Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota · Private, a town some way from a city · 2,086 undergraduates
Is it hard to get into Carleton?
The middle half of admitted students scored in these ranges: a quarter scored lower, a quarter higher. Fall 2024 admissions, from the College Scorecard.
- What they look at
- High school GPAConsidered
- Class rankConsidered
- Courses takenRequired
- College-prep programRequired
- RecommendationsRequired
- EssayRequired
- PortfolioConsidered
How much does Carleton cost?
Sticker prices and what students actually paid after grants, by family income. A year means tuition, fees, room, board, books and other costs.
What a year cost, by family income
| Family income | Average paid after grants |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $12,275 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $11,313 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $18,924 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $18,309 |
| Over $110,000 | $37,770 |
- Room and board on campus
- $18,393 a year
- Books and supplies
- $1,101 a year
- The school's own grants
- 57% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $49,336
Tuition over the years
Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.
How much do Carleton students borrow?
Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.
What do Carleton graduates earn?
Typical yearly pay of everyone who started here with federal aid, whatever they studied and whether or not they finished.
Do Carleton students finish?
Of the students who started full time, first time.
Who goes to Carleton?
- Background
- White 51%, Hispanic 10%, Black 6%, Asian 10%, Two or more 9%, International 10%
- Housing
- Campus housing, 1,840 beds
What do Carleton graduates earn, by program?
Every bachelor's program the school awards, with what its graduates earn and owe. The government hides pay for small programs, so some rows have no figure.
Computer science
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 158 | $88,594 | $130,439 | $20,917 |
Life sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology, General | 107 | $38,867 | $68,843 | $18,000 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 27 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Math and physical sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | 65 | Hidden | Hidden | $19,000 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 16 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Mathematics | 73 | $82,760 | Hidden | $19,916 |
| Physics | 37 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Statistics | 36 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Arts and humanities
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 6 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 7 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| English Language and Literature, General | 40 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 1 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| History | 33 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 13 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Philosophy | 15 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 13 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 6 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 2 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Fine and performing arts
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dance | 1 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 4 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 28 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 41 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Music | 7 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
General arts and science (major chosen later)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Science | 12 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Compare Carleton with other universities
Side by side: acceptance rates, scores, costs and pay.
Where these numbers come from
College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Test policy: the school's page (opens in a new tab). Tuition history, housing and the school's own grants: the federal IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey.
How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.
Careerhelp is not affiliated with Carleton College. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.
Social sciences