College Profiles/ Carleton College
College Profile · Fall 2027 Entry
Carleton College Admissions: Acceptance Rate, Cost, Financial Aid and Deadlines
Northfield, MN · 2,086 undergraduates. Everything families need to apply to Carleton College for fall 2027, verified against the school’s own Common Data Set, cost of attendance and admissions pages, with ConnectPrep’s strategic read.
By Jeremy Fine, Founder of ConnectPrep
Updated October 11, 2026 · Data verified against official sources
✓ Every figure cited
Quick answer
Carleton College admitted 20.4% of 7,133 first-year applicants in the 2024-2025 Common Data Set.[1] Early Decision applicants were admitted at 36.6%.[1] The middle 50% SAT range for enrolled first-years is 1470 to 1540.[1] The 2026-2027 cost of attendance is $97,870.[2] For fall 2027 entry, deadlines are Early Decision I Nov 15, Early Decision II Jan 15, Regular Decision Jan 15.[3]
20.4%
Overall admit rate[1]
36.6%
Early Decision admit rate[1]
1470 to 1540
Middle 50% SAT[1]
$97,870
Cost of attendance, 2026-2027[2]
$1.3B
Endowment, FY2025[4]
89.6%
Six-year graduation rate[1]
Carleton College at a Glance
- Location
- Northfield, MN
- Type
- Private nonprofit
- Student to faculty ratio
- 8:1[5]
- Endowment
- $1.3 billion (FY2025)[4]
- SAT/ACT, fall 2027
- Optional[3]
- Application
- Common App, Coalition, QuestBridge[3]
- First-year retention
- 96.5%[1]
The ConnectPrep Take on Carleton College
The ConnectPrep take
Carleton's Common Data Set rates eight factors as very important, from rigor, class rank and GPA to essays, recommendations, activities, talent and character, and the college says readers want both academic achievements and personal strengths, naming involvement, leadership and even humor. The admit rate is 20.4%, and Fall Early Decision on Nov 15 helps: 36.6% of 667 ED applicants were admitted, about 1.8 times the overall rate, though early pools are self-selected and often include recruited athletes and legacies. Winter ED and Regular Decision both close Jan 15. Carleton is permanently test optional, and submitters must send full results. With a middle 50% SAT of 1470 to 1540, we advise 1505 or higher. The mistake we see is a polished but flat application that never lets the reader meet your student.
What to do this fall
- Let the essays sound like your student, humor included, since Carleton names it among the qualities it weighs.
- Apply Fall ED by Nov 15 or Winter ED by Jan 15 if Carleton is first choice.
- Send full SAT results only if the score is 1505 or higher, and retest toward 1540 first if needed.
- Schedule the optional interview before Jan 15; international students must request aid when applying.
Applying to Carleton College? Get a free strategy session. We map your student’s round, testing plan, essays and every scholarship deadline for this school.
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Carleton College Admissions Statistics
| Applicant pool |
Applied |
Admitted |
Admit rate |
| All first-year applicants[1] |
7,133 |
1,456 |
20.4% |
| Early Decision[1] |
667 |
244 |
36.6% |
- Early Decision admits made up about 17% of all admitted students, so a large part of the class is filled before Regular Decision applications are read (ConnectPrep calculation from the figures above).
- The Early Decision admit rate is about 1.8 times the overall rate. Early pools are self-selected and often include recruited athletes and legacy applicants, so the true advantage for a typical applicant is smaller.
- Yield, the share of admitted students who enrolled, was 34.8%.[1]
- 573 students were offered a waitlist spot, 242 accepted one, and 52 were admitted from it.[1]
Testing and academic profile
| Academic profile of enrolled first-years |
Middle 50% or share |
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing[1] |
720 to 770 |
| SAT Math[1] |
730 to 790 |
| SAT composite[1] |
1470 to 1540 |
| ACT composite[1] |
32 to 35 |
| Enrolled students who submitted the SAT[1] |
34% |
| Enrolled students who submitted the ACT[1] |
25% |
| Ranked in top 10% of high school class[1] |
63% |
ConnectPrep score target
Aim for 1540 on the SAT, the 75th percentile here, or 35 on the ACT. When testing is optional, we generally advise submitting scores at or above about 1500, the middle of the range. A higher score is always better, and the test can be retaken. Not there yet? Take a free practice test and we will build the plan to close the gap.
What Carleton College looks for
Rated “very important” by Carleton College: Rigor of secondary school record, Class rank, Academic GPA, Application Essay, Recommendation(s), Extracurricular activities, Talent/ability, Character/personal qualities.[1]
In its own words: Carleton says it is not looking for a specific GPA or test score; readers want to learn about each applicant's academic achievements and personal strengths, and the committee weighs qualities beyond academic promise such as involvement in school and community, leadership, and humor.[6]
Carleton College Application Deadlines 2026-2027
| Round |
Deadline |
Decision |
| Early Decision I |
Nov 15 |
by Dec 15 (ED I); by Feb 15 (ED II) |
| Early Decision II |
Jan 15 |
|
| Regular Decision |
Jan 15 |
by Apr 1 |
Insider deadlines families miss
These scholarship, honors, program, interview and aid deadlines come from Carleton College’s own pages. Anything tagged Before RD is due before the Regular Decision deadline.
| Program or rule |
Deadline |
What to know |
| Optional interview |
Jan 15 |
Interviews for high school students run from early June through Jan 15 of senior year; not required.[7] |
| Financial aid materials |
Nov 15 (ED I); Jan 15 (ED II, RD) |
Aid documents are due on the same date as the admission round.[7] |
See how Carleton College compares with other colleges in the Midwest deadlines database or the full 2026-2027 college application deadlines hub.
Carleton College Cost and Financial Aid
| Cost and aid |
Figure |
| Cost of attendance (2026-2027)[2] |
$97,870 |
| Tuition[2] |
$75,186 |
| Average share of need met[8] |
100.0% |
Tuition 75,186, student activity fee 480, housing 10,194, food 9,120, books and personal 2,040, average travel 850. Health insurance (2,355) is billed separately and not included in the total.[2]
- Carleton College states that it meets 100% of demonstrated financial need.[8]
- Aid packages are loan-free.[8]
- International students: Limited. Carleton offers a small number of need-based scholarships to international students, with most awarded in Regular Decision and a very limited number available in Early Decision; aid cannot be requested after admission.[9]
What families actually pay: net price by income
Net price is the full cost of attendance minus the average grants and scholarships for first-year students receiving aid, by family income. It comes from federal data, which runs a year or two behind the school’s current cost figures.[10]
| Family income |
Average net price per year |
| $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 aided students |
$25,407 |
Academics and Majors at Carleton College
Signature programs
Trimester calendar
Carleton runs on a trimester calendar of three ten-week terms.[5]
Off-Campus Studies
Carleton reports that 69% of students study off campus, both domestically and internationally.[5]
Arboretum
The 1,040-acre campus includes an 880-acre arboretum.[5]
Professor-taught courses
Every course at Carleton is taught by a professor rather than a teaching assistant.[11]
Choosing a major and getting in
Students apply to the college as a whole and choose from 33 majors and 39 minors after enrolling.[5]
Special admission paths
- Fall Early Decision (binding, deadline November 15).[12]
- Winter Early Decision (binding, deadline January 15).[12]
- QuestBridge National College Match (deadline late September).[12]
Carleton College Retention and Graduation Rates
| Outcome |
Figure |
| First-year students who returned for sophomore year[1] |
96.5% |
| Graduated within four years[1] |
82.4% |
| Graduated within six years[1] |
89.6% |
| Median earnings 10 years after starting college[10] |
$75,525 |
| Median federal loan debt of graduates[10] |
$16,750 |
| Undergraduates receiving Pell Grants[10] |
17% |
Make Carleton College a realistic goal
ConnectPrep builds the full plan: the right round, a score target and test schedule, essays that sound like your student, and every scholarship and program deadline on one calendar. Start with a free consultation or a free practice test.
Compare Similar Colleges
Carleton College FAQs
What is the Carleton College acceptance rate?
Carleton College admitted 20.4% of first-year applicants (1,456 of 7,133), according to its 2024-2025 Common Data Set. The Early Decision admit rate was 36.6%.
When are the Carleton College application deadlines for 2026-27?
For students entering in fall 2027: Early Decision I Nov 15; Early Decision II Jan 15; Regular Decision Jan 15.
How much does Carleton College cost?
The 2026-2027 cost of attendance is $97,870. The school states it meets 100% of demonstrated need.
What SAT score do you need for Carleton College?
The middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 1470 to 1540 on the SAT and 32 to 35 on the ACT. ConnectPrep advises aiming for 1540, the 75th percentile. Testing policy for fall 2027 entry: Optional.
Is it easier to get into Carleton early decision?
Carleton admitted 36.6% of its 667 Early Decision applicants against 20.4% overall, about 1.8 times the overall rate. Early pools are self-selected and often include recruited athletes and legacies, so the real advantage is smaller. Carleton offers Fall ED on Nov 15 and Winter ED on Jan 15, with aid documents due the same day.
Is Carleton test optional?
Yes. Carleton adopted a permanent test optional policy for all applicants in 2025. Students who submit must send full SAT or ACT results. The middle 50% SAT is 1470 to 1540 and the ACT is 32 to 35, so we advise submitting at or above the 1505 midpoint on the SAT and aiming for 1540.
About the author
Jeremy Fine
Jeremy Fine founded ConnectPrep in 2013 and brings more than 20 years of experience in education, spanning test preparation, college advising and academic program management. He holds a BA from Washington University in St. Louis and an MPA from the University of Pittsburgh.
ConnectPrep is based in Westport, Connecticut, and works with students from kindergarten through graduate school, in person and online. Meet the team.
This profile is an independent ConnectPrep resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Carleton College. Figures come from the sources listed above as published when checked in October 2026; the Common Data Set year is noted where used. Policies and costs change, so confirm with the school before applying.
