Aid signal
Strong aid for lower incomes
Reported net price for the $0–30k band runs below average.
Source: IPEDS 2024
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University private Verified data
Carleton College
Northfield, MN
Carleton College at a glance
Carleton College is a private university in Northfield, Minnesota with 2,128 students (IPEDS, fall 2024 enrollment). It admitted 20% of applicants (IPEDS, applicants for fall 2024). Its published tuition is $68,892 (IPEDS, charges for academic year 2024-25); students who received federal aid paid an average net price of $25,407 a year after grants (College Scorecard, a prior cohort). 90% of students finish within the federal tracking window (IPEDS, Graduation Rates 2024 collection: 4-year cohort 2018, 2-year cohort 2021); 43% of students take federal loans, and borrowers leave with a median $16,750 (College Scorecard).
Tuition
$68,892
2024-25
Acceptance
20%
Fall 2024 applicants
Students
2,128
Fall 2024
Type
University
Setting
Rural
Cost & Financial Aid
In-State Tuition
$68,892
Out-of-State Tuition
$68,892
Avg On-Campus Living
$17,586
Avg Off-Campus Living
Not available
Financial Aid & Outcomes
College Scorecard
What will it actually cost?
Sticker price: $86,478
Net price (after aid): $25,407
Most students pay the net price after financial aid, not the sticker price.
Net price by family income
$0 – $30k: $7,881
$30k – $48k: $8,203
$48k – $75k: $9,680
$75k – $110k: $18,485
$110k+: $44,082 (above the federal borrowing ceiling)
Can federal loans cover it? (2026 limits)
For families earning $110k+, the average net price here is above the $25,500 a first-year dependent student and their parents can borrow federally from 1 July 2026, by up to $18,582. That part has to come from savings, income, work, or private loans.
The ceiling is $5,500 in the student’s own Direct Loan plus up to $20,000 in Parent PLUS, which requires that the parent has no adverse credit history. Net prices are averages for a prior cohort of aid recipients, not a quote. Source: Federal Student Aid loan limits. Where this gap is largest.
After graduation
Median earnings (10yr): $75,525
Median debt at graduation: $16,750
Est. monthly loan payment: $178
Earnings-to-debt ratio
Strong · 4.5×Graduates earn about 4.5× their median debt every year.
Financial access
Students on Pell Grants: 17%
Pell Grants are federal aid for students from low-income families.
Students with federal loans: 43%
Share of students who borrowed to pay for school.
Some fields may not be reported by this institution. Verify final details with the school directly.
How does cost line up with outcomes across colleges? See our analysis of college cost vs. graduation and earnings, an association shaped by selectivity and sector, not proof a pricier college pays off.
FAFSA earnings check
: Not flaggedCarleton College does not trigger the FAFSA's "lower earnings" notice. Its graduates' median earnings four years after completing were $70,490, above the $34,635 median for high school graduates aged 25 to 34 nationally. The Department uses the national figure for a college that mostly enrolls out-of-state students or operates in several states.
This is one figure for the whole institution, not for any program: earnings differ by credential and field. It covers graduates who completed in 2017-18 and 2018-19, received federal aid, and were working and not enrolled when earnings were measured in 2022 and 2023, in January 2026 dollars. The Department says the notice is informational only: it does not change aid eligibility. Source: U.S. Department of Education, FSA Data Center, March 2026 release. Which colleges are flagged, and what changed.
Student Outcomes
Graduation Rate
90%
Freshman Retention
96%
Source: IPEDS, charges for academic year 2024-25 (provisional release)
Final aid offers, scholarships, and net price vary per family. Always verify with the school's financial aid office.
Scholarships available
Decision support · Cost & value
Quick Decision Highlights
The strongest cost, aid, and value reasons to consider this school.
Strong post-grad earnings
$75.5k above avg
Manageable graduate debt
$16.8k below avg
Strong completion rate
90% above avg
Affordability snapshot
Tuition
$68.9k
Net price
$25.4k
Pell
17%
Median debt
$16.8k
below avg
Earnings (10y)
$75.5k
above avg
“Avg” comparisons reference national IPEDS / College Scorecard averages (~2022–23); figures are directional and vary by school and year.
Admissions
Acceptance rate
20%
SAT range
1450 - 1560
ACT range
32 - 34
Source: IPEDS, applicants for fall 2024 (provisional release)
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UniversitiesCommunity Colleges1 school
Institution does not report this
Northfield, MN 55057
Academics
Studying online
CampusPin has no verified federal record of distance-education enrolment at this institution. That is a gap in the evidence, not a sign that online study is unavailable, so ask the college directly.
Fields of study
Carleton College reported conferring credentials in 31 different fields to the federal government. See which ones, and at what credential level.
Campus & Student Life
Area Safety Rating
Decision support
Similar schools
Worth a closer look if Carleton College caught your interest.
Macalester College
Saint Paul, MN
Tuition $68,104 29% acceptSame state. Similar tuition. Similar acceptance.St Olaf College
Northfield, MN
Tuition $59,760 48% acceptSame state. Similar tuition. Same school type.Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, MN
Tuition $56,076 61% acceptSame state. Similar tuition. Similar size.Saint Johns University
Collegeville, MN
Tuition $55,816 91% acceptSame state. Similar tuition. Similar size.Hamline University
Saint Paul, MN
Tuition $50,004 88% acceptSame state. Lower-cost option. Similar size.College of Saint Benedict
Saint Joseph, MN
Tuition $55,756 92% acceptSame state. Similar tuition. Similar size.
Graduate earnings by program
What Carleton College graduates earn, by program
Carleton College's bachelor's graduates in Economics earned a median $87,193 four years after graduating, 5% above the $82,686 national median for the same program (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). One year after graduating, a later class (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21) earned a median $66,567; the two figures describe different graduates, not one class's growth. Graduates who borrowed took out a median $19,500 in federal loans at this college (about $207 a month on a 10-year plan).
9 programs at Carleton College have federal earnings or debt figures, largest graduating classes first. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Debt: graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20. The national median is the same measure for every program in that field and credential in the U.S.
| Program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after | National median | Federal debt borrowed at this college (median) | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science, Bachelor's | — | $107,009 | $18,254 | $194/mo |
| Biology, Bachelor's | — | $57,214 | $17,929 | $190/mo |
| Mathematics, Bachelor's | — | $69,562 | $11,500 | $122/mo |
| Research and Experimental Psychology, Bachelor's | — | $55,695 | $16,700 | $177/mo |
| Chemistry, Bachelor's | — | $65,120 | $17,000 | $180/mo |
| Economics, Bachelor's | $87,193 | $82,686, +5% | $19,500 | $207/mo |
| English, Bachelor's | — | $48,590 | $21,167 | $224/mo |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Bachelor's | — | $60,190 | — | — |
| Political Science, Bachelor's | $53,975 | $63,293, −15% | $18,700 | $198/mo |
Compare what Economics pays at other colleges
Median earnings of graduates who received federal student aid, worked, and were not enrolled in school; debt is the median federal loans borrowed at this college by graduates who borrowed (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS; not Parent PLUS, private loans or interest). Programs with too few graduates are suppressed by the Department of Education. Monthly payment assumes a standard 10-year plan. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field-of-study data, 10 June 2026. Download every program (CSV). Same degree, different paycheck: what the national data show.
Frequently asked questions
About Carleton College
Built from CampusPin profile data. Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with the institution before applying. See our data methodology and data dictionary.
- Where is Carleton College located?
- Carleton College is located in Northfield, MN, in the United States.
- What type of institution is Carleton College?
- Carleton College is a private university based in MN. CampusPin classifies institutions as either four-year universities or two-year community colleges, with control labeled public or private.
- What is the acceptance rate at Carleton College?
- The most recently reported acceptance rate at Carleton College is approximately 20% (IPEDS, applicants for fall 2024). Acceptance rate signals selectivity but does not predict any individual applicant's outcome and is not a measure of school quality. CampusPin reports the federally-published value; verify the current cycle with the institution.
- What is the tuition at Carleton College?
- Carleton College's published in-state tuition is approximately $68,892 per year (IPEDS, charges for academic year 2024-25). This is the published price before financial aid; the net price most students actually pay is typically lower. Verify the current academic-year tuition with the institution before applying.
- How many students attend Carleton College?
- Carleton College reports total enrollment of approximately 2,128 students (undergraduate plus graduate) (IPEDS, fall 2024 enrollment). Total enrollment is a useful sizing signal, see the institutional profile for additional breakdowns when available.
- How much does Carleton College actually cost after financial aid?
- The average net price at Carleton College is approximately $25,407 per year. Net price is the total cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships that never have to be repaid, so it is what students actually paid rather than the published sticker price. What families pay varies with income: students from families earning under $30,000 paid about $7,881 on average, and those from families earning $110,000 or more about $44,082. These are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any individual family. Run the institution's own Net Price Calculator for a figure specific to you.
- What is the graduation rate at Carleton College?
- Carleton College reports a graduation rate of approximately 90% (IPEDS, Graduation Rates 2024 collection: 4-year cohort 2018, 2-year cohort 2021). This measures the share of a prior entering cohort who completed their degree within the federal tracking window. It reflects who enrolls as much as what the institution does, so it is not on its own a measure of teaching quality, and it is not comparable across institutions serving very different students.
- How much student debt do graduates of Carleton College have?
- Students who borrowed at Carleton College left with a median of approximately $16,750 in federal loans, and about 43% of students took federal loans at all. Both numbers matter: a median describes only the students who borrowed, so it reads very differently at a school where most students borrow than at one where few do. Federal loans only, so private and parent borrowing are not included.
- How much do graduates of Carleton College earn?
- Median earnings approximately ten years after entry are $75,525 for students who received federal financial aid at Carleton College. This reflects the mix of programs the institution offers and the students who enroll, not the effect of attending, and it covers aid recipients rather than all graduates.
- How should I verify final details about Carleton College?
- CampusPin compiles institutional data from public datasets like IPEDS and the College Scorecard, plus institutional websites and editorial review. Before applying, paying a deposit, or making a final decision, confirm admissions requirements, current tuition, financial aid, deadlines, and program details directly with Carleton College.
- Does Carleton College get a "lower earnings" warning on the FAFSA?
- No. In the Department of Education's March 2026 data, which the FAFSA uses now, Carleton College's graduates' median earnings four years after completing were $70,490, above the $34,635 median for high school graduates aged 25 to 34 nationally, so first-year students who list it do not see the lower-earnings notice. The figure describes the whole institution, not any one program.
Fields this college awarded credentials in
The 14 largest of 31 fields Carleton College reported, by credentials conferred in 2024-25, using the federal classification of each field. The level is the highest credential actually awarded, which is not always the one a field is best known for.
| Field | Awarded | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 101 | Bachelor's |
| Biology, General | 62 | Bachelor's |
| Chemistry | 43 | Bachelor's |
| Mathematics | 41 | Bachelor's |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 40 | Bachelor's |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 39 | Bachelor's |
| Economics | 30 | Bachelor's |
| Statistics | 27 | Bachelor's |
| History | 25 | Bachelor's |
| Physics | 23 | Bachelor's |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 21 | Bachelor's |
| Cognitive Science | 17 | Bachelor's |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 17 | Bachelor's |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 17 | Bachelor's |
Fields are as classified in the federal IPEDS completions collection, which records credentials already conferred. A field listed here was awarded in the reporting year; it does not confirm the program is currently admitting students, and a field CampusPin has no guide for is still shown under its official federal title. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Explore more
Compare colleges side by side. All colleges in Minnesota. Minnesota college costs by family income. Student debt at Minnesota colleges. Computer science in Minnesota. Business major guide. Nursing in Minnesota. Psychology in Minnesota. Engineering in Minnesota.
Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with Carleton College before applying.
Data sources & methodology
Reporting period: 2024. Last verified: June 10, 2026.
Facts on this profile of Carleton College are compiled from federal datasets and the institution's own published information.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.
Clery Act campus security reports
Annual campus security and fire-safety disclosures required of U.S. institutions.
Institutional websites
Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (2024). Carleton College, college profile. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/carleton-college
About this information
CampusPin compiles college information from recent publicly available data, including federal and institutional sources. College information can change as institutions and public agencies release new data.
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