Undergraduate Student Profile

Enrollment Trends

The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University together enrolled 3,996 first-year to senior students in fall 2007, the largest combined enrollment in the colleges’ history.  The schools' combined enrollment creates the largest undergraduate liberal arts college in the country. 

In addition, Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary enrolled 128 graduate students.

The mix of women and men generally has stayed within the range of 52%/48% in the last decade.  In fall 2006, Saint Benedict and Saint John’s together had a closer gender balance than most private colleges in the state.  In fall 2006, men made up just 40% of total undergraduate private college enrollment in Minnesota.  (As of November 9, 2007, final Minnesota private college enrollment data were not available.)  The enrollment gap between men and women at private colleges has been growing for more than a decade.

Total undergraduate enrollment has risen by 11% at CSB/SJU since fall 1997.  The colleges’ combined private college market share – approximately 10% in fall 2006 – has been stable for nearly a decade. In fall 2006, the College of Saint Benedict enrolled over 8% of all female private college students in the state, while Saint John’s University enrolled nearly 12% of all private college men. 

Enrollment Profile

In fall 2007, undergraduate students at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University enrolled students from 40 states and 38 countries. 

The five-state Upper Midwest region provided 90% of all Saint Benedict and Saint John's students. Students from outside of Minnesota comprised 19% of all CSB/SJU undergraduates.

International students made up 4.5% of all undergraduates – the highest percenage ever.  In fall 2006, Saint Benedict and Saint John’s enrolled fully 1 in 7 international private college students in the state. Last fall, CSB and SJU together enrolled the second highest number of undergraduate international students among Minnesota's private colleges.

American students of color comprised 5.1% of all CSB/SJU undergraduates.  In fall 2007, the colleges enrolled 202 American students of color, the highest number ever. 

First-year and second-year students at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University are required to live on-campus.  Each year, approximately three-quarters of all undergraduates live in college residence halls or apartments.  An additional 5% to 7% live in campus-sponsored housing while studying abroad.  

In fall 2007, 99% of all available housing spaces on both campuses were occupied.  As of fall 2006, the percentage of students living on-campus at CSB/SJU was significantly higher than the Minnesota private college average.