Tuition & Fees

2025-2026 Comprehensive Fee

Macalester’s comprehensive fee includes tuition, campus housing, your meal plan, and activity fee for the academic year. Any merit scholarships and need-based financial aid are subtracted from this total.

Tuition & Required Course Materials*:	$70,632
Residence Hall:	$8,722
Meal Plan:	$7,754
Activity Fee:	$230
Comprehensive Fee (sum of above):	$87,338

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

Estimate Your Cost

Get a quick, customized estimate of what your net price to attend Macalester might be. MyinTuition and Net Price Calculator are tools that provide an estimate for your need-based aid eligibility as you plan for the cost of college.

Estimating Tools

Health Insurance Requirement

Macalester College requires all students to have comprehensive health insurance coverage that complies with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Macalester’s 2025-2026 health insurance price is $3,329. Students covered by an alternative health insurance policy may waive this charge, provided their insurance meets the college’s specified requirements. Here is more information about student health insurance requirements.

2025-2026 Federal Cost of Attendance

The following costs are taken into account for U.S. citizens and permanent residents when determining eligibility for Federal Student Aid.

Full-Time Tuition	$70,632
On-Campus Food & Housing¹ or Off-Campus Food & Housing	$16,966 or $16,571
Activity Fee	$230
Textbooks & Supplies (estimated)²	$0
Computer Purchase (estimated)³	$954
Personal Expenses (estimated)	$2,336
Travel (estimated, varies by home state)⁴	$100-$1,000
Average Direct Loan Fee	$64

1. Federal cost of attendance estimates for on-campus housing are based on the average cost students pay for on-campus housing, accounting for the higher price of Grand Cambridge Apartments and Language Houses. The table at the top of the page lists the billed cost for a standard residence hall room ($8,722) and meal plan ($7,754). Off-Campus food & housing estimates are based on Consumer Expenditure Survey data for the Twin Cities metro area.

2. Starting with the 2024-2025 academic year, rental fees for textbooks and other required course materials are included in Macalester’s tuition charge.

3. Federal cost of attendance must include the estimated price of purchasing a computer at least once during a student’s program of study.

4. Travel estimates vary by home state and are available in this travel estimate document.

MORE HELPFUL RESOURCES

FINANCIAL AID OFFICE

Financial Aid Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Central Time (Hours may vary during summer)

Contact

1600 Grand Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55105 USA
651-696-6214
800-231-7974
financialaid@macalester.edu

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