Key differences on Getting in

1
Williams is 2.2× more selective than Carleton
Acceptance rate
2
Williams's yield is 8 pts higher than Carleton's
Yield rate
3
Williams's SAT midpoint is 30 points higher than Carleton's
SAT midpoint

Admissions

Getting in, fall 2024

Acceptance and yield, test score ranges, test policy, and what each college weighs.

The funnel

Acceptance rate

Williams8.3%Most selective

Carleton18%

Applicants

Williams15.4KMost

Carleton8.2K

Admitted

Williams1.3K

Carleton1.5KMost

Yield rate

Williams43%Highest

Carleton35%

Quad's selectivity

WilliamsUltra selective
CarletonHighly selective

Men and women

Acceptance rate for men and women who applied, where a college reports admissions by sex.

Women admitted

Williams8.8%

Carleton23%

Men admitted

Williams8.0%

Carleton18%

Test scores

SAT total,

Williams

1490–1570

Carleton

1460–1530

Axis runs 1400–1600. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

ACT composite,

Williams

34–35

Carleton

32–35

Axis runs 28–36. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

Submitted SAT

Williams35%

Carleton39%

Submitted ACT

Williams17%

Carleton25%

Test policy

WilliamsTest-optional
CarletonTest-optional

How they read a record

Williams
The high school record and a college-prep program are required; GPA and class rank are considered.
Carleton
, GPA, and class rank are all very important; tests are considered.

What they look at

Factor	Williams	Carleton
High school GPA	Considered	Very important
High school record	Required	Required
Class rank	Considered	Very important
College-prep program	Required	Required
Recommendations	Required	Very important
Essay	Required	Very important
Legacy status	Considered	Not considered
Work experience	Considered	Considered
Demonstration of competencies	Considered	Considered
English proficiency test	Considered	Required
Other tests	Considered	Not considered

All admissions numbers in the table

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;College Scorecard, most recent release;Carleton College (Fall 2026), Fall 2026;Carleton College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;Carleton College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;Carleton College Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why