Carleton: the complete school report for parents
Carleton rates 8 of the 18 admission factors Very Important, among them course rigor, GPA and the essay. This is a genuinely holistic review. It does not consider legacy and demonstrated interest, so campus visits and emails will not move the decision. Carleton admits between 1 in 10 and 1 in 4 applicants, and scores are optional but help when they are strong. Applying Early Decision changes the odds sharply here: 34.6% of ED applicants were admitted against 21.8% overall.
Carleton is officially Carleton College. Admissions figures below come from its 2025-2026 Common Data Set (see the source), with the admission-factor grid re-read from that file on 2026-09-20.
Is Carleton a reach, target or safety for your student?
Enter a GPA and course load and the calculator places Carleton against the figures above. No account needed.
What does Carleton actually weigh in admissions?
Carleton 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's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.
| Factor | How Carleton rates it |
|---|---|
| course rigor | Very Important |
| GPA | Very Important |
| test scores | Considered |
| the essay | Very Important |
| extracurricular activities | Very Important |
| recommendations | Very Important |
| personal qualities | Very Important |
| talent | Very Important |
| class rank | Very Important |
| demonstrated interest | Not Considered |
| the interview | Considered |
| legacy | Not Considered |
| first-generation status | Considered |
| geography | Considered |
| state residency | Not Considered |
| volunteer work | Considered |
| work experience | Considered |
| religious affiliation | Not Considered |
Does Carleton consider how hard my child’s courses were?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The senior-year schedule should keep its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
Does Carleton consider GPA?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Carleton consider SAT or ACT scores?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Carleton consider the application essay?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The essay is doing as much work as the transcript.
Does Carleton consider extracurricular activities?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Carleton consider recommendation letters?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Carleton consider character and personal qualities?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Carleton consider a special talent or ability?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Carleton consider class rank?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Carleton consider demonstrated interest?
No. Carleton does not consider it. Campus visits, emails and info sessions do not move the decision.
Does Carleton consider an interview?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Carleton consider legacy status?
No. Carleton does not consider it. A parent or grandparent who attended gives no advantage.
Does Carleton consider being first-generation?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor. Say so on the application; it is read as context.
Does Carleton consider where we live?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Carleton consider state residency?
No. Carleton does not consider it.
Does Carleton consider volunteer work?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Carleton consider work experience?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Carleton consider religious affiliation?
No. Carleton does not consider it.
What is the Carleton waitlist really like?
Carleton 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 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.
| Regular application deadline | January 15 |
|---|---|
| Decisions released | March 31 |
| Reply / deposit deadline | May 1 |
| Early Decision offered | Yes |
| Early Decision deadline | November 15 |
| Early Decision II offered | Yes |
| Early Decision II deadline | January 15 |
| Early Action offered | No |
| Application fee | $0 |
| Fee waiver available | Not reported |
| Deferred admission offered | Yes |
What will Carleton actually cost us?
Families pay an average of $25,407 a year at Carleton 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 graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $21,075 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $178 a month in repayment. Carleton’s net price calculator gives your own figure.
Does a degree from Carleton 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:
| Major | Median earnings, 5 years | Graduates a year |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $121,569 | 59 |
| Economics | $107,997 | 34 |
| Biology, General | $61,887 | 59 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $55,953 | 18 |
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 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
Does the Carleton waitlist move?
335 students accepted a place on the Carleton waiting list and 33 were admitted in the 2025-2026 cycle.
What do Carleton graduates earn?
Carleton graduates earn a median $75,525 ten years after entering, and 88% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years.
Other schools families compare with Carleton
Where these numbers come from
Admissions figures: Carleton’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set, published here, factor grid re-read from it on 2026-09-20. Earnings, debt, net price and graduation rates: College Scorecard (2022-2023). Unreported values show as “Not reported”.