Gustavus Adolphus College
Gustavus Adolphus College at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Gustavus Adolphus College Featured Rankings
About Gustavus Adolphus College
Featured Alumnus
James M. McPherson ranks among our Top Influential Historians Today.
According to Wikipedia, Gustavus Adolphus College is a private liberal arts college in St. Peter, Minnesota. It was founded in 1862 by Swedish Americans led by Eric Norelius and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Gustavus gets its name from Gustavus Adolphus, the King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632. Its residential campus includes a 125-acre arboretum.
Gustavus Adolphus College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,450 | 61% | 88% | 77% | 27 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Gustavus Adolphus College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $58,024 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $12,078 |
| 30K - 48K | $10,743 |
| 48K - 75K | $14,309 |
| 75K - 110K | $20,602 |
| 110K+ | $33,406 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Gustavus Adolphus College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Gustavus Adolphus College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $67,649 a year, and 97% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Gustavus Adolphus College's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads |
|---|---|
| 1,970 | 1,970 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Gustavus Adolphus College?
Gustavus Adolphus College is located at 800 West College Avenue, Saint Peter, MN 56082-1498.
How Safe is Gustavus Adolphus College?
Relative to its enrollment, Gustavus Adolphus College has a violent crime rate of 0.05% and a property crime rate of 0.05%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft).
What Is Gustavus Adolphus College Known For?
Gustavus Adolphus College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Economics
- Literature
- Sociology
- History
- Physics
- Philosophy
- Religious Studies
- Political Science
- Communications
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Psychology
- Education
- Business
- Mathematics
- Medical
- Nursing
- Computer Science
- Earth Sciences
Gustavus Adolphus College's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Gustavus Adolphus College's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Gustavus Adolphus College ranks #267 in the U.S. and #1373 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesGustavus Adolphus College ranks #299 in the U.S. and #890 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesGustavus Adolphus College ranks #306 in the U.S. and #1089 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesGustavus Adolphus College ranks #312 in the U.S. and #877 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesGustavus Adolphus College ranks #326 in the U.S. and #1440 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesGustavus Adolphus College ranks #360 in the U.S. and #1199 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesGustavus Adolphus College ranks #389 in the U.S. and #1681 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesGustavus Adolphus College ranks #392 in the U.S. and #1582 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesGustavus Adolphus College ranks #411 in the U.S. and #1537 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesGustavus Adolphus College ranks #436 in the U.S. and #2157 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesGustavus Adolphus College ranks #513 in the U.S. and #2182 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesGustavus Adolphus College ranks #525 in the U.S. and #1357 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesGustavus Adolphus College ranks #672 in the U.S. and #2889 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesGustavus Adolphus College ranks #895 in the U.S. and #3407 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesGustavus Adolphus College ranks #931 in the U.S. and #3671 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesGustavus Adolphus College ranks #1081 in the U.S. and #3719 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesGustavus Adolphus College ranks #1231 in the U.S. and #3170 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesGustavus Adolphus College ranks #1323 in the U.S. and #5609 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesGustavus Adolphus College ranks #1500 in the U.S. and #5357 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesWho Are Gustavus Adolphus College's Most Influential Alumni?
Gustavus Adolphus College's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of History, Literature, and Psychology. Here are some of Gustavus Adolphus College's most famous alumni:
- James M. McPherson
- An American historian .
- Steve Zahn
- An American stand-up comedian.
- Kathryn Sikkink
- An American academic.
- Roy Andrew Miller
- An American linguist .
- Carl Seashore
- An American psychologist.
- George Lindbeck
- An American theologian.
- Doug Linder
- A Law professor, author.
- Paul D. Hanson
- An American biblical scholar.
- Sydney E. Ahlstrom
- An American historian.
- Hope A. Olson
- An Information studies scholar.
- Mark W. Bennett
- A United States federal judge.
- Peter Krause
- An American actor.
