That is the purpose of this article: to put those data in front of you, in plain English, without dressing them up or using them to frighten you. In the end, the decision is still yours and your child's. But you will make it knowing more than you did when you began reading.
What Kind of School Carleton College Is
Carleton College is a private, nonprofit, four-year college whose highest reported level of study is the bachelor's degree. The national system that classifies colleges places it among small, highly residential colleges focused on the arts and sciences: at least half of its undergraduate students live in housing owned or controlled by the institution, and at least 80 out of every 100 attend full time. That same system places it in its most selective admissions group.
It is in Northfield, Minnesota, in Rice County. The Census classification describes that setting as a town far from a large urban area. If your family does not live nearby, this fact matters in a very practical way: you need to think separately about where your child would live, how isolated your child might feel, and how your child would get back home. The data locate the school's address; they do not measure your trip or your airfare budget.
One thing is worth clarifying at the outset because it sometimes causes confusion: Carleton College has none of the three special designations that the government tracks—it is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. That says nothing about which communities it serves or how your child would feel there. Ask about that directly: what cultural centers exist today, what student organizations are available, and, better yet, speak with someone who already studies there.
And one final note from this first look: being classified as "more selective" does not tell you how many applicants out of every hundred are admitted. That number—the actual admission rate—is a separate piece of information, and you will see it later. Do not let this school be the only one on your child's list.
The Size of the School and Who Shares the Classroom With Your Child
Carleton College had 2,069 students enrolled in the most recent official count, all of them undergraduates—there is no graduate enrollment there. It is midsized, which is common among its comparison schools: neither one of the largest nor one of the smallest. Being large does not mean having more options, and being small does not mean more attention for your child in particular. What matters is asking about the specific major that interests your child, not about the entire school.
Now, about who shares that campus with your child. Of the reported undergraduate students, 10 out of every 100 are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, although compared with similar selective private schools, Carleton is above the midpoint of that group. The undergraduate population is almost evenly divided between men and women: 51 out of every 100 are women. And something worth knowing if your child is not from Minnesota: fewer than 25 out of every 100 first-time students had reported permanent residence in that state—specifically, 21 out of every 100. Most come from elsewhere.
To put it plainly: if the number of Latino students on campus matters to your family, there are few here. That does not remove Carleton College from consideration, but it is a question worth asking during a visit: what student group exists, whether there is a cultural center, and whether anyone in the office can speak Spanish with your child or with you.
How the Academic Year Works and How Broadly the Programs Are Distributed
Carleton College uses a trimester calendar: the year is divided into three periods of about 15 weeks each. It accepts credit from AP exams, but it did not indicate that it accepts credit for life experience. Saying that it accepts AP does not mean that it automatically awards credit for every exam: the data do not say what score is required or whether those credits count toward your child's specific major. Ask for that equivalency evaluation in writing before enrollment, and do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
In a recent year, Carleton College awarded 481 bachelor's degrees across 14 fields of study. None accounted for a large share: the most popular, social sciences, represented only 18 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year. It is a broad academic offering with no single area dominating. This counts degrees awarded, not people or the current catalog of majors. Before deciding, ask about the exact major that interests your child: how many students graduated in it, how long it took them, and what the complete curriculum is like.
Regarding the student-faculty ratio, Carleton College reports 8 students for every full-time-equivalent faculty member. It is one of the lowest ratios among comparable schools—it is in the group's lowest quarter. But a low ratio does not by itself guarantee small classes; it is an aggregate number relating institution-wide totals, not a count of seats in a classroom. Ask directly how many students are in first-year classes.
The Academic Opportunities Reported by the Institution
Carleton College reports two structured pathways: study abroad and cocurricular undergraduate research. These are opportunities the institution states that it offers; the data do not say how many students participate or how they gain access. Ask admissions how your child would enroll and what percentage of the class actually uses them.
Getting Into Carleton College: What It Requires and What Determines Who Is Admitted
There is no open admission here. Carleton College reviews specific components before saying yes. Of the nine considerations tracked by this report, it marked five as required: the high school record, completion of the college-preparatory curriculum required by the institution, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English proficiency exam when applicable. Put simply, assembling documents is not enough here. The essay is required, so your child has to write—and write well.
Other components are not required but are considered if you submit them: high school GPA, class rank, a portfolio or competency exam, work experience, and whether a family member attended the school. On that last point, if it does not apply to you, do not spend energy on it. Spend that energy on what is within your child's control. The published undergraduate application fee, incidentally, is $0.
Now for the hard numbers. Carleton College received 6,464 first-time applications in the most recent cycle and offered admission to 1,440. That is 22 out of every 100. Compared with similar selective private schools, it is among those that admit the smallest share: nine out of ten schools in that group admitted a higher percentage. On the other side of that calculation are 5,024 applicants who did not receive an offer.
I want to tell you this very clearly because it matters: this number says how many offers of admission were made. It says nothing about your child's worth. A low percentage does not make a school better; a high one does not make it worse. It is a measure of supply and demand. Make sure your child's list includes schools on both sides of this spectrum.
Of those admitted for the first year, 37 out of every 100 ultimately enrolled. The other 63 had an acceptance letter in hand and chose another school. That percentage is on the high side compared with similar schools. But this figure counts what other families decided after receiving the letter, not how difficult admission is. When your child's admission decisions arrive, this number will not make the decision for you: place the letters side by side and compare net price, major, and distance before the deposit deadline.
Regarding standardized tests, the SAT and ACT are not required. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application remains valid. Among those who enrolled and submitted SAT scores—30 out of every 100, a high share compared with similar schools—the middle half scored between 710 and 760 in reading and writing, and between 720 and 790 in mathematics. Those numbers describe students who enrolled and submitted scores, not all applicants. That 710 is not a minimum your child must reach, and that 760 does not guarantee anything either.
Regarding transfers, the most recent count shows that 13 students entered Carleton College for the first time after having studied at another institution. It is a low count compared with similar schools, but it also depends on the size of the school. The transfer-out rate—how many students who enter as first-year students ultimately transfer elsewhere—was not reported by this institution. That does not prove that nobody transfers; it simply is not in the file.
The Listed Price, and Why It Is Not What You Will Pay
At Carleton College, among 28 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received Title IV federal aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $12,069. Among 32 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $10,999; among 120 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $41,028. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income with their own.
There is a difference of $28,959 between the average for the lowest-income band (28 students) and the average for the highest-income band (120 students). These are group averages, not a prediction of your family's price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $29,434.
Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this information for the same period, Carleton falls within the least expensive quarter for the lowest-income families after grants and scholarships are subtracted. That does not mean it will be inexpensive for your family. It is a fact that carries weight when you assemble the list of schools to which your child will apply.
Because the price varies so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours is the first step. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received Title IV federal aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district tuition rate. The overall average after grants and scholarships, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The financial aid letter sent to you is what matters.
The Aid It Distributes and the Loans Each Student Carries
Aid that does not have to be repaid—grants and scholarships—went to 64 out of every 100 degree-seeking students. That is more than half, but not everyone. Compared with similar schools, this proportion is in the quarter where grants and scholarships reach fewer students. Among those who received this aid, the average for the year was $48,547.
It is real money, but it is not a price. The number that determines how much your family will pay is what remains after aid, and that number is not included in this overall average: you have to request it school by school and family by family.
The federal Pell Grant—for students with demonstrated financial need—went to only 14 out of every 100. That means at least 50 out of every 100 aid recipients received aid from a source other than Pell.
Regarding loans, 43 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in the most recent reported year. More than two out of ten, but fewer than half. Among those who received one, the loan averaged $4,993 for the year. Compared with similar schools, this proportion of students with loans is on the low side: seven out of ten similar schools, or more, had a higher proportion.
Some students here go through the year without debt, while others borrow. This percentage does not determine which of those two groups your child will fall into. The financial aid letter your child receives, in writing, determines that. And take note: this average of $4,993 is for a single year and covers only federal loans in the student's name. It does not include PLUS loans that parents sometimes end up signing for, bank debt, or credit card debt. Nor is it the total debt owed upon graduation—for that, you would have to add every year together, and that number is not in this report.
Carleton College also reports that an installment tuition payment plan is available as a way to manage the cost.
Living There, Competing There, Studying There
If your child enters the first year as a full-time student, living on campus is not optional: the school requires it. It also offers meal plans, with a fixed number of meals per week in its most comprehensive option. The maximum capacity of institutionally controlled housing is 1,840 students. When you compare the price of this school with another, add room and board from the beginning: where living there is required, that expense cannot be removed from the calculation.
Regarding ROTC, Carleton College did not indicate any ROTC opportunity in its most recent report, either in the general category or for any of the three branches. The fact that it was not indicated does not prove that no nearby option exists; if that scholarship matters to your family, ask admissions about it directly before assuming it is unavailable.
Carleton College does compete in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA for football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. The membership belongs to the school, not to your child: if your child is interested in a sport, write directly to the coach and ask whether there is a place on the team, which division it competes in, and whether that sport offers athletic scholarships.
It does not offer distance education—not a single course, either at the undergraduate or graduate level. If your child works or cares for someone at home, the schedule will have to fit entirely in person.
The library operates with paid staff, and its annual expenditures exceeded the threshold tracked by the government. It has physical and digital collections and participates in interlibrary lending. What the data do not say is who provides assistance, during what hours, or whether anyone will guide your child through a search: ask that directly.
The institution also reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for graduates, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, and a webpage for services for people with disabilities. The fact that these services are reported does not say how accessible or effective they are in practice; ask about that during the visit as well.
What Happened to the Students Who Were Already There
For me, this is the section most worth reading carefully because it discusses real outcomes for actual cohorts of students.
Of the cohort that entered full time in a recent fall, 96 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later. That is a high result: compared with similar schools, Carleton College is among those that retain the largest share of their cohort. But this number combines two outcomes—remaining enrolled or having already graduated—without separating them, and it does not reveal what happened to the 22 who were outside the official outcome.
Regarding graduation, out of every 100 students who entered a bachelor's-degree program in 2017, 91 graduated with a degree within six years—476 out of 522. Using the four-year time frame, the figure falls to 83 out of every 100. Compared with similar selective private schools, Carleton College is among those with the highest graduation rates.
I want to tell you this plainly because it is the truth behind such a high number: the fact that 91 out of every 100 members of that cohort graduated does not mean the same will happen to your child. It means those students, at that school, finished within the allotted time. What is within your control is making sure that your child enters with all credits in order and knows from the first semester who the academic advisor is and when registration opens for courses in the major.
Eight years after entry, including certificates, the figure rises to 92 out of every 100 with a degree or certificate from this school. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure is virtually the same: 91 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, it is also among those with the highest completion rates within this time frame.
A high number like this is not a promise for your child in particular. It describes what happened to a specific cohort. When you visit or speak with admissions, it is worth asking about the program's current support services and the outcomes of more recent cohorts.
What Remains Yours, What Belongs to Your Child, and What the College Decides
Carleton College is responsible for admitting, denying, and offering aid.
Your child is responsible for writing that required essay, maintaining the academic record the school requests, deciding what to study, and building, through personal effort, the part of the story that only your child can write.
You are responsible for the family's money, the FAFSA, comparing the financial aid letter when it arrives, and asking the questions the data do not answer: who supports Latino students on that campus, how many students are actually in a first-year classroom, and whether the ROTC scholarship that interests your child exists even though it was not indicated in the report.
You now have an in-depth understanding of one of the pieces you need to decide about Carleton College. Combine it with what your child wants to study, what your child has accomplished so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. A realistic plan comes from that combination, not from a single number.
Source note: The information in this article comes from official data reported by the institution to the United States Department of Education through the IPEDS system and corresponds to the years and cohorts indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent Carleton College or the United States government.