in order) are economics, mathematics, biology, psychology, and political science.

The academic calendar at Macalester is divided into a 14-week fall semester (September to December) and a 14-week spring semester (January to May). 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 (as opposed to study abroad) 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 (UCT) 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.

Academic consortia memberships

Macalester is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities (ACTC), a consortium of five liberal arts colleges in Saint Paul and Minneapolis formed to develop cooperative programs and offer cross-registration to their students. The other members are the University of St. Thomas, Augsburg University, Hamline University, and St. Catherine University. In addition to over 800 courses available on campus, Macalester students have access to all courses offered through the consortium without paying additional tuition.

Tuition and financial aid

Two out of three Macalester students qualify for need-based financial aid. Macalester also provides merit-based scholarships to around half of all students (most also receive need-based aid). Its comprehensive tuition, room, and board fee for the 2021–22 academic year was $74,060.

Student life

Student body

Macalester maintains a high international enrollment for its institutional type as a percentage of its student body. As of fall 2025, international students constituted 16% of the student body. Its 2,068 students come from 49 U.S. states, Washington D.C., American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands and 107 countries; 40% of the U.S. student body are students of color.

Civic engagement

Macalester is one of 360 institutions that have been awarded the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification for excellence in civic engagement. The college encourages student dialogue by bringing in speakers, hosting an International Roundtable to bring distinguished international scholars to discuss emerging global issues, and hosting collective meetings such as Women of Color.

Macalester links academic learning to community involvement. In 2011–12, 16 departments offered 59 courses with civic engagement components. Each year approximately 200 students complete internships, 65% of which are in the nonprofit sector, schools, government, or the arts. Macalester also allows students to earn their work-study financial aid award while working at a local nonprofit or elementary school.

Almost all students (96%) volunteer in the Twin Cities while at Macalester. Many student organizations encourage active civic engagement, including MPIRG, Maction, Queer Union (QU), Macalester Habitat for Humanity.

Macalester is the primary financial contributor and sponsor of the Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth, which was founded in 1967 and has its main facilities in the Lampert Building. MITY provides two different gifted education programs during the summer and one on weekends during the academic year. Macalester also participates in Project Pericles, a commitment to further encourage civic engagement at the college. In 2000, Macalester signed the Talloires Declaration, making a commitment to environmental sustainability, as well as a sweatshop pledge, making a commitment to fair-labor practices in the purchase of college apparel.

LGBTQ community

The Campus Pride Index awarded Macalester a full five out of five stars for LGBTQ-friendly campuses. In 2007, *The Princeton Review *named Macalester the most gay-friendly college in the nation. Macalester has started an initiative to ensure access to single-stall and all-gender bathrooms across campus.

Macalester has a student-powered Gender and Sexuality Resource Center that aims to build a culture of resistance against all forms of oppression. It also has active LGBTQ student organizations and groups, including Queer Union, the Trans Identity Collective, Allies Project Training, and the Macalester Out and Proud Community.

Pipe band

The college has a pipe band consisting of around 20 students, alumni, and community members. Bagpipes are performed at significant college events and are heard when applicants open their acceptance letters. Macalester offers students free bagpipes and lessons and has an official tartan plaid. In the 1930s, students jokingly brought bagpipes to campus as a reference to the college's Scottish name, which started the tradition.

Athletics

thumb|Macalester athletics wordmark Macalester's athletic teams are nicknamed the Scots. Macalester is a member of the NCAA Division III Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) in all sports. The Scots' football team set an NCAA Division III record by losing 50 straight games from 1974 to 1980. Earlham College broke that record in 2018, losing 51 straight games. In 1977, Macalester set a Division III record by allowing 59.1 points per game. The losing streak ended in dramatic fashion: Kicker Bob Kaye put a 23-yarder through the uprights with 11 seconds remaining in a September 1980 game as the Scots beat Mount Senario College. The Scots football team left the MIAC after the 2001 season and competed as an independent until 2014, when it joined the Midwest Conference. Under head coach Tony Jennison, Macalester won the Midwest Conference title in its first year in the league. This was the Scots' first conference football title since 1947. Macalester also won nine games in 2014, the most ever in a Scots season in its 121 years of intercollegiate football. That year, the team earned its first NCAA Division III playoff appearance. In 2020, the football team returned to the MIAC.

Both men's and women's soccer teams remain competitive, appearing in multiple NCAA playoffs since 1988, with the men's team making 12 national tournaments and the women's team appearing in 15. The women's team won the NCAA championship in 1998 and finished second in 1999. The men's team has won 12 MIAC championships and the women's team has won eight MIAC titles. Coach John Leaney, who won 489 games as the coach of both teams, was honored in 2023 when Macalester named the field at Macalester Stadium "John Leaney Field". Both teams are well-supported by students, parents and alumni. Mental Floss named one of Macalester sports fans' most (in)famous cheers—"Drink blood, smoke crack, worship Satan, go Mac!"—one of its "7 Memorable Sports Chants".

Macalester Athletics compete in the Leonard Center, which opened in August 2008. The $45 million facility encompasses 175,000 square feet and includes a 200-meter track, a natatorium, a fitness center, several multipurpose rooms, and a health and wellness center. Materials from the former facility were disposed of in environmentally friendly ways, with some incorporated into the new structure.

Notable alumni

Main article: List of Macalester College people

File:Kofi Annan 2012 (cropped).jpg|Kofi Annan '61, former UN secretary general and Nobel Peace Prize laureate File:Tim obrien 2012.jpg|Tim O'Brien '68, writer File:Ari Emanuel (27449561892) (2).jpg|Ari Emanuel '83, businessman and CEO of Endeavor File:Jeremy Allaire at MoneyConf 2018 (2) (cropped).jpg|Jeremy Allaire '93, co-founder of Circle and co-creator of ColdFusion File:Danai Gurira by Gage Skidmore 3.jpg|Danai Gurira '01, actress and playwright File:Governor Scott McCallum 2001 (cropped).jpg|Scott McCallum '72, former governor of Wisconsin File:Bob Mould (cropped).jpg|Bob Mould '82, member of Hüsker Dü

• Jeremy Allaire, 1993, co-founder of Circle, the blockchain-based payments and treasury infrastructure company that created USDC
• Kofi Annan, 1961, former UN secretary general and Nobel Peace Prize laureate
• Siah Armajani, 1963, sculptor
• Charles Baxter, 1969, University of Minnesota professor, author and National Book Award finalist (The Feast of Love)
• Peter Berg, 1983, actor, film director (Friday Night Lights and Hancock); one scene in Hancock shows Charlize Theron wearing a Macalester t-shirt
• Richard P. Binzel, 1980, astronomer and professor of planetary sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Amy Briggs, 1984, video game designer and creator of Plundered Hearts
• Mike Carr, 1973, creator of Dawn Patrol game, author of the classic Dungeons & Dragons adventure In Search of the Unknown, commodities trader
• Sokhary Chau, politician and mayor
• Michael James Davis, 1969, Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota
• Chank Diesel, 1990, typographer
• Mark Doten, 2001, novelist and librettist, The Source, one of Grantas "Best of Young American Novelists"
• Ari Emanuel, 1983, talent agent, basis for the character Ari Gold on Entourage
• William P. Gerberding, 1951, president of the University of Washington
• Danai Gurira, 2001, actress (The Walking Dead, Black Panther) and playwright
• Christy Haynes, 1998, award-winning Professor of Chemistry at University of Minnesota
• Marilyn Gayle Hoff, 1964, author, educator, activist
• Mary Karr, 1974, author of New York Times Bestseller (The Liars' Club), Whiting Award winner, Guggenheim Fellow, Pushcart awardee
• T. Kingfisher, 1998, award-winning fantasy novelist, illustrator
• Julia Kirtland, 1987, distance runner
• Carl Lumbly, 1973, actor (Cagney and Lacey and Alias)
• Walter Mondale, 1950, former vice president of the United States and U.S. ambassador to Japan (1993–97)
• Bob Mould, 1982, musician, guitarist, writer, and vocalist for Hüsker Dü and Sugar as well as a solo artist
• Tim O'Brien, 1968, author of The Things They Carried and the winner of the 1979 National Book Award for his novel Going After Cacciato
• Rebecca Otto, 1985, Minnesota State Auditor; former Minnesota House member (2003–04)
• Shawn Lawrence Otto, 1984, screenwriter and film producer (House of Sand and Fog)
• Tim Paulson, 1975, California labor leader
• Stephen Paulus, 1971, composer, co-founder American Composers Forum
• Richmond Sarpong, 1995, award-winning Professor of Chemistry at University of California, Berkeley
• Fred Swaniker, 1999, co-founder African Leadership Academy
• DeWitt Wallace, 1911, founder of Reader's Digest, philanthropist
• Christopher O. Ward, 1976, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
• Robert Willis Warren, 1950, judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
• Dave Zirin, 1996, political sportswriter

References

References

1. (September 24, 2025). "Our Endowment". Macalester College.
2. Andrea Suozzo, Ken Schwencke, Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Alec Glassford, Brandon Roberts. (May 9, 2013). "Macalester College, Full Filing - Nonprofit Explorer".
3. "Provost".
4. "About Macalester". Macalester College.
5. (September 18, 2025). "Quick Facts about Macalester Students".
6. (May 13, 2024). "Macalester is pleased to announce its newest Scot, Coo".
7. (September 18, 2025). "Quick Facts about Macalester Students".
8. (June 15, 2019). "[[Fiske Guide to Colleges". [[Sourcebooks]].
9. "Academics - Macalester College".
10. "Katharine Ordway Natural History Study Area".
11. "Macalaster College". Macalester College.
12. (1905). "History of education in Minnesota". The Historical Society.
13. "Women as Leaders of Collegiate Bands, 1850-1980 - College Music Symposium".
14. (1982). "Women in Music in St. Paul from 1898-1957 with Emphasis on the St. Paul Public Schools". University of Minnesota.
15. (February 3, 2020). "Suzanne Rivera Named 17th President of Macalester College".
16. "The Macalester Moment: A Campaign for Access and Excellence".
17. "Macalester chooses an enduring, stubborn and hairy creature as its new sports mascot: A cow.".
18. (2011). "Macalester College". Green Report Card.
19. (July 25, 2011). "Macalester Receives STARS Silver Rating for Sustainability". Macalester College.
20. "Sustainability – Student Organizations".
21. "Sustainability". Macalester College.
22. (September 17, 2009). "Macalester College to be Carbon Neutral by 2025". Macalester College.
23. "Sustainability – Policies".
24. 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"
25. [http://www.macalester.edu/igc/markimhall/] {{webarchive. link. (August 30, 2010)
26. "Fossil Free Mac".
27. (May 1, 2015). "SRC does not recommend fossil fuel divestment - The Mac Weekly". The Mac Weekly.
28. (March 18, 2013). "For College Endowments, Ethical Stands Can Be Complicated". The Chronicle of Higher Education.
29. (November 27, 2017). "Proposal by Fossil Free Macalester to the Social Responsibility Committee to end Macalester College's Oil and Gas Private Partnership Investments".
30. (March 30, 2018}}{{Dead link). "SRC Report on Oil & Gas Moratorium".
31. Catlin, Hannah. (April 19, 2018). "Divestment proposal recommended by SRC, will go to Trustees". The Mac Weekly.
32. (May 11, 2013). "Macalester Alumni Open Letter Supporting Fossil Fuel Divestment". Mission Investor.
33. Bryan. (2021-08-23). "Macalester College Board of Trustees Announces Policies That Reduce Oil and Gas Investments - News - News - Macalester College".
34. "2025 Liberal Arts College Rankings".
35. "Macalester College Overall Rankings".
36. "2026 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in America".
37. "2026 Best Small Colleges in America".
38. "Macalester College".
39. "2026 Most Diverse Colleges in Minnesota".
40. "Macalester College, Minnesota - Complete Profile, Rankings and Data".
41. "Best Colleges Methodology".
42. Greene, Howard and Greene, Mathew, The Hidden Ivies, 2009.
43. "Macalester College". U.S. Dept of Education.
44. "Macalester College Overview".
45. (August 15, 2025). "Admitted Student Profile for Class of 2026". Macalester College.
46. "Macalaster College: Instructional Faculty".
47. "5 Things to Know About Macalester".
48. "The Academic Program". Macalester College.
49. "The Curriculum". Macalester College.
50. "Special Programs". Macalester College.
51. "About".
52. "Statistics – International Center – Macalester College".
53. "Academic Integration". Macalester College.
54. "Globalization, Environment & Society: Study Abroad in South Africa :: Environmental Studies :: Swarthmore College".
55. "Programs > International and Domestic Programs Office".
56. "Brochure {{!}} Program Overview".
57. Moseley, William. (2009). "Making Study Abroad a Win-Win Opportunity for Pre-Tenure Faculty". Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad.
58. "Health".
59. "Exchange Programme".
60. Gustafson, Emily. (October 11, 2013). "Humanities building to be renamed Neill Hall: Founder, first President recognized on campus". themacweekly.com.
61. "Financial Aid & Tuition". Macalester College.
62. "US News Best Colleges 2015". US News Corp.
63. (September 18, 2025). "Quick Facts about Macalester Students".
64. (September 18, 2025). "Quick Facts about Macalester Students".
65. (September 2003). "Civic Engagement Inventory". Macalester College.
66. "Academic Civic Engagement". Macalester College.
67. "MITY – Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth".
68. LaVecchia, Olivia. (September 13, 2012). "Macalester is LGBT friendly after all, says Campus Pride Index". City Pages.
69. Groeneveld, Benno. (August 28, 2007). "Macalester named most gay-friendly college". Twin Cities Daily Planet.
70. "All Gender Bathrooms".
71. "Gender & Sexuality Resource Center". Macalester College.
72. Brooks, Jennifer. (November 9, 2024). "Brooks: At this Minnesota college, every student is entitled to free bagpipe lessons".
73. Darling, Kurt. (November 13, 2018). "Earlham College Suspends Football Program On Heels Of College Football's Longest Losing Streak".
74. "Worst college football teams of all time". ESPN.com.
75. "Football: Macalester to Return to MIAC in 2021".
76. (November 15, 2014). "Football Takes Conference Title". Macalester College.
77. "Macalester News". Macalester College.
78. "Macalester Men's Soccer".
79. "Women's Soccer Records & Awards".
80. "Men's Soccer Records & Awards".
81. "Macalester to Name Field After Legendary Soccer Coach John Leaney".
82. Treece, Will. (July 7, 2010). "7 Memorable Sports Chants". Mentalfloss.com.
83. "Macalester College Athletics". Macalester College.