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
Macalester$63.9K
Carleton$75.5KHighest
Graduation rate
Macalester89%
Carleton91%Highest
Retention rate
Macalester92%
Carleton94%Highest
Borrowing
Median debt
Macalester$23K
Carleton$16.8KLowest
Undergrads with a federal loan
Macalester36%
Carleton43%
Median debt, Pell Grant recipients
Macalester$19.5K
Carleton$15KLowest
Eight-year outcomes
Credential within 4 years, all students
Macalester83%
Carleton88%
Credential within 8 years, all students
Macalester88%
Carleton91%
Enrolled at another college, 8 years on
Macalester8%
Carleton7%
Graduation by group
Graduated in 6 years, Pell Grant recipients
Macalester88%
Carleton88%
Graduated in 6 years, neither Pell nor subsidized loan
Macalester88%
Carleton90%
Pell graduation gap
MacalesterNo gap
Carleton2 pts lower
Graduated in 6 years, by race and ethnicity
| Group | Macalester | Carleton |
|---|---|---|
| White | 87% | 88% |
| Asian | 91% | 91% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 87% | 94% |
| Black | Not shown: under 30 students | Not shown: under 30 students |
| Two or more races | 83% | 95% |
| International | 88% | 91% |
Sources:College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;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;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