St. Olaf College

St. Olaf College is particularly well-known for its music department, but the liberal arts school offers a broad range of majors. (Aside from music, popular ones in recent years include biology, economics, psychology and chemistry.) Located in southeastern Minnesota, St. Olaf was founded by Norwegian Lutheran immigrants whose legacy is still evident in the school's Lutheran affiliation and renowned Nordic studies program. Academics are rigorous, with a general education core that every student must complete, and St. Olaf's 86% graduation rate – slightly over what would be expected from schools of a similar caliber – is a testament to this rigor. It might get (very) cold in the winter, but St. Olaf students find plenty of ways to keep busy indoors through clubs, performing arts groups, and service organizations. Social life mostly takes place on campus, in nearby Northfield (which Oles share with students from rival Carleton College), or 45 minutes away in Minneapolis-St. Paul. St. Olaf is also one of the most forward-thinking colleges in the country when it comes to environmental sustainability. A wind turbine provides much of the school's electricity, and students run the campus organic farm that provides produce and flowers to the local St. Olaf community and educates students on sustainable food initiatives.