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Carleton College

Carleton College

Northfield, MN · Town · 2,086 students
4
Year
Private Non-profit
Town
Small (<3k)
Accredited by Higher Learning Commission
About

Located in the historic town of Northfield, Minnesota, Carleton College is a prestigious liberal arts institution renowned for its top-ranked undergraduate teaching and a distinctive trimester calendar that allows students to focus deeply on just three courses per ten-week term. While Carleton excels across the entire liberal arts spectrum, it is particularly celebrated for its powerhouse programs in the physical sciences—frequently ranking among the nation's top baccalaureate origins of future PhD candidates—as well as highly regarded departments in computer science, economics, and history. The student experience is defined by a collaborative, intellectually curious, and delightfully quirky culture where "Carls" balance intense academic rigor with a lack of pretense, enjoying unique traditions like guarding the elusive bust of Schiller and exploring the college’s massive 880-acre Cowling Arboretum.


Wikipedia:Carleton College is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1866, the 200-acre (81 ha) main campus is between Northfield and the approximately 800-acre (320 ha) Cowling Arboretum, which became part of the campus in the 1920s.

Location
Northfield, MN, 55057 · Town campus
Nearest airport from college
MSP · Minneapolis
29 mi away
Cost
Cost of attendance
$84,893
Avg net price
$25,407
Room & board
$17,586
Tuition
$68,892
Books & supplies
$938/yr
Average net price by family income
$0–30k
$7,881
$30–48k
$8,203
$48–75k
$9,680
$75–110k
$18,485
$110k+
$44,082
Admissions
Admit rate
20%
Test policy
Test optional
SAT average
1517
Reading 720770
Math 730790
ACT midpoint
33
Composite 3234
English 3435
Math 2934
SAT range (25th–75th percentile)
40080012001600

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Essay Requirements

Carleton College accepts the Common Application. All Common App schools require the personal statement essay. Some schools also require supplemental essays — check the school's page on Common App for current prompts and word limits.

See the current Common App essay prompts for the personal statement options.

Outcomes
Graduation rate
90%
4-yr on-time completion
82%
1st-yr retention
96%
Transfer-out rate
0%
8-year outcomes
Graduated
91%
Transferred
7%
Still enrolled
0%
Dropped out / unknown
2%
Median earnings (6yr)
$53,989
Median earnings (10yr)
$75,525
Median debt
$16,750
Monthly loan payment
$178
Debt range (25th–75th)
$12,000$23,500
Debt (90th percentile)
$27,121
Student Body
Men 50%Women 50%
8
:
1
Student : Faculty ratio
Students   Faculty
Pell grant recipients
17%
First-generation
16%
Median family income
$78,779
Avg age at entry
19.0
Part-time students
0%
Race & ethnicity
White
51%
Hispanic
10%
Black
6%
Asian
10%
Two or more
9%
Non-resident
10%
Unknown
3%
Programs & Earnings
Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings
Median earnings for graduates across all programs
6 years after entry
$53,989
10 years after entry
$75,525
Computer Science80
Biology, General65
International Relations and National Security Studies40
Mathematics39
Chemistry38
Economics37
Research and Experimental Psychology29
Fine and Studio Arts25
English Language and Literature, General23
Sociology and Anthropology23
Statistics21
Area Studies18
Natural Resources Conservation and Research16
Physics16
History15
Film/Video and Photographic Arts14
Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.
Institutional
Endowment
$1.3B
Classification
Baccalaureate (Arts & Sciences)
Undergraduate profile
Four-year, more selective admissions
Full-time faculty
87%
Avg faculty salary
$13,960/mo
Instructional spend/student
$40,626
Federal loan rate
43%

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