Gustavus Adolphus College is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Saint Peter, Minnesota, registered in 1935, with $151,267,734 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B+, and it directs about 94% of spending to programs.
Revenue (FY2024)
$151.3M
▲ 3.6% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2024)
$157.7M
Net assets
$479.2M
Employees
2,548
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Gustavus Adolphus College: 94% to programs · $24 to raise $100 earns a B on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Gustavus Adolphus College: 36 mo reserves · -4% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Gustavus Adolphus College: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Gustavus Adolphus College: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Gustavus adolphus college prepares its students for fulfilling lives of leadership and service and is committed to the core values of excellence, community, justice, service, and faith. it is especially known for strong science, writing, music, athletics, and study abroad programs. the college hosts a chapter of phi beta kappa and is internationally recognized for its annual nobel conference sanctioned by the nobel foundation in stockholm, sweden. the students, faculty, administration, staff and board of directors believe in a strong, open community where all citizens play a vital role. gustavus has consistently produced graduates who lead lives of uncommon purpose and passion, and demonstrate that they make their lives count.
Student services: gustavus sponsors 23 varsity athletics teams and 27 intramural activities and club sports, along with more than 102 student organizations. other student services include admission, community engaged learning, career development, peer mentoring, office of the chaplains, center for inclusive excellence, financial assistance, health services, registrar, campus activities and residential life programs.
Auxiliary services: as a residential college, gustavus is committed to residence hall living as a vital complement to its academic program. approximately 93% of students live in college-owned residences and eat in the college's dining service. during fall 2024, 1,733 students lived in college-owned residences. the college bookstore provides textbooks and other educational supplies for students. other items for sale include: clothing embossed with the college's insignia, books and miscellaneous novelty items.
Gustavus offers a number of activities that enhance the curricular program, including various public service events and miscellaneous services provided to students.
Revenue grew from $133.3M (FY2013) to $151.3M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
-4.2%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$565.5M
Total liabilities
$86.4M
Net assets
$479.2M
Salaries & benefits
$53.2M
34% of expenses
Board members
34
30 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $151,267,734▲3.6% | $157,681,375▲2.3% | $479,180,748▲2.1% | $565,537,437▲1.4% | 990 |
| 2023 | $145,945,868▼3.0% | $154,076,541▼2.8% | $469,251,792▲4.1% | $557,494,933▲3.1% | 990 |
| 2022 | $150,522,013▼18.0% | $158,584,922▼0.3% | $450,840,798▼1.1% | $540,762,989▼2.6% | 990 |
| 2021 | $183,510,862▲10.3% | $159,071,069▲6.9% | $456,008,075▲2.9% | $555,228,341▲2.4% | 990 |
| 2020 | $166,346,183▲12.1% | $148,756,242▲0.9% | $442,963,977▲21.2% | $542,230,853▲15.9% | 990 |
| 2019 | $148,388,363▼21.8% | $147,479,566▲2.0% | $365,623,399▼0.1% | $467,995,139▼0.5% | 990 |
| 2018 | $189,635,634▲10.2% | $144,560,438▲5.1% | $365,885,053▲8.7% | $470,509,183▲6.9% | 990 |
| 2017 | $172,054,934▲10.4% | $137,503,658▲3.3% | $336,688,210▲10.0% | $440,247,418▲12.8% | 990 |
| 2016 | $155,857,641▼0.8% | $133,170,746▼1.8% | $305,941,420▲13.5% | $390,429,296▲8.0% | 990 |
| 2015 | $157,124,605▲11.7% | $135,571,540▼0.8% | $269,465,342▲5.5% | $361,531,392▲3.8% | 990 |
| 2014 | $140,683,585▲5.5% | $136,675,569▲3.5% | $255,480,567▲3.4% | $348,433,655▲4.0% | 990 |
| 2013 | $133,293,133 | $132,104,671▲3.1% | $247,025,933▲5.6% | $335,043,609▲3.6% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $128,115,517▲2.3% | $234,018,053▲10.0% | $323,253,723▲6.9% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $125,241,050▲9.7% | $212,756,338▲2.5% | $302,411,106▲0.5% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $114,188,338▲5.5% | $207,608,675▲10.4% | $300,913,908▲23.2% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $108,245,545 | $188,063,826 | $244,317,454 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Highest-paid: Rebecca M Bergman — $357,904 (0.23% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rebecca M Bergman | President | 50 | $357,904 |
| Stanley J Shetka | Faculty | 50 | $205,568 |
| Brenda S Kelly | Provost and Dean of the College | 50 | $204,557 |
| Curtis J Kowaleski | Cfo Vice President of Finance and Treasurer | 50 | $195,392 |
| Kim Frisch | Vice President For Enrollment Management | 50 | $178,077 |
| Thomas W Young | Vice President For Institutional Advancement | 50 | $176,558 |
| Mark J Braun | Faculty | 50 | $164,427 |
| Timothy R Kennedy | Vice President For Marketing | 50 | $154,097 |
| Nicole M Lavoi | Director | 2 | $2,500 |
| Tane T Danger | Director | 2 | $2,000 |
| Alicia A Hilding | Director | 2 | — |
| Amanda J Simons | Director | 2 | — |
| Bradley S Nuss | Director/vice Chair | 2 | — |
| Catherine L Asta | Director | 2 | — |
| Charles M Kelley | Director | 2 | — |
| Chris Enstad | Director | 2 | — |
| Daniel G Currell | Director | 2 | — |
| David J Lose | Director | 2 | — |
| Dee Pederson | Director | 2 | — |
| Edward J Drenttel | Director | 2 | — |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Slingshot LP | Textbook Leasing Services | $874,356 |
| Barton Denmarsh Esteban Inc | Ad Campaign | $789,512 |
| Solar Connection | Construction Services | $775,710 |
| Tecta America Corporation | Construction Services | $658,112 |
| Primary LLC A Division of Digital United | Digital Transformation Consultant | $559,000 |
166 grants to Gustavus Adolphus College totaling $55.9M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tulsa Community Foundation | General operations | 2024 | $2,000,000 |
| Columbus Foundation | Education | 2024 | $42,500 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $40,449 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $39,491 |
| Ayco Charitable Foundation | Education | 2024 | $35,000 |
| Thrivent Financial For Lutherans | General support | 2024 | $30,790 |
| The Us Charitable Gift Trust | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2024 | $26,550 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Educational | 2024 | $24,000 |
| Minneapolis Foundation | Donor advised, education | 2024 | $21,719 |
| Thrivent Financial For Lutherans | General support | 2024 | $10,730 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $10,000 |
| American Gift Fund | Operations | 2024 | $6,000 |
| Bny Mellon Charitable Gift Fund | To further the organization's exempt purpose | 2024 | $6,000 |
| Impactassets Inc | General support | 2024 | $5,750 |
| The Blackbaud Giving Fund | General support | 2024 | $5,116 |
1 grant totaling $40K in FY2024. All grants made by Gustavus Adolphus College →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| City of Saint Peter | Community support | $40,000 |
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Data for Gustavus Adolphus College (EIN 41-0695524) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.