In the news
· Announced
Carleton drops loans from its financial aid, starting fall 2027Carleton will replace every federal and college loan in its aid packages with grants. Any student who qualifies for need-based aid is covered.
Getting in
For Fall 2025, 6,796 first-year students applied to Carleton, 1,480 were admitted and 518 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 21.8%.
Source: Carleton Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By residency, first-year applicants, Fall 2025
| Applicants | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-state | 636 | 221 | 34.7% |
| Out-of-state | 2,870 | 1,127 | 39.3% |
| International | 3,290 | 132 | 4% |
Source: Carleton Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1, residency table. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. Carleton admits students to the college, not to a major, and its Common Data Set reports one first-year acceptance rate with no rate by major. Students choose a major in the third term of sophomore year.
Source: Carleton 2026-2027 Academic Catalog, Academic Requirements (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early decision. The Common Data Set gives one early decision count, Fall and Winter Early Decision together. Carleton has no early action plan.
Early decision, Fall 2025
| Plan | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall and Winter Early Decision | 760 | 263 | 34.6% |
Source: Carleton Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections C21 and C22. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Programs with extra requirements
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
You apply to Carleton as a whole, with no separate school to choose. One optional piece:
- Arts supplements (optional). You may send a portfolio in visual arts, music, theater, dance or film through your applicant status page after you apply; Carleton professors review it for the admissions committee. Creative writing portfolios are not accepted, and no portfolio is needed to major in the arts.
Source: Carleton Admissions, In Depth: Materials and Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
33 majors across 1 school. Every major in Carleton's official 2026-2027 Academic Catalog, each leading to the Bachelor of Arts. Minors and special (self-designed) majors are left out.
Carleton College33
- Africana Studies (B.A.)
- American Studies (B.A.)
- Art History (B.A.)
- Asian Studies (B.A.)
- Biology (B.A.)
- Chemistry (B.A.)
- Cinema and Media Studies (B.A.)
- Classics (B.A.)
- Cognitive Science (B.A.)
- Computer Science (B.A.)
- Economics (B.A.)
- English (B.A.)
- Environmental Studies (B.A.)
- French and Francophone Studies (B.A.)
- Gender, Women's & Sexuality Studies (B.A.)
- Geology (B.A.)
- German (B.A.)
- History (B.A.)
- Latin American Studies (B.A.)
- Linguistics (B.A.)
- Mathematics (B.A.)
- Music (B.A.)
- Philosophy (B.A.)
- Physics (B.A.)
- Political Science and International Relations (B.A.)
- Psychology (B.A.)
- Religion (B.A.)
- Russian (B.A.)
- Sociology/Anthropology (B.A.)
- Spanish (B.A.)
- Studio Art (B.A.)
- Statistics (B.A.)
- Theater Arts (B.A.)
Source: Carleton 2026-2027 Academic Catalog, Academic Requirements (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall Early Decision | November 15 | December 15 | Yes |
| Winter Early Decision | January 15 | February 15 | Yes |
| Regular Decision | January 15 | April 1 | No |
Financial aid materials are due on the same date as the application in each round. Admitted students confirm by January 15 (Fall Early Decision), March 1 (Winter Early Decision) or May 1 (Regular Decision). There is no application fee, and an interview is optional.
Source: Carleton Admissions, In Depth: Materials and Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early Decision is binding: if Carleton admits you, you withdraw all other applications and enroll at Carleton. You may file Regular Decision applications elsewhere while you wait. Deferred students are reconsidered in Regular Decision; denied students should not reapply in Regular Decision.
Source: Carleton Admissions, In Depth: Materials and Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Carleton adopted a permanent test-optional policy in 2025: SAT or ACT scores are not required, but you may send them, and you may self-report them. The writing section is not required. If you send scores, they are due by November 20 for Fall Early Decision and January 20 for Winter Early Decision and Regular Decision.
Source: Carleton Admissions, In Depth: Materials and Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
The Common Data Set also marks the SAT or ACT as not required for fall 2027 applicants, but considered if submitted.
Source: Carleton Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C8. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked Carleton's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: Carleton Admissions, In Depth: Materials and Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at Carleton, 2026-2027:
| Tuition | $75,186 |
|---|---|
| Required fees | $486 |
| Housing (on campus) | $10,194 |
| Food (on-campus meal plan) | $9,120 |
| Books and supplies | $1,101 |
| Transportation | $850 |
| Other expenses | $939 |
| Total | $97,876 |
For a full-time student living on campus.
Source: Carleton Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections G1 and G5. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $7,881 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $8,203 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $9,680 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $18,485 |
| Over $110,000 | $44,082 |
| All incomes | $25,407 |
What first-year, full-time students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from Carleton's aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Similar schools
Chosen for how close each is to Carleton College on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
Macalester CollegeSaint Paul, MN · Private28.1% admitted$32,149 average net price
Colorado CollegeColorado Springs, CO · Private22.1% admitted$33,375 average net price
Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, NY · Private20.9% admitted$39,343 average net price
University of RichmondRichmond, VA · Private22.2% admitted$31,309 average net price
Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC · Private20.8% admitted$28,719 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.