“Catholic university in Saint Paul, historically a leading women's college in the Midwest”
St. Catherine University ("St. Kate's") is a private Catholic university in St. Paul, Minnesota, founded in 1905 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and named for St. Catherine of Alexandria, patroness of Christian philosophers. It is the largest Catholic university of women in the United States: the College for Women, the undergraduate baccalaureate program, continues to admit only women, while the College for Adults (post-traditional undergraduate) and the graduate colleges are coeducational. With roughly 5,000 students overall, the university occupies a leafy 110-acre campus in the Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul, a 15-minute drive from downtown Minneapolis-St. Paul and the surrounding Twin Cities health-care and corporate economy. St. Kate's mission — rooted in the Catholic social-justice tradition of the Sisters of St. Joseph — emphasizes women's leadership, service to those in need, and a strong liberal arts core. The university is nationally recognized for its women-centered programs in the health sciences. The Henrietta Schmoll School of Health Sciences is one of the largest health-profession schools in the Upper Midwest, offering undergraduate and graduate programs in nursing (BSN, MSN, DNP), occupational therapy (OTD), physical therapy (DPT), nutrition, public health, social work, and physician assistant studies. Other strong divisions include the School of Business & Leadership, the School of Humanities, Arts and Sciences, and the School of Social Work and Psychology. Class sizes are small (around 11:1 student-faculty ratio in the undergraduate College for Women), and more than 80% of undergraduate classes enroll fewer than 30 students. For international students, St. Catherine University is welcoming and relatively generous with merit aid: international undergraduates are eligible for a $30,000/year scholarship applied to tuition for up to four years. The university is test-optional, accepts TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo/PTE and test-score alternatives for English proficiency, and offers a focused, mentorship-heavy educational experience inside a values-driven Catholic community. Prospective applicants should note that the College for Women undergraduate program admits only women — a defining institutional characteristic and the reason many international students seek out St. Kate's in the first place.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceRolling Admission
St. Kate's reviews applications on a rolling basis. International applicants are advised to apply 6-9 months before intended start date; admission decisions are typically provided within three weeks of receiving required materials.
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$51,454
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
4 years
One of the Upper Midwest's longest-established baccalaureate nursing programs, with clinical placements across M Health Fairview, Allina Health, Children's Minnesota, and the Mayo Clinic Rochester network.
6 years
A direct-entry 3+3 bachelor's-to-doctorate OT pathway, with dedicated labs and extensive fieldwork across Twin Cities rehabilitation and school-based settings.
6 years
CAPTE-accredited DPT program with early-admission pathways from the College for Women; graduates are eligible for NPTE and licensure in all 50 states.
4 years
A growing interdisciplinary public-health major emphasizing health equity, social determinants of health, and community-based research in partnership with Twin Cities nonprofits and the Minnesota Department of Health.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $51,454
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
