Key differences on Outcomes
- 1
Carleton grads earn $11.6K more ten years out than Macalester's ($75,525 vs. $63,878)
Median earnings, 10 yrs - 2
Carleton graduates 2 pts more of its students than Macalester (91% vs. 89%)
Graduation rate
Outcomes
Outcomes
Earnings and finishing
Median earnings, 10 yrs
Carleton$75.5KHighest
Macalester$63.9K
Graduation rate
Carleton91%Highest
Macalester89%
Retention rate
Carleton94%Highest
Macalester92%
Borrowing
Median debt
Carleton$16.8KLowest
Macalester$23K
Undergrads with a federal loan
Carleton43%
Macalester36%
Median debt, Pell Grant recipients
Carleton$15KLowest
Macalester$19.5K
Eight-year outcomes
Credential within 4 years, all students
Carleton88%
Macalester83%
Credential within 8 years, all students
Carleton91%
Macalester88%
Enrolled at another college, 8 years on
Carleton7%
Macalester8%
Graduation by group
Graduated in 6 years, Pell Grant recipients
Carleton88%
Macalester88%
Graduated in 6 years, neither Pell nor subsidized loan
Carleton90%
Macalester88%
Pell graduation gap
Carleton2 pts lower
MacalesterNo gap
Graduated in 6 years, by race and ethnicity
| Group | Carleton | Macalester |
|---|---|---|
| White | 88% | 87% |
| Asian | 91% | 91% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 94% | 87% |
| Black | Not shown: under 30 students | Not shown: under 30 students |
| Two or more races | 95% | 83% |
| International | 91% | 88% |
Sources:College Scorecard, most recent release;Carleton College Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Outcome Measures survey, Students entering fall 2016;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;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