Private nonprofit · College

Carleton College

Northfield, Minnesota · Distant town

#1 most selective in Minnesota#1 graduation rate in Minnesota#2 for grad earnings in Minnesota
20.4%
Admit rate
$25,407
Avg net price
90%
Graduation rate
$75,525
Median earnings

Carleton College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Northfield, Minnesota (distant town setting), enrolling 2,086 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,086 undergradsDistant townVery selective · 20% admitNCAA Division III with football · Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Carleton College's admitted students.

Admit rate
20.4%
SAT (mid 50%)
1450–1560
Avg GPA (est.)
4.00

Enter a test score to see where you land against Carleton College's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Carleton College's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Northfield, Minnesota

Northfield is a city in Rice County, Minnesota, United States. The Wahpekute settled in the Big Woods region, which included most of what is now Northfield and Faribault. The Wahpekute used the Cannon and Straight rivers for easy transportation and game hunting. On September 7, 1876, Northfield experienced one of its most important historical events, when The James-Younger Gang attempted a robbery on the First National Bank of Northfield. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Distant town
Highest degree offered
Bachelor's
To Great Lakes shore
164 miles
Nearest airport
29 miles to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP) · major hub

How Carleton College compares

Selectivity20.4%

More selective than 95% · #1 most selective of 35 in Minnesota

SAT average1517

Higher than 97%

Graduation rate90%

Higher than 95% · #1 of 39 in Minnesota

First-year retention96%

Higher than 94%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$75,525

Higher than 88% · #2 of 38 in Minnesota

Average net price$25,407

Cheaper than 27% · #26 cheapest of 39 in Minnesota

Median debt at graduation$16,750

Lower than 87%

Student–faculty ratio8 : 1

Lower than 89%

Undergraduate enrollment2,086

Larger than 59%

Percentiles compare Carleton College with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Minnesota.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

2,086undergrads
  • Women95946%
  • Men1,12754%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White51%
  • Black5.9%
  • Hispanic10%
  • Asian10%
  • Other or multiracial23%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,086
Student–faculty ratio
8 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
17%
First-generation students
16%
Students over 25
0%
Median family income
$78,779
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$125,640
Endowment
$1,255,379,173

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 538 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Minnesota21%
  • Other U.S. states67%
  • International12%

A national draw — only 21% of first-years come from Minnesota; 67% arrive from other states.

12% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
20.4%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1450–1560
SAT average
1517
SAT reading
720–770
SAT math
730–790
ACT composite
32–34
Average GPA (estimated)
4.00

Cost

In-state tuition
$68,892
Room & board
$17,586
Books & supplies
$938
Total cost of attendance
$84,893
Average net price
$25,407

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
90%
Graduated on time (4 years)
82%
First-year retention
96%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$53,989
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$75,525
Median debt at graduation
$16,750
Students with federal loans
43%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
90%

About 8% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,840
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
88%
Housing charge (year)
$8,820
Meal plan (year)
$7,890
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
476 (287 men · 189 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (10)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)143
Football76
Soccer65
Swimming and Diving (combined)61
Baseball35
Basketball27
Tennis20
Softball19
Golf15
Volleyball15

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
9.1 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
50
Property offenses (2022–2024)
8

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,128 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

19reported offenses a year
17 violent a year2.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Fondling
9.0
Rape
7.3
Arson
2.0
Motor vehicle theft
0.7
Aggravated assault
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$7,881
$30–48k
$8,203
$48–75k
$9,680
$75–110k
$18,485
$110k+
$44,082

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$39,976

$9,680/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

57%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$49,336
average award, among those who get one

Carleton College discounts heavily: 57% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $49,336. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 532 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$75,525
Typical debt at graduation
$16,750
Debt vs. one year's pay
22%
Out-earn a HS grad
65%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.2 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$68,868
Men
$84,864

Men out-earn women by $15,996 (23%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
82°F
Winter low
5°F
Annual rain
35.5″
Annual snow
43.3″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.85.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Faribault, MN US station (11.9 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Carleton College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Carleton College side by side →

Colleges near Carleton College

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.