Carleton College is a private, nonprofit school in the small town setting of Northfield, Minnesota. Carleton College was founded in 1866 and enrolls 2,044 undergrads and no graduate students. Carleton College offers on-campus housing for up to 1,910 students. The majority of students live on campus, and first year-students are required to live in campus housing. On the weekends, about 96% of students stay on-campus and participate in campus events and social life.
📆 Mark your calendar! The final application deadline for Fall 2023 is January 15. Regular decision applicants for Fall 2023 should find out if they have been admitted by March 31.
Student Involvement at Carleton College
Interested in music or performing? Sing in a chorus or perform with one of Carleton College's theater groups.
Are you interested in journalism and communications? Carleton College students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.
Carleton College does not have any fraternities or sororities, do it might be a good option if Greek life isn't a priority for you.
Planning to play sports? Carleton College has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at Carleton College on the Student Life page.
2022 Carleton College Facts At-A-Glance | |
---|---|
Academic Calendar | Other |
Overall Acceptance Rate | 18% |
Early Decision Acceptance Rate | 22% |
Early Action Acceptance Rate | EA not offered |
Applicants Submitting SAT scores | 35% |
Tuition | $62,244 |
Percent of Need Met | 100% |
Average First-Year Financial Aid Package | $57,354 |
The definition of a "good school" can mean different things for different people. Admissions difficulty, admitted student statistics, tuition, and financial aid can give you a sense of how selective a college is.
Let's take a closer look at these areas to get a better sense of what Carleton College offers and if the college might be the right college for you.
It is very difficult to get into Carleton College. The acceptance rate at Carleton College is 18%. Last year, 7,915 students applied to Carleton College and 1,389 were admitted.
Retention refers to the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. Retention measures how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.
Around 94% of students who start at Carleton College return for their second year of college. 91% of Carleton College undergrads graduate within six years. The average six-year graduation rate for U.S. colleges and universities is 61% for public schools, and 67% for private, non-profit schools.
Job placement stats are a good resource for understanding the value of a degree from Carleton College by providing a look on how job placement has gone for other grads. 57% of graduates from Carleton College recieve at least one full-time job offer within six months of graduating.
Recent Carleton College grads have an average starting salary of $51,741 a year. The average starting salary for all 2021 graduates was around $60,000 a year, though these numbers vary widely by major.
An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students.
Carleton College's endowment was valued at $1.158 billion in 2022, compared to a national average of $905 million. For each full-time student, Carleton College spends about $31,824 a year.
Tuition is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need.
Carleton College meets 100% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. The average financial aid package for a full-time, first-year student is around $57,354 a year.
Graduates in the class of 2022 had an average of $17,055 in student loans per borrower. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.
The 2023-2024 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2022
Some financial aid is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA as soon as you can. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! You should never have to pay to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), so be very wary of anyone asking you for money.
Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at Carleton College.
Based on this information, does Carleton College seem like a good fit? Remember, the best school for one person may be a terrible fit for another! So ask yourself: Is Carleton College a good school for you?
If Carleton College seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.
Click below to find out more about the admissions requirements and deadlines, student life, academics, majors and more.
Carleton College Community Forums
Then use the college admissions predictor to calculate your chances of getting into some of the colleges and universities in the U.S.
Carleton College is located in the small town setting of Northfield, Minnesota, less than an hour from Minneapolis-St. Paul.
If you want to see Carleton College for yourself, be sure to plan a visit! The best way to reach campus is to take Interstate 35 to Northfield, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Minneapolis-St. Paul International.
You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what Carleton College and Northfield are like without leaving home.
See a full list of colleges in Minnesota and save your favorites to your college list.
First-Year Applications are Due
Transfer Applications are Due
The deadline for Fall first-year applications to Carleton College is Jan 15.
The deadline for Fall transfer applications to Carleton College is Mar 31.
Check the school website for more information about deadlines for specific programs or special admissions programs
More than an application, the Coalition provides free tools and resources to help students through the college admissions process, beginning as early as 9th grade.
ACT Range
ACT Score
Estimated Chance
35 and Above
31 to 35
31 and Less
The median ACT score of an admitted student to Carleton College is 32. Students with an ACT score of 35 and above have a good chance of getting into Carleton College. Students with an ACT score that falls between 31 and 35 have an average chance of getting admitted, and students with an ACT score of 31 or below have a low chance of being offered admission.
Composite SAT Range
Math SAT Range
Reading SAT Range
SAT Score
Estimated Chance
1530 and Above
1440 to 1530
1440 and Less
The median SAT score for Carleton College students is 1480. Applicants with SAT scores of 1530 and above have a good chance of being admitted to Carleton College, while applicants with SAT scores between 1440 to 1530 have an average chance of admittance, and prospective students with an SAT score below 1440 have a low chance of being offered a spot at Carleton College.
Tuition & Fees
$79,562
In State$79,562
Out-of-StateWondering what life at Carleton College is like? There are approximately 2,044 students enrolled at Carleton College. 99% percent of students attend school full-time, 19% percent are from MN and 81% percent of students are from other states.
99%
Full Time1%
Part Time19%
In State81%
Out-of-StateData Source: IPEDs and Peterson's Databases © 2022 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved
Total Enrollment
Campus Setting
Acceptance Rate
Tuition and Fees
In State
Out-of-State
Fall Freshmen
Application Deadline
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