I am Zelda Thomas, Minneapolis based independent college counselor, and I am visiting 50 colleges for you. This is number six: St. Catherine University, tucked into a beautiful residential pocket of St. Paul. I will admit, this was not a school I expected to fall for. I am visiting every college in the Minneapolis area for this series, including several I did not think I would end up recommending. St. Kate's was the pleasant surprise of the whole project.
93%
Acceptance Rate
ACT 20–26
Mid-50% Range
~50%
Students of Color
St. Kate's is small, it is Catholic, and it is a women's college, three things that can sound niche until you are standing on the campus and feeling what they actually add up to.
Takeaway One
A Campus Built for Women to Take Up Space
I went to an all girls high school myself, so I know what a single-sex education gives a young woman that a coed one often does not. The staff here talked about freedom for these young women in a way I have not heard elsewhere. In a world that still asks girls to shrink themselves, that is not a small thing. It is the whole point of the place.
Takeaway Two
Small, Beautiful, and Right in the Heart of St. Paul
The campus is small, and it works because of it. It sits in one of the prettiest neighborhoods in St. Paul, with views from the cafe over the city that stopped me mid-sentence. You feel held here, not lost. That is rare.
Takeaway Three
Catholic in Spirit, Not in Pressure
The Catholic identity is real, but it is spiritual, not preachy. I felt it in the tone more than in anything anyone said. Students of every background looked at ease. That tells you everything.
Takeaway Four
One of the Most Diverse Campuses You Will Visit
About half the student body identifies as a student of color. That makes St. Kate's one of the most diverse small colleges in the Twin Cities, full stop. I noticed it the moment I walked in.
Takeaway Five
A Standout for Future Nurses
If your student has any pull toward nursing, put this on the list. Nursing runs through the culture here, not just the building it is taught in.
My Take
I did not expect to feel anything in particular about St. Kate's. I left with a real sense that this is a special place. For a young woman who wants to be surrounded by other young women building confidence together, in a small campus, in a real city, with spiritual grounding and no pressure attached to it, this school earns a serious look. It will not be for everyone. For the right student, it will be exactly right.