Key differences on Getting in

1
Carleton's yield is 4 pts higher than Grinnell's
Yield rate
2
Grinnell admits 15% vs. 18% at Carleton
Acceptance rate
3
Carleton's SAT midpoint is 25 points higher than Grinnell'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

Carleton18%

Grinnell15%Most selective

Applicants

Carleton8.2K

Grinnell9.8KMost

Admitted

Carleton1.5KMost

Grinnell1.4K

Yield rate

Carleton35%Highest

Grinnell31%

Quad's selectivity

CarletonHighly selective
GrinnellHighly selective

Men and women

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

Women admitted

Carleton23%

Grinnell16%

Men admitted

Carleton18%

Grinnell13%

Test scores

SAT total,

Carleton

1460–1530

Grinnell

1410–1540

Axis runs 1300–1600. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

ACT composite,

Carleton

32–35

Grinnell

31–34

Axis runs 27–36. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

Submitted SAT

Carleton39%

Grinnell29%

Submitted ACT

Carleton25%

Grinnell21%

Test policy

CarletonTest-optional
GrinnellTest-optional

How they read a record

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

What they look at

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

All admissions numbers in the table

Sources:Carleton College (Fall 2026), Fall 2026;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;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 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023About 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