Carleton College

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Carleton College, a liberal arts school, provides students a well rounded foundation in education by having a curriculum with a diverse range of subjects. This college is located in Northfield, MN, a predominately rural area. There are around two thousand students enrolled each year at Carleton College.

The majority of students accepted into this school had an SAT score within the range of 1360 to 1540, or got accepted with an ACT score in the range of 31 to 34. By applying sampled GPA data from over 150 schools, we are able to estimate that the Carleton College average GPA ranges from 3.82 to 3.96 for accepted students. The acceptance rate for this school is lower than most schools and competition is high, given that only 20% of students who applied are admitted to the school. You can get more information from the admissions office website at .carleton.edu.

Overall Carleton College Acceptance Rate - Fall 2020

19.1%

The overall acceptance rate for Carleton College was reported as 19.1% in Fall 2020 with over 7,320 college applications submitted to this school. Both in state and out of state applicants are included in these figures. We do not have data on transfer acceptance rates currently.

Accepted Applicants Profile

  • ACT Scores: 31 - 34
  • Average GPA: 3.82 - 3.96

How Hard Is It to Get into Carleton College?

Applicant Selectivity: High

Carleton College has a very competitive selection process for applicants, where most students accepted have a higher than average high school GPA and scored in the top percentiles on standardized tests like the SAT or ACT exam.

Historical Trend and Acceptance Rate 2025 Projection

The historical trend chart shows acceptance rates from the previous years, from which we have projected the acceptance rate for the 2025-2026 school year. The overall acceptance rate trend for Carleton College has been getting lower when compared to averages from previous years.

Acceptance Rate By Year

  • 2016-2017: 22.6%
  • 2017-2018: 21.2%
  • 2018-2019: 19.8%
  • 2019-2020: 19.1%
  • Projected Acceptance Rate 2025-2026: 18.7%

How Does Carleton College Compare?

19.1%
This School
56.7%
National Avg

The acceptance rate for Carleton College is more than 100% lower than the national average of all colleges which is around 56.7%.

Nearby Similar College Acceptance Rates

SchoolAcceptance Rate
St Olaf College47.5%
St Catherine University67.3%
Macalester College32.3%
Minneapolis College of Art and Design58.5%

Admissions Rates & Enrollment Rates - Details

General Recommendations & Requirements for Admissions

  • High School GPA Scores are Recommended
  • High School Class Rankings are Recommended
  • School Records are Required
  • College Prep Classes are Recommended
  • Submit Recommendation Letters are Required
  • Standardized Test Scores (SAT,ACT,...) are Required
  • TOEFL Exam (Foreign Language Students) are Required

Number of Applicants, Percent Accepted, and Enrolled Students (Fall 2020)

TotalMaleFemale
Applicants7,32448.8%51.2%
Admitted1,40148.8%51.2%
Enrolled52548.2%51.8%

Average ACT/SAT Scores of Applicants to Carleton College (Fall 2020)

SAT® SectionScore Range
Critical Reading670 - 750
Math690 - 790
Total Score1360 - 1540
ACT®Score Range
English0 - 0
Math0 - 0
Composite Score31 - 34
To learn more about the data and calculations that power this site, please visit our data discussion page.

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School Details

Address

One North College Street
Northfield, MN 55057

Phone

(507) 222-4000

Website

School Code

#002340

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