St Olaf College
St Olaf College reported $333.1 million in revenue and $295.5 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $92.76 went to program services, $5.02 to management and general costs and $2.22 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 70.9% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $622,143 (PRESIDENT). 81 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 57% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending May 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $295MFor context, the median across 5,499 covered education charities: $85.56 programs, $13.59 management, $0.85 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending May 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $333MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 92.8% | 84.4% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 5.0% | 13.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 2.2% | 0.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.21 | $0.04 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 9.6% | 19.1% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 70.9% | 69.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $622,143 | $331,578 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.21% | 1.28% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 81 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 43.0 | 13.3 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 22 of 23 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expensePostsecondary education - four year, residential, liberal arts education. In the 2024-2025 academic year, st. Olaf College enrolled 3,087 full time students and 27 part time students. The graduating class of 2025 had 682 graduates. A student to faculty ratio of 11.8:1 supports st. Olaf students with classroom, laboratory, and off-campus experiences. St. Olaf College is accredited as a degree-granting instituition by the higher learning commission of the north central association of colleges and secondary schools. The college's academic programs are also accredited by the american chemical…
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRESIDENT Director/trustee, officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $511,318 | $0 | $110,825 | $622,143 |
| VP AND CFO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $288,619 | $0 | $46,347 | $334,966 |
| PROVOST AND DEAN OF THE COLLEGE Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $272,599 | $0 | $45,621 | $318,220 |
| VP FOR ADVANCEMENT Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $243,984 | $0 | $35,097 | $279,081 |
| GENERAL COUNSEL Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $253,249 | $0 | $24,658 | $277,907 |
| VP FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $235,057 | $0 | $42,826 | $277,883 |
| VP FOR STUDENT LIFE Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $185,734 | $0 | $47,123 | $232,857 |
| ASSOCIATE VP FOR ENROLLMENT Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $179,796 | $0 | $46,970 | $226,766 |
81 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from St Olaf College (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $2.6M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b23 · 22 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aNo
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2Yes
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 53,172
- Volunteers Part I, line 6853
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| BON APPETIT MANAGEMENT CO INC Food service provider | $11,061,956 |
| THE BOLDT COMPANY Construction | $4,712,030 |
| MORTON BUILDINGS Construction | $3,585,144 |
| PACIFIC TANK AND CONSTRUCTION Construction | $2,007,989 |
| INSTITUTE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIO Travel provider | $1,325,204 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 65 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
53 private foundations reported grants to St Olaf College totaling $4.0M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from St Olaf College's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for St Olaf College, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 St Olaf College spent in FY2025, $92.76 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Ithaca CollegeIthaca, NY · revenue $333M · programs 88.4% · FY2025
- Lafayette CollegeEaston, PA · revenue $335M · programs 87.2% · FY2025
- Macalester CollegeSt Paul, MN · revenue $328M · programs 85.7% · FY2025
- The University of TulsaTulsa, OK · revenue $339M · programs 91.6% · FY2025
- Uplift EducationDallas, TX · revenue $328M · programs 95.4% · FY2025
Questions people ask
How much of St Olaf College's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending May 31, 2025, St Olaf College reported that 92.8% of its $295.5 million in expenses went to program services, 5.0% to management and general and 2.2% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does St Olaf College pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation St Olaf College reported for one person in the fiscal year ending May 31, 2025 was $622,143, for the role of PRESIDENT (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does St Olaf College get its money?
Of $333.1 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending May 31, 2025, 9.6% came from contributions and grants (including 1.3% from government grants) and 70.9% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is St Olaf College a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 41-0693979 as a 501(c)(3) organization (school), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2025, object 202631019349300118 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2024, object 202541049349302259 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2023, object 202411019349300046 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2022 (amended), object 202421439349300412 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2021, object 202240969349300119 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending May 31, 2020, object 202130889349300528 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 41-0693979: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.