Acceptance rate
20.4%
Carleton College
Admission Chances & Acceptance Rate
Carleton is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, with 2,059 students and a 20.4% acceptance rate. The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1450–1560 on the SAT. It has a strong 96% first-year retention rate and 90% six-year graduation rate. Social Sciences, Computer Science, and Physical Sciences are the most popular majors, and graduates earn a median of $75,525 ten years after enrollment.
Enrollment
2,059
Test policy
optional
Grad rate (6-yr)
90%
Will you get into Carleton College?
Enter your GPA, SAT & ACT and get your personal admission probability — free, no credit card.
Calculate my chances →◴ Admitted Student Profile
The middle 50% of admitted students (25th–75th percentile), self-reported by the school.
SAT (combined)
1450 – 1560
ACT (composite)
32 – 34
GPA
Not published
$ What You'll Actually Pay
Average yearly net price after grants & scholarships, by family income (federal cohort averages — not a personal quote).
$0–30k
$7,881
family income
$30–48k
$8,203
family income
$48–75k
$9,680
family income
$75–110k
$18,485
family income
$110k+
$44,082
family income
17% receive Pell grants
43% take federal loans
✦ Strongest Programs
The fields Carleton College graduates the most students in — a signal of depth, faculty, and alumni networks.
Social Sciences
19.8%
Computer Science
16.3%
Physical Sciences
12.7%
Biology
9.2%
Psychology
8.5%
↗ Outcomes
School-level averages across all students who enrolled (College Scorecard). Not a personal forecast.
Earnings (10 yr)
$75,525
Earnings (6 yr)
$53,989
Completion
90%
Retention
96%
Median debt
$16,750
? Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Carleton College?
Carleton College has an acceptance rate of 20.4%, making it selective.
What SAT score do you need for Carleton College?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored between 1450 and 1560 on the SAT. The ACT range is 32–34.
How much does Carleton College actually cost?
After grants and scholarships, the average net price for the lowest income band is $7,881 per year, rising to $44,082 for families earning $110k+. These are federal cohort averages, not a personal quote.
What are my chances of getting into Carleton College?
Your odds depend on how your GPA and test scores compare to admitted students, plus factors like major, residency, and early decision. UniversityOdds calculates a personalized probability for free — enter your stats to see yours.
See your real odds at Carleton College and ~50 top schools
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Get my free odds →Data sourced from IPEDS, the Common Data Set, and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Acceptance probabilities calculated by UniversityOdds are estimates based on published academic data and are not a guarantee of admission. Net price figures are federal cohort averages, not personalized quotes — run the school's official net price calculator for your own estimate.