Carleton College: the complete school report for parents

What does Carleton College actually weigh in admissions?

Carleton College rates 8 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, the essay, extracurricular activities, recommendations, personal qualities, talent, class rank. It does not consider 4 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Carleton College's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

What is the Carleton College waitlist really like?

Carleton College offered a place on its waiting list to 675 applicants and 335 accepted one. 33 were ultimately admitted. That is 9.9% of those who waited.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

Carleton College admitted 21.2% of 132 transfer applicants, against 21.8% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

Applying Early Decision changes the odds materially: 34.6% of ED applicants were admitted against 21.8% overall, a gap of 13 points. ED is binding, so that advantage costs the ability to compare financial-aid offers.

What will Carleton College actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $25,407 a year at Carleton College after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $75,186. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 100% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 16 merit awards averaging $2,000 to first-years with no demonstrated need.

35% of Carleton College graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $21,075 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $178 a month in repayment. Carleton College’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from Carleton College pay off?

Graduates earn a median $75,525 ten years after entering, and $53,989 at six years. 88% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 92% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

$121,569 to $55,953, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Carleton College:

College Scorecard, by field of study.

Will my child actually graduate?

94% of first-years return for a second year. 81% graduate within four years and 89% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 80.3% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 89.4% of everyone else, a gap of 9.1 points.

How big are the classes?

72% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 0% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 8:1, and 87% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Higher Learning Commission.

What is life at Carleton College like?

1,974 undergraduates, 79.23% of first-years from out of state. 100% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 92.43% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 0% of men join a fraternity and 0% of women a sorority. 16% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $71,070.

What this means for your student

• Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
• Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
• Early Decision is worth 13 points of admit rate, but it is binding and removes any ability to compare aid offers.
• The waitlist is live but thin: 33 of 335 who waited were admitted, about 10%.
• Its highest-earning major returns $121,569 five years out against $55,953 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about Carleton College

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