Cost & financial aid brief
Carleton College Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Carleton College cost after financial aid?
The sticker-to-net gap of $59,486 means aid covers about 70% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Average net prices are lowest for families earning under $30,000, at $7,881, and highest for those earning over $110,000, at $44,082.
The spread of $36,201 between the two ends shows a pricing pattern where aid is larger for families with less ability to pay, though individual packages will differ.
The published cost of attendance at Carleton College is $84,893 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #689 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $7,881, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $9,680, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $44,082. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $36,201.
Aid covers about 70% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The across all aid recipients is $25,407, which is $1,964 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $16,750 in federal student loans. That is $7,449 below the $24,199 median at comparable institutions.
85.5% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow through the separate Parent PLUS program hold a median of $31,271.
If repaid over ten years, the median student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $190 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Median federal student debt at Carleton College is $16,750 for borrowers who complete. That is $7,449 below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Federal borrowing reaches 85.5% of federal aid recipients. Parent borrowers are a separate population, with median Parent PLUS borrowing of $31,271.
Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Carleton College who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $66,841, at the 70th percentile nationally. That figure is $1,409 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, range from $48,975 on the downside to $96,465 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $66,841. Borrowers who finish leave with a median of $16,750 in federal student loans, which is $7,449 below the peer median of $24,199.
If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $190 a month. Earnings sit below the peer median, while the debt load is below than at comparable institutions.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $31,271. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $190 a month if repaid over ten years.
Repayment figures are in the Financial GPS card below. Borrowing populations and model assumptions.
Parent loans: what can the family afford?
How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families
- Median Parent PLUS debt
- $31,271
- Estimated parent payment
- $397/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | High pressure |
| $150,000 | Safe |
| $200,000 | Safe |
The model holds the parent balance fixed and varies parent income. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $16,750
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $31,271
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $190/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $397/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $587/mo
Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.
Student payment as a share of available income
At median graduate earnings of $66,841, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
5.2% of income above the allowance · Excellent
- Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
- Good 8–under 12%
- Concerning 12–20%
- High risk Over 20%
How this estimate works
These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $22,590, uses the published framework’s 2024 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.
Payment assumptions
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.
Net price and borrowing. The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. College Scorecard data and documentation.
A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.