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Everything we have for Macalester and Carleton, grouped like the topic pages. Differences only hides the rows where they match or only one reports.
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| Metric | Macalester | Carleton |
|---|---|---|
| Getting in | ||
| Admissions data | Fall 2024 | Fall 2026Fall 2026 |
| Acceptance rate | 29% | 18%Fall 2026 |
| Acceptance rate, men / women | 25% / 31% | 18% / 23% |
| Acceptance rate, in-state / other states / international | Not published | 35% / 39% / 4.0%Fall 2025 |
| Yield, in-state / other states / international | Not published | 40% / 33% / 41%Fall 2025 |
| Applicants | 8,968 | 8,226Fall 2026 |
| Admitted | 2,558 | 1,456 |
| Enrolled | 560 | 501Fall 2026 |
| Yield | 22% | 35% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1350–1510 | 1460–1530Fall 2025 |
| ACT middle 50% | 30–34 | 32–35Fall 2025 |
| Sent an SAT | – | 204 (39%)Fall 2025 |
| Sent an ACT | – | 128 (25%)Fall 2025 |
| Scored 1400+ on the SAT | – | 91%Fall 2025 |
| Scored 30+ on the ACT | – | 95%Fall 2025 |
| Admission: High school GPA | Considered | Very importantFall 2025 |
| Admission: High school record | Required | Required |
| Admission: Class rank | Considered | Very importantFall 2025 |
| Admission: College-prep program | Considered | Required |
| Admission: Recommendations | Required | Very importantFall 2025 |
| Admission: Essay | Considered | Very importantFall 2025 |
| Admission: Legacy status | Not considered | Not consideredFall 2025 |
| Admission: Work experience | Considered | ConsideredFall 2025 |
| Admission: Demonstration of competencies | Not considered | Considered |
| Admission: English proficiency test | Required | Required |
| Admission: Other tests | Not considered | Not considered |
| Average high school GPA | – | – |
| First-years in the top tenth of their class | – | 77% (of the 31% with a rank)Fall 2025 |
| Early decision | – | 35% of 760 admittedFall 2025 |
| Early action | – | Not offered2025–26 |
| Wait list | – | 33 admitted of 335 who acceptedFall 2025 |
| Admission: Rigor of high school record | – | Very importantFall 2025 |
| Admission: Test scores | – | ConsideredFall 2025 |
| Admission: Interview | – | ConsideredFall 2025 |
| Admission: Extracurricular activities | – | Very importantFall 2025 |
| Admission: Talent or ability | – | Very importantFall 2025 |
| Admission: Character and personal qualities | – | Very importantFall 2025 |
| Admission: First generation | – | ConsideredFall 2025 |
| Admission: Geographic residence | – | ConsideredFall 2025 |
| Admission: State residency | – | Not consideredFall 2025 |
| Admission: Religious affiliation | – | Not consideredFall 2025 |
| Admission: Volunteer work | – | ConsideredFall 2025 |
| Admission: Demonstrated interest | – | Not consideredFall 2025 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | Test-optionalFall 2027 applicants |
| Application fee | None | None |
| Deadlines & deposit | – | Apply by January 15 · reply by May 1Fall 2026 cycle |
| Gap year allowed | – | Yes, up to 1 year, with exceptions for military serviceFall 2026 cycle |
| Credit for AP exams | Yes | Yes |
| Transfer acceptance rate | – | 21%Fall 2025 |
| Students & campus | ||
| Setting | City: Large | Town: Distant |
| Carnegie class | Special Focus: Arts and Sciences | Special Focus: Arts and Sciences |
| Research activity | Not a research tier | Research college or university |
| Student access & earnings | Lower Access, Medium Earnings | Lower Access, Higher Earnings |
| HBCU, tribal, land-grant | None | None |
| Minority-serving, single-sex | None | None |
| Religious affiliation | Presbyterian Church (USA) | None |
| Athletics | Division III | Division III |
| Conference | Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
| ROTC | Not listed | Not listed |
| Study abroad | Offered | Offered |
| Undergraduate research program | Not listed | Yes |
| Calendar | Semesters | Trimesters |
| Undergrads | 2,131 | 2,086 |
| Beds in college housing | 1,304 | 1,840 |
| First-years must live on campus | Yes | Yes |
| Men in a fraternity | – | 0.0%Fall 2025 |
| Women in a sorority | – | 0.0%Fall 2025 |
| Fraternity/sorority housing | – | – |
| Greek councils present | – | – |
| Pell Grant | 17% | 17% |
| First-gen | 13% | 16% |
| Men / women | 43% / 57% | 50% / 50% |
| Part-time students | 2% | 0% |
| Students 25 and older | 0% | 0% |
| First-years from in state | 14% | 19% |
| First-years from other states | 63% | 70% |
| First-years from abroad | 23% | 11% |
| New transfer students this fall | 19 | 8 |
| Transfers, share of new undergraduates | 3% | 2% |
| Diversity index | 0.70 | 0.70 |
| Academics | ||
| Students per faculty member | 10 to 1 | 8 to 1 |
| Classes under 20 students | – | 72%Fall 2025 |
| Full-time faculty share | 84% | 87% |
| Average faculty salary | $107,560 | $125,636 |
| Bachelor's degrees awarded | 524 | 517 |
| Most popular majors | Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 10% · Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 9% · Biology/Biological Sciences, General 8% | Computer Science 18% · Biology/Biological Sciences, General 11% · Chemistry, General 8% |
| Instruction spending per student | $25,033 (private nonprofit, FASB accounting) | $40,626 (private nonprofit, FASB accounting) |
| Endowment per student | $401,854 (private nonprofit, FASB accounting) | $629,894 (private nonprofit, FASB accounting) |
| Tuition share of core revenue | 33% | 27% |
| Cost & aid | ||
| Average cost, all students (est.) | $45,674 | $51,187 |
| Aid generosity (grants ÷ full price) | 45% | 40% |
| Net price, students with grants | $40,225 | $28,047 |
| Sticker price, in-state | $82,991 | $84,893 |
| Sticker price, out-of-state | $82,991 | $84,893 |
| Tuition guarantee | No | No |
| Promise program | No | No |
| Tuition & fees, in-state | $64,908 | $65,457 |
| Tuition & fees, out-of-state | $64,908 | $65,457 |
| First-years paying out-of-state rates | – | – |
| First-years with grants | 87% | 59% |
| Average grant | $42,766 | $56,846 |
| Aid from the college | 87% | 59% |
| Need-based aid up to | Published data end at $110K | Published data end at $110K |
| Merit for students without need | 54% got a grant without federal aid, averaging $37K (proxy) | 3.1% got merit aid, averaging $2K |
| Published promise | – | – |
| Aid forms | – | FAFSA · CSS Profile · NoncustodialFall 2026 entrants |
| Aid priority date or deadline | – | January 15 (priority)Fall 2026 entrants |
| Need met, first-years | – | 100%2025–26 (estimated) |
| Average aid package, first-years | – | $72,6672025–26 (estimated) |
| College grant dollars given as merit | – | 0%2025–26 (estimated) |
| Aid for international students | – | 63 students, average $81.6K2025–26 (estimated) |
| Outcomes | ||
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $63,878 | $75,525 |
| Graduation rate | 89% | 91% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Pell Grant recipients | 88% | 88% |
| Graduated in 6 years, neither Pell nor subsidized loan | 88% | 90% |
| Pell graduation gap | No gap | 2 pts lower |
| Finished within 4 years: Pell recipients | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 4 years: neither Pell nor subsidized loan | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 4 years: all first-time full-time | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 5 years: Pell recipients | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 5 years: neither Pell nor subsidized loan | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 5 years: all first-time full-time | Not published | Not published |
| Graduated in 6 years, White students | 87% | 88% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Asian students | 91% | 91% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Hispanic/Latino students | 87% | 94% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Black students | Under 30 students | Under 30 students |
| Graduated in 6 years, students of two or more races | 83% | 95% |
| Graduated in 6 years, international students | 88% | 91% |
| Retention rate | 92% | 94%Entered fall 2024 |
| Credential within 4 years, all students | 83% | 88% |
| Credential within 8 years, all students | 88% | 91% |
| Enrolled at another college, 8 years on | 8% | 7% |
| Median debt | $23,000 | $16,750 |
| Undergrads with a federal loan | 36% | 43% |
| Median debt, Pell Grant recipients | $19,500 | $14,983 |
| Website | macalester.edu | carleton.edu |
Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;National directories of campus chapters and groups, October 2026;College Scorecard, Fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students), Fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level), Fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Outcome Measures survey, Students entering fall 2016;College Scorecard, 2023–24;Common Data Set, 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, 2025–26;Carleton College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;Carleton College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 cycle;Carleton College Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;Carleton College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 entrants;Carleton College Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26 (estimated);Carleton College (2026–27), 2026–27About 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