Carleton College
About
Carleton College is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1866, the 200-acre (81 ha) main campus is between Northfield and the approximately 800-acre (320 ha) Cowling Arboretum, which became part of the campus in the 1920s.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates, a notably small equity gap.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 33 Title IV programs, 2 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 31 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing2 · 6.1%
- No Data31 · 93.9%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Higher Learning Commission
Action history · 1
- Aug 2019Renewal of AccreditationHigher Learning Commission
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 422 students received $2.5M in Pell grants, alongside $4.1M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 229 borrowers who entered repayment, 1 (0.4%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Carleton College
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 10
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus18
Includes 13 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- Race2
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- Goodhue Hall1 fireCookingDamage $0-$99
- Eugster House1 fireOtherDamage $0-$99
- Davis Hall1 fireSmoking materialsDamage $100-$999
- Henrickson House2 firesCookingDamage $0-$99
- Henrickson House2 firesOtherDamage $0-$99
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Carleton College vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Carleton College selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectCarleton College | 90% | — | 2,128 | $25,407 | Baccalaureate |
| 94% | 9.0% | 1,914 | $23,367 | Baccalaureate | |
| 90% | 13.3% | 1,760 | $29,351 | Baccalaureate | |
| 71% | 63.0% | 1,004 | $21,526 | Baccalaureate | |
| 95% | 7.1% | 1,881 | $14,398 | Baccalaureate | |
| 82% | 29.4% | 1,679 | $31,759 | Baccalaureate | |
| 88% | 18.5% | 2,056 | $33,375 | Baccalaureate | |
| 91% | 13.4% | 1,869 | $17,379 | Baccalaureate | |
| 80% | 42.1% | 2,314 | $37,607 | Baccalaureate | |
| 88% | 14.5% | 1,788 | $17,648 | Baccalaureate | |
| 91% | 13.6% | 2,031 | $28,985 | Baccalaureate | |
| 90% | 12.4% | 1,431 | $25,314 | Baccalaureate | |
| 82% | 31.0% | 2,249 | $38,512 | Baccalaureate | |
| 78% | 56.8% | 1,837 | $28,673 | Baccalaureate | |
| 87% | 28.5% | 2,138 | $32,149 | Baccalaureate | |
| 91% | 10.7% | 2,803 | $31,483 | Baccalaureate | |
| 81% | 34.2% | 2,909 | $38,645 | Baccalaureate | |
| 93% | 7.1% | 1,700 | $19,285 | Baccalaureate | |
| 71% | 24.6% | 1,358 | $33,013 | Baccalaureate | |
| 89% | 21.0% | 2,857 | $27,579 | Baccalaureate | |
| 84% | 48.3% | 3,124 | $23,874 | Baccalaureate | |
| 92% | 7.5% | 1,623 | $23,149 | Baccalaureate | |
| 74% | 59.5% | 1,738 | $23,458 | Baccalaureate | |
| 92% | 14.0% | 2,407 | $25,496 | Baccalaureate | |
| 93% | 16.5% | 4,011 | $30,177 | Baccalaureate | |
| 94% | 8.3% | 2,164 | $17,716 | Baccalaureate | |
| Peer group median | 90% | 16.5% | 1,973 | $26,538 |
Institutions like Carleton College
Explore the federal data for institutions in Carleton College's comparison group.
- BaccalaureateMassachusetts
Amherst College
Grad rate94%Admit rate9.0%Enrollment1,914Net price$23,367View data - BaccalaureateMaine
Bates College
Grad rate90%Admit rate13.3%Enrollment1,760Net price$29,351View data - BaccalaureateWisconsin
Beloit College
Grad rate71%Admit rate63.0%Enrollment1,004Net price$21,526View data - BaccalaureateMaine
Bowdoin College
Grad rate95%Admit rate7.1%Enrollment1,881Net price$14,398View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Bryn Mawr College
Grad rate82%Admit rate29.4%Enrollment1,679Net price$31,759View data - BaccalaureateColorado
Colorado College
Grad rate88%Admit rate18.5%Enrollment2,056Net price$33,375View data - BaccalaureateNorth Carolina
Davidson College
Grad rate91%Admit rate13.4%Enrollment1,869Net price$17,379View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Dickinson College
Grad rate80%Admit rate42.1%Enrollment2,314Net price$37,607View data - BaccalaureateIowa
Grinnell College
Grad rate88%Admit rate14.5%Enrollment1,788Net price$17,648View data - BaccalaureateNew York
Hamilton College
Grad rate91%Admit rate13.6%Enrollment2,031Net price$28,985View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Haverford College
Grad rate90%Admit rate12.4%Enrollment1,431Net price$25,314View data - BaccalaureateOhio
Kenyon College
Grad rate82%Admit rate31.0%Enrollment2,249Net price$38,512View data - BaccalaureateIllinois
Lake Forest College
Grad rate78%Admit rate56.8%Enrollment1,837Net price$28,673View data - BaccalaureateMinnesota
Macalester College
Grad rate87%Admit rate28.5%Enrollment2,138Net price$32,149View data - BaccalaureateVermont
Middlebury College
Grad rate91%Admit rate10.7%Enrollment2,803Net price$31,483View data - BaccalaureateOhio
Oberlin College
Grad rate81%Admit rate34.2%Enrollment2,909Net price$38,645View data - BaccalaureateCalifornia
Pomona College
Grad rate93%Admit rate7.1%Enrollment1,700Net price$19,285View data - BaccalaureateOregon
Reed College
Grad rate71%Admit rate24.6%Enrollment1,358Net price$33,013View data - BaccalaureateMassachusetts
Smith College
Grad rate89%Admit rate21.0%Enrollment2,857Net price$27,579View data - BaccalaureateMinnesota
St Olaf College
Grad rate84%Admit rate48.3%Enrollment3,124Net price$23,874View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Swarthmore College
Grad rate92%Admit rate7.5%Enrollment1,623Net price$23,149View data - BaccalaureateOhio
The College of Wooster
Grad rate74%Admit rate59.5%Enrollment1,738Net price$23,458View data - BaccalaureateMassachusetts
Wellesley College
Grad rate92%Admit rate14.0%Enrollment2,407Net price$25,496View data - BaccalaureateConnecticut
Wesleyan University
Grad rate93%Admit rate16.5%Enrollment4,011Net price$30,177View data - BaccalaureateMassachusetts
Williams College
Grad rate94%Admit rate8.3%Enrollment2,164Net price$17,716View data
Carleton College Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (IRA) provides data-informed, research-driven decision and strategic planning support to the administration, trustees, faculty leadership, and other campus constituencies to fulfill the mission and goals of Carleton College.
Visit IR office page- Matt GregoryAssistant Director of Institutional Research and Assessment
- Jody FriedowAssociate Director of Institutional Research
- Makiko ImamuraAssistant Vice President for Institutional Research and Assessment
Research funding
External research funding from NSF, NIH, HERD, and federal spending sources.
Common Data Set
Carleton College's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Affordability & Value
Where grant aid comes from
H193% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.
Graduate debt
H4/H537% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $18,677 on average.
Outcomes & Equity
Graduation & retention
B6-year graduation rate 93%; first-year retention 94%.
Equity: Pell graduation gap
B4Pell-grant recipients graduate 10 pts below the overall rate (84% vs 93%).
Academic Experience
Class-size distribution
I370% of classes have under 20 students; 0% have 50+.
Faculty profile
IKey faculty indicators.
Degrees by discipline
JSTEM-dominant: ~46% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.
Student Body & Diversity
Undergraduate race/ethnicity
B2Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.
International students
B210% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).
Transfer Path
Transfer admissions
D1249 transfer applicants → 24 admitted (9.6%) → 8 enrolled
Reports & documents (4)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookCarleton Facts2020The Carleton Facts page is a part of Carleton College's Institutional Research and Assessment section. Access to detailed content is restricted to individuals with Carleton credentials. The page provides options for navigating various institutional data, assessments, research, surveys, and data governance resources. It also mentions contact information and the office's location.carleton.edu
- GlossaryGlossary – Institutional Review Board (IRB) – Carleton CollegeThe glossary provided by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Carleton College includes key definitions relevant to research on human subjects. It covers terms like broad consent, consent form, and informed consent. The glossary emphasizes the federal requirements for research, the importance of informed consent, and the roles within the IRB process. Specific attention is also given to the prohibition of exculpatory language in consent forms and the understanding of minimal risk in research.carleton.edu
- Strategic planCarleton’s Future: A Strategic Plan for the College 20122012Carleton College's 2012 Strategic Plan outlines a focused path for maintaining its excellence over the next decade. The plan prioritizes enhancing curriculum, increasing socio-economic diversity, and ensuring a sustainable economy. Through collaborative opportunities and strategic investments, the college aims to elevate the life-changing impact of its liberal arts education.carleton.edu
Grants & funding (1)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
Notable alumni of Carleton College (30)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Lila Abu-LughodAcademia
- Jack CarsonArts
- Jonathan CapehartJournalism
- Arnold W. DonaldBusiness
- Eugenie Moore AndersonPolitics and government
- Melvin LairdPolitics and government
- Rush Holt Jr.Politics and government
- Thorstein VeblenAcademia
- Jimmy ChinArts
- Veronica RothArts
- Walther AlvarezScience
- Pierce ButlerLaw
Frequently asked questions about Carleton College
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Carleton College.
What is the graduation rate at Carleton College?
How many students attend Carleton College?
What is the average net price at Carleton College?
What is the yield rate at Carleton College?
Where is Carleton College located?
Who runs Institutional Research at Carleton College?
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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