Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota · Private · 2,086 undergraduates · carleton.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
22%
of 6,796 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1460 to 1530
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$101,800Est.Estimate
before aid
Your chances and merit aid at Carleton College
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
22% of applicants admitted
Target
Your SAT is inside the range where the middle half of enrolled freshmen scored.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$101,800
a year in 2027-28, from a $101,800 sticker price
What to do with your 1500
Send your score
Your SAT is at or above the median of freshmen who sent scores (1500).
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
- You can type your scores into the application; official reports come later.
Source: Criteria for Admission | Carleton Admissions · Checked October 16, 2026
Application deadlines
- Nov15Early Decision · November 15, 2026Binding: if admitted, you commit to enroll.
- Jan15Early Decision II · January 15, 2027A second binding round, after Early Decision.
- Jan15Regular Decision · January 15, 2027The standard deadline.
Who gets in
22%
of applicants were admitted: 1,480 of 6,796 for fall 2025.
Early Decision
Binding. 35% of early applicants were admitted.
Wait list
675 students were offered a spot; 33 were later admitted.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2025)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 39% of them sent SAT scores and 25% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1460 to 1530
Reading and Writing 730 to 770
Math 720 to 780
ACT composite 32 to 35
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 160091%
- 1200 to 13999%
- 1000 to 11990%
- 800 to 9990%
- 600 to 7990%
- 400 to 5990%
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$101,800
a year
- Tuition$78,190
- Fees$510
- Food and housing$20,090
- Books and supplies$1,150
- Transportation and other$1,860
Carleton College published $97,876 for 2026-27. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24, by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$12,275
- $30,001 to $48,000$11,313
- $48,001 to $75,000$18,924
- $75,001 to $110,000$18,309
- Over $110,000$37,770
Financial aid
100%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$66,762
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
3.1%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $2,000 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Required. It's a second, more detailed aid form some colleges use for their own grants.
- Aid priority date: 1/15
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
35 of 35
Earn credit with a score of 3
5 exams
A 3-credit course is worth
about $7,820Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 4 | 6 |
| 3-D Art and Design | 4 | 6 |
| African American Studies | 4 | 6 |
| Art History | 5 | 6 |
| Biology | 3 | 6 |
| Biology | 5 | 6 |
| Calculus AB | 4 | 6 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 6 |
| Calculus BC | 4 | 12 |
| Calculus BC: AB Subscore | 4 | 6 |
| Chemistry | 3 | |
| Chemistry | 4 | 6 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | 6 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 5 | 6 |
| Computer Science A | 4 | 6 |
| Computer Science Principles | 5 | 6 |
| Drawing | 4 | 6 |
| English Language and Composition | 4 | 6 |
| English Literature and Composition | 4 | 6 |
| Environmental Science | 4 | 6 |
| European History | 4 | 6 |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 6 |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | 6 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | 6 |
| Latin | 5 | 6 |
| Macroeconomics | 5 | 6 |
| Microeconomics | 5 | 6 |
| Music Theory | 4 | 6 |
| Physics 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 3 | 3 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | 3 |
| Psychology | 4 | 6 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 6 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 6 |
| Statistics | 4 | 6 |
| United States Government and Politics | 5 | 6 |
| United States History | 4 | 6 |
| World History: Modern | 4 | 6 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
89%
Come back for a second year
96%
Typical earnings
$82,742
a year, 10 years after starting here
- Carleton College$130,439
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 3 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with Carleton College. The Carleton College logo is a trademark of the college.