1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Carleton College Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Carleton College MN · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #508 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/carleton-college/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/carleton-college/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/carleton-college/admissions/)[Majors](/school/carleton-college/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/carleton-college/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Carleton College #508 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Carleton College is a private nonprofit university in Northfield, Minnesota, where the largest share of degrees is in the Social Sciences. Return is above average, while affordability is around the average. Graduates earn below the median at comparable schools, and most are estimated to go into work rather than on to further study. The four-year earnings figure counts only graduates who are not enrolled. The published cost is high, but aid covers most of it for the average aid recipient. Families at the bottom of the income scale pay a fraction of what those at the top pay. The admission rate is well below the median for comparable institutions. A student drawn to the Social Sciences should know that the largest program with published earnings, Economics, is also the best-paid one. ## Carleton College at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 20.4% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 89.6% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $66,841 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $9,680 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $16,750 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $31,271 ## Carleton College rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Carleton College is a private nonprofit university in Northfield, Minnesota, enrolling 2,086 undergraduates. The composite sits in the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. Admission is selective: the university admits 20.4% of applicants, against a median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). Among full-time first-year students, 96.5% return for a second year, well above the peer median of 83.4%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 89.6%, compared with a peer median of 68.8%. An estimated 1.5% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate describes nearly the entire entering class. The four pillars sit close together. Return is the strongest (67th percentile), and affordability is the weakest (51st percentile). Access and mobility fall in between (58th and 61st percentiles). Azimuth evaluates Carleton College on four pillars among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. Return is the strongest, at the 67th percentile, and mobility follows at the 61st percentile. Access sits at the 58th percentile, and affordability is the weakest of the four at the 51st percentile. The pillars are tightly grouped, with no single dimension pulling far ahead or falling far behind. The middle 50% of submitted SAT scores for enrolled students fell between 1,450 and 1,560. The middle 50% of ACT scores fell between 32 and 34. 16.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks Carleton College #623 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access pillar draws on the share of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants and their completion rate. Azimuth ranks the university #456 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Carleton College rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #508 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 61 **Access & reach** National percentile: 58 **[Affordability](/school/carleton-college/cost/)** National percentile: 51 **[Return on investment](/school/carleton-college/outcomes/)** National percentile: 67 01 / Carleton College briefing ## [Carleton College cost & financial aid](/school/carleton-college/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Tuition and fees at Carleton College are $68,892, and room and board is $17,586. The total published cost of attendance is $84,893 (an average across living arrangements). Here the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $25,407, because aid covers about 70% of the published cost on average. Aid lowers the bill by $59,486 on average. Most families who receive aid therefore pay far less than the published total. That net price is $1,964 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #689 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the pillar in the 51st percentile, a middle position even though the net price falls below the peer median. 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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) 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 average net price 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$9,680** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Carleton College 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $31,271. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $190 a month if repaid over ten years. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) 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 Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. 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. [Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=carleton-college#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/carleton-college/cost/) 02 / Carleton College briefing ## [Carleton College career outcomes & earnings](/school/carleton-college/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Carleton College who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $66,841. That places the university in the 70th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The figure is $1,409 below the median of $68,250 for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the return pillar at the 67th percentile. The university does not carry an earnings-beyond-expectations measure, which would show the gap between what graduates earn and what a model expects for similar students. The return pillar rests on observed earnings and their national standing. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $66,841. Azimuth places that figure in the 70th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 222 completers. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, range from a downside of $48,975 to an upside of $96,465, with a typical scenario of $66,841. An estimated 42.0% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $66,841, in the 70th percentile nationally. That figure sits $1,409 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Carleton College #485 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. The dominant degree families are Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Biological Sciences. The earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show a wide range: a downside of $48,975 and an upside of $96,465. An estimated 42.0% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from $48,975 on the downside to $96,465 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $66,841. These are scenarios, not observed groups of graduates. The highest-earning program with published data is Economics, where graduates earn a median of $87,193 four years after completion. That is 1.05x the national median for the field. At Carleton College, the average amount aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships is $25,407, which is $1,964 below the median at comparable institutions (same type and size). The published cost of attendance is $84,893 (an average across living arrangements), and aid covers about 70% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The median federal debt among borrowers who finish is $16,750, $7,449 below the median at comparable institutions. That debt carries an estimated payment of $190 a month if repaid over ten years. Parent PLUS borrowing is separate, with a median of $31,271 for parent borrowers. Aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 average $7,881 after grants and scholarships, while those from families earning over $110,000 average $44,082, a spread of $36,201. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/carleton-college/outcomes/) 03 / Carleton College briefing ## [Carleton College acceptance rate & admissions](/school/carleton-college/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Carleton College admits 20.4% of applicants, a rate that sits well below the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). The gap means that most applicants do not receive an offer of admission. SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 20.4% **Approximate lower endpoint** 1450 **Reported average** 1517 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1560 Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/carleton-college/admissions/) 04 / Carleton College briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Carleton College?](/school/carleton-college/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Only one program at Carleton College has published four-year earnings. Economics is both the largest program with published earnings and the highest-earning one, with 34 degrees awarded and median earnings of $87,193 four years after completion. That figure sits at 1.05x the national median for the field. The three largest degree families are Social Sciences at 19.3% of bachelor's degrees awarded, Physical Sciences at 14.5%, and Biological Sciences at 10.8%. A student weighing earnings should know that the available data covers one field. Social Sciences accounts for 19.3% of bachelor's degrees awarded, ahead of Physical Sciences at 14.5% and Biological Sciences at 10.8%. The largest program with published earnings is Economics, at 34 degrees a year. Graduates of Economics earn a median of $87,193 four years after completion. That is the only program at Carleton College with published four-year earnings data, so the program-level picture is thin. An estimated 42.0% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The earnings figure above captures those who enter the workforce directly, not the full career arc of a student who goes on to a professional degree. The degree mix at Carleton College is anchored by Social Sciences, which accounts for 19.3% of bachelor's degrees awarded. Physical Sciences follows at 14.5%, with Biological Sciences at 10.8%. Economics is the largest program with published earnings, awarding 34 degrees a year. It is also the highest-earning program, with graduates reporting a median of $87,193 four years after completion. That earnings figure is 1.05x the national median for the field. The college has 1 program with published four-year earnings data. The pattern is one of concentration: a single program in the social sciences is both the largest and the best-paid. The earnings data available for it sits modestly above the national benchmark for its field. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Computer Science 59 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Biology, General 59 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **International Relations and National Security Studies 56 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Research and Experimental Psychology 43 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Mathematics 38 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Economics 34 degrees awarded** $87,193 Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings. [Read the full majors brief](/school/carleton-college/majors/) 05 / Carleton College briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Carleton College?](/school/carleton-college/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/carleton-college/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Carleton College. Admissions peerGrinnell College14.5% admitted+ Comparison with Carleton College | Measure | Carleton College | Grinnell College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,841 | $58,955\-$7,886 vs Carleton College | | Average annual net price | $25,407 | $17,648\-$7,759 vs Carleton College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 20.4% | 14.5% | [Explore Grinnell College →](/school/grinnell-college/) Higher-admission alternativeSt Catherine University91.9% admitted+ Comparison with Carleton College | Measure | Carleton College | St Catherine University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,841 | $65,829\-$1,012 vs Carleton College | | Average annual net price | $25,407 | $19,764\-$5,643 vs Carleton College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 20.4% | 91.9% | Nearby alternativeMacalester CollegeNearby option · MN+ Comparison with Carleton College | Measure | Carleton College | Macalester College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,841 | $58,560\-$8,281 vs Carleton College | | Average annual net price | $25,407 | $32,149+$6,742 vs Carleton College · higher cost | | Admission rate | 20.4% | 28.5% | Higher-earnings alternativeFranklin W Olin College of Engineering$126,895 earnings+ Comparison with Carleton College | Measure | Carleton College | Franklin W Olin College of Engineering | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,841 | $126,895+$60,054 vs Carleton College | | Average annual net price | $25,407 | $25,171\-$236 vs Carleton College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 20.4% | 25.2% | [Explore Franklin W Olin College of Engineering →](/school/franklin-w-olin-college-of-engineering/) Lower-cost alternativeSaint Mary's University of Minnesota$11,704 average net price+ Comparison with Carleton College | Measure | Carleton College | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,841 | $72,502+$5,661 vs Carleton College | | Average annual net price | $25,407 | $11,704\-$13,703 vs Carleton College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 20.4% | 92.8% | Similar profileValparaiso UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Carleton College | Measure | Carleton College | Valparaiso University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,841 | $69,228+$2,387 vs Carleton College | | Average annual net price | $25,407 | $18,578\-$6,829 vs Carleton College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 20.4% | 89.4% | [Explore Valparaiso University →](/school/valparaiso-university/) Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable. [Read the full similar schools brief](/school/carleton-college/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 28, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 28, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)