Carleton College
Northfield, MN · “Carleton”
- Liberal Arts College
- Private
- Rural campus
- Cold climate
Known for: Computer & Info Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences
A private liberal arts college in Northfield, MN. About 20 of every 100 applicants get in. It gives need-based aid to international students.
If you apply from Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar → Northfield
- English: TOEFL 100 · IELTS 7 · Duolingo 130
- Early Decision deadline: Nov 15
- US News Liberal Arts
- #10
- Forbes
- #128
- After the average intl award
- Full price before aid: ≈$91k/yr
- Admit rate
- 20%
- of applicants get in
- Undergrads
- 2,086
- 10% international
- Next deadline
- Nov 15
- Early Decision
Plus shows 5 more facts about this school ↓
Getting in
About 20% of applicants are admitted. It is test-optional, so you do not have to send SAT or ACT scores, though strong ones still help.
- Test policy
- Test-optional, for international students too
- Admit rate for internationals
- Not published by the school
- Early decision admit rate
- Not published by the school
- SAT, middle 50%
- 1450–1560
- ACT, middle 50%
- 32–34
- Early Decision
- Nov 15
- Regular Decision
- Jan 15
- TOEFL iBT minimum
- 100
- no hard minimum; recommended range 100 and above (TOEFL iBT), or 5.5+ on new scale
- IELTS minimum
- 7
- Duolingo (DET) minimum
- 130
- DET accepted; no hard minimum; recommended 130 and above
- SAT or ACT can replace the English test
- Not published by the school
Cost & aid
Full price is about $91k a year before aid. Internationals who get aid here pay less. Plus shows how much less.
- Tuition & fees $69k
- Room & board $18k
- Other fees $2k
- Health insurance $2k
- Cost after the average intl award
- Aid for internationals
- Need-based
Asking for aid
They decide whether to admit you without looking at your ability to pay, so asking for financial aid does not lower your chances.- Part of the admission decision (need-aware)
Covers all proven need
If they admit you, they cover the full gap between what your family can pay and the total cost, usually with grants you do not repay.- Yes
- Internationals who get aid
- Biggest merit scholarship for internationals
- Carleton is need-based only for international students; meets 100% of demonstrated need. No institutional merit scholarships awarded to international students (Starr/Kellogg/Underbrink scholarships are need-based).
- Average award for internationals
- Yearly aid budget for internationals
- Application fee
- Free
- No application fee at all.
- Local living costs
- 76.3 (New York = 100)
- Day-to-day life here costs well below big-city rates.
5more facts about this school in Plus
Cost after the average intl award
What an international student who gets aid pays here in a year, on average.
Average award for internationals. How much aid an international student gets, and what share of the full price it covers.
Internationals who get aid. How many international students here receive aid.
Yearly aid budget for internationals · Majors with the STEM work extension
And 3 more: Internationals who get aid · Yearly aid budget for internationals · Majors with the STEM work extension
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Work & visa
OPT lets graduates work in the US for a year after graduation, and STEM majors can add two more years.
- Study
- OPT 1 year
- STEM OPT +2 years
- Majors with the STEM work extension
- CPT internships
- Yes
- Work off campus in your field while you study
- On-campus jobs
- Yes
- Earn while enrolled, no extra visa needed
- Adviser for international students
- Yes
- Immigration and visa support on campus
- Undergraduate research
- Yes
- Co-op built into the curriculum
- No
- IB or A-level credit recognised
- Yes
- Your diploma can earn course credit
- Visa compliance record
- No known SEVIS issues on record
Life & outcomes
96% of first-year students return for a second year. 90% graduate within six years. Graduates start around $54k a year. About 10% of undergraduates are international.
- Median starting salary
- $53,989
- All graduates, all majors. Your field will vary.
- Undergraduates
- 2,086
- International undergraduates
- 217
- Share that is international
- 10%
- Countries represented
- 17
Similar universities
- St. Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MN · #50 US News · Need-based and merit aid
- Furman UniversityGreenville, SC · #45 US News · Need-based and merit aid
- Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, ME · #5 US News · Need-based aid
- Skidmore CollegeSaratoga Springs, NY · #37 US News · Need-based and merit aid
- St Lawrence UniversityCanton, NY · #58 US News · Need-based and merit aid
- Rhodes CollegeMemphis, TN · #55 US News · Need-based and merit aid
Where this comes from
35% of this school's fields are individually verified. Last checked Jul 2, 2026. Figures are for guidance, so always confirm on the school's official pages before you rely on them.
Data sources
- Main source
- College Scorecard (06/2026 release); Intl-aid/CoL batch (2026-06): Numbeo CoL Index; need-blind list per Wikipedia+aggregators; B5/D3 batch (2026-07): co-op per institutional programs; I-20 industry-norm default; SEVIS none-known default; CDS 2025-2026: AppFee/Deadlines/OtherFees (https://carleton-wp-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/site); English-req/test-policy: official intl-admissions pages (2026-07); IntlMisc (countries/SHIP/funnel/outcomes): official intl/ISSS/career pages (2026-07); Programs: IPEDS/Scorecard PCIP (Most-Recent-Cohorts, 2024) [Jul 1, 2026]; STEM-OPT %: DHS STEM List 2024 (6-digit) × Scorecard programs (4-digit CIP, split families adj.) [Jul 1, 2026]; Fee-waiver verified vs official admissions page [Jul 1, 2026]; AppFee verified Jul 1, 2026 (official); Deadlines verified Jul 2, 2026 (official)
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