Carleton College
Carleton College is a private nonprofit college in Northfield, MN, with about 2,069 students on campus.
The short version on Carleton College
Nearly everyone who starts here finishes
90% of students graduate within six years, more than at 95% of 4-year colleges. 96% of first-year students come back for a second year. Outcomes ↓
What you pay depends heavily on your income
Families earning under $30,000 pay about $7,881 a year after grants. Families over $110,000 pay $44,082, 6 times as much. What it costs ↓
Carleton College’s graduates are among the best paid in the country
Former students earn a median $75,525 ten years after starting, more than at 95% of U.S. colleges. Outcomes ↓
Few families pay the sticker price
The full cost of a year is $84,893, but the average family on federal aid pays $25,407 after grants, about 70% less. What it costs ↓
Students are a big part of Northfield
28% of Northfield’s 21,992 residents are enrolled in college. Living in Northfield ↓
This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
Do students finish, and does it pay off?
Debt vs. the paycheck
The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting
$178 a month against about $4,499 a month in pay.
Paying back loans
Federal student loans, this college
of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 99% of U.S. colleges.
Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).
Earnings by family background
Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment
How hard is it to get into Carleton College?
of applicants admitted
About 4 of every 20 applicants get in.
Test scores of admitted students
The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1517.
The sticker price, and what families really pay
Sticker price: $84,893 a year
Before any grants
After grants, the average family on aid pays $25,407.
Your family’s price
Average net price after grants, by family income
About $38,720 over 4 years · 89% off the sticker price
What students study, and what it pays
Share of degrees by field
Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates
And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).
The students
2,086 degree-seeking undergraduates.
By race and ethnicity
Women and men
Living in Northfield
28% of Northfield’s 21,992 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Northfield pages.
Other colleges within 30 miles
Straight-line distances from Carleton College; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.
Ask around
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.