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Carleton College

Carleton College is based in the town of Northfield, MN — a private campus in a small-town setting. International students are a visible presence at Carleton College — 10.4% of its 2,086 undergraduates come from outside the U.S.

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What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

key chart

Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$12,069

family income
under $30k

$11,350

$30–48k

$10,999

$48–75k

$17,900

$75–110k

$41,028

over $110k

These figures don't always rise with income — aid formulas can make a higher bracket cheaper.

Average net price

$25,4072023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Carleton College has wandered from 2008 to 2023 — up to $31,800 at the peak — but ends near where it began, at $25,407.

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$24,151
2009	$24,340
2010	$27,320
2011	$27,971
2012	$28,734
2013	$28,078
2014	$28,892
2015	$26,745
2016	$27,898
2017	$30,210
2018	$31,133
2019	$28,928
2020	$31,800
2021	$30,838
2022	$27,320
2023	$25,407

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$84,8932024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Carleton College rose from $50,000 (2009) to $84,893 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$50,000
2010	$52,360
2011	$54,265
2012	$56,340
2013	$58,275
2014	$60,401
2015	$62,465
2016	$64,420
2017	$66,490
2018	$68,835
2019	$71,325
2020	$74,275
2021	$77,433
2022	$78,315
2023	$81,350
2024	$84,893

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition & fees

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

Tuition & fees — data
Year	Tuition & fees
2000	$24,390
2001	$25,530
2002	$26,910
2003	$28,527
2004	$30,666
2005	$32,649
2006	$34,272
2007	$36,156
2008	$38,046
2013	$46,167
2014	$47,736
2015	$49,263
2016	$50,874
2017	$52,782
2018	$54,759
2019	$57,111
2020	$59,352
2021	$60,225
2022	$62,634
2023	$65,457

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Carleton College reports published tuition of $68,892 in this record. Carleton College's $68,892 tuition excludes other attendance costs; aid can reduce the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

Carleton College reports 2,086 undergraduate students. Enrollment is a headcount, not a measure of teaching access.

89.6% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Carleton College within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

89.6%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Carleton College has held near 89.6% from Fall 1991 to Fall 2018 entering cohorts.

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	89.4%
1992 cohort	87.8%
1993 cohort	88.7%
1994 cohort	88.5%
1995 cohort	89.2%
1996 cohort	85.6%
1997 cohort	89.3%
1998 cohort	89.6%
1999 cohort	86.6%
2000 cohort	92.8%
2001 cohort	92.6%
2002 cohort	93.2%
2003 cohort	91.8%
2004 cohort	93.4%
2005 cohort	92.6%
2006 cohort	93.8%
2007 cohort	92.1%
2008 cohort	93%
2009 cohort	94.5%
2010 cohort	92.2%
2011 cohort	94.2%
2012 cohort	93%
2013 cohort	91.8%
2014 cohort	93.8%
2015 cohort	91.5%
2016 cohort	90.6%
2017 cohort	91.2%
2018 cohort	89.6%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 1997 and 1998 (FY1997/98)	$13,562	$3,572
Left school in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (FY1998/99)	$13,890	$11,625
Left school in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (FY1999/00)	$12,680	$10,934
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$11,811	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	$11,593	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	$11,615	$2,640
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$12,125	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$12,175	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$11,625	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$12,000	$4,000
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$12,500	$3,625
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$12,625	$4,667
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$13,615	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$15,500	$5,408
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$16,500	$5,167
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$17,000	$6,926
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$17,500	$6,519
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$17,500	$7,334
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$19,300	$9,533
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$20,000	$10,000
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$13,834	$5,832
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$15,538	$5,746
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$17,287	$6,961
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$16,750	$7,667

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$53,989

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$70,720

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$75,525

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Carleton College admitted 1,456 of 7,133 applicants in Fall 2024. The 20.4% rate describes that application pool.

20.4%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $65,457 tuition · 2023–24 2,086 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Test-optional (considered) · Fall 2024

400SAT range (section 25th/75th sums): 1450–15601600

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

Carleton College reported scores as considered but not required for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. For Carleton College’s enrolled SAT submitters, Reading and Writing was 720–770 and Math was 730–790 (25th–75th percentiles). The section-percentile sums 1450–1560 are not composite-score percentiles. These are not admission cutoffs.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Score	25th	50th	75th
SAT Reading & Writing	720	745	770
SAT Math	730	770	790
ACT Composite	32	34	34

25th / 75th: a quarter of enrolled submitters scored below the first number, a quarter above the second. These are not cutoffs.

Only students who submitted scores are counted — at test-optional schools, many enrolled students aren't in this table.

Percentiles are among enrolled students who submitted scores (Fall 2024 admissions cycle).

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Carleton College received 7,133 applications and admitted 1,456 (20.4%), with 507 enrolling.

Acceptance rate

20.4%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Read Carleton College's change from 37.2% to 20.4% as a share of applications, not an explanation of admissions decisions. This describes Fall 2001 to Fall 2024.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	37.2%
Fall 2002	34.9%
Fall 2003	29.9%
Fall 2004	28.6%
Fall 2005	29.2%
Fall 2006	31.6%
Fall 2007	30%
Fall 2008	27.3%
Fall 2009	30.5%
Fall 2010	30.8%
Fall 2011	31%
Fall 2012	25.6%
Fall 2013	20.9%
Fall 2014	22.8%
Fall 2015	20.6%
Fall 2016	22.6%
Fall 2017	21.2%
Fall 2018	19.8%
Fall 2019	19.1%
Fall 2020	21.2%
Fall 2021	17.5%
Fall 2022	16.6%
Fall 2023	22.3%
Fall 2024	20.4%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

1450–1560Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	1280	1460
Fall 2002	1280	1460
Fall 2003	1300	1480
Fall 2004	1300	1480
Fall 2005	1320	1500
Fall 2006	1330	1490
Fall 2007	1310	1490
Fall 2008	1310	1490
Fall 2009	1320	1500
Fall 2010	1300	1500
Fall 2011	1320	1510
Fall 2012	1340	1520
Fall 2013	1340	1520
Fall 2014	1320	1510
Fall 2015	1320	1520
Fall 2016	1320	1540
Fall 2017	1360	1530
Fall 2018	1350	1530
Fall 2019	1360	1540
Fall 2020	1330	1520
Fall 2021	1408	1550
Fall 2022	1430	1550
Fall 2023	1430	1550
Fall 2024	1450	1560

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

32–34Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	27	31
Fall 2002	27	31
Fall 2003	28	32
Fall 2004	28	32
Fall 2005	27	32
Fall 2006	28	32
Fall 2007	29	33
Fall 2008	29	33
Fall 2009	29	33
Fall 2010	29	33
Fall 2011	29	33
Fall 2012	29	33
Fall 2013	29	33
Fall 2014	30	33
Fall 2015	29	33
Fall 2016	30	33
Fall 2017	31	34
Fall 2018	31	34
Fall 2019	31	34
Fall 2020	30	34
Fall 2021	31	35
Fall 2022	32	35
Fall 2023	32	34
Fall 2024	32	34

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

2,086Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Carleton College has held near 2,086 from Fall 2002 to Fall 2024.

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	1,924
Fall 2003	1,927
Fall 2004	1,932
Fall 2005	1,936
Fall 2006	1,958
Fall 2007	1,986
Fall 2008	1,975
Fall 2009	1,986
Fall 2010	1,991
Fall 2011	2,000
Fall 2012	2,035
Fall 2013	2,023
Fall 2014	2,042
Fall 2015	1,995
Fall 2016	2,045
Fall 2017	2,023
Fall 2018	2,046
Fall 2019	2,065
Fall 2020	1,918
Fall 2021	2,008
Fall 2022	2,007
Fall 2023	2,019
Fall 2024	2,086

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

96%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Carleton College has held near 96% from Fall 2003 to Fall 2023.

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2003 cohort	96%
Fall 2004 cohort	97%
Fall 2005 cohort	96%
Fall 2006 cohort	98%
Fall 2007 cohort	95%
Fall 2008 cohort	97%
Fall 2009 cohort	98%
Fall 2010 cohort	96%
Fall 2011 cohort	98%
Fall 2012 cohort	96%
Fall 2013 cohort	97%
Fall 2014 cohort	96%
Fall 2015 cohort	96%
Fall 2016 cohort	96%
Fall 2017 cohort	97%
Fall 2018 cohort	95%
Fall 2019 cohort	94%
Fall 2020 cohort	95%
Fall 2021 cohort	95%
Fall 2022 cohort	96%
Fall 2023 cohort	96%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2003–2023

More about Carleton College

Faculty pay at Carleton College averages $167,520 a year, annualized from reported monthly pay. Carnegie classes Carleton College as a primarily residential campus of 2,086 undergraduates — and 96.5% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Carleton College's SAT section-percentile sums are 1450–1560 — their midpoint is above the MN four-year benchmark. These are not total-score percentiles. Put your own practice estimate on Carleton College's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Carleton College compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Carleton College20.4%

Minnesota median85.4%

National median76.8%

Tuition

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Carleton College$68,892

Minnesota median$22,520

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Carleton College's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Carleton College$75,525

Minnesota median$58,351

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Carleton College, Minnesota and national reference values
Metric & basis	Carleton College	Minnesota median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	20.4%	85.4%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$68,892	$22,520	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$75,525	$58,351	$53,781

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Carleton College report?

Carleton College's enrolled submitters had SAT section-percentile sums of 1450–1560 in Fall 2024. These are not total-score percentiles or a GPA requirement.

What is Carleton College's acceptance rate?

20.4% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 1,456 admitted from 7,133 applicants.

How much does Carleton College cost?

At Carleton College, tuition is $68,892. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does Carleton College report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $75,525. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in Minnesota

Macalester College — 28.5% admitted
Crown College — 22.8% admitted
Concordia College at Moorhead — 62.6% admitted
Concordia University-Saint Paul — 78.9% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Read the date and population definitions.