Cost & aid
What it costs
In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $51,187 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $26.9K more than the national median. The 59% who received grants paid $28,047 on average; the other 41% paid the full sticker price of $84,893.
- Full price
- $84,893 a year
- tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
- Need-based aid
- Published data end at $110K
- use the college's net price calculator for higher incomes
- Merit aid
- 3.1% · avg $2K
- of first-years without need got merit aid
Cost by family income
Per year for a typical family of four with one child in college. Up to $110K it is the average price federal aid recipients paid (2023–24).
Hover, tap, or use the arrow keys to read the price at an income.
- Published federal figures
- With an average merit award: $83K · 3.1% got one. A possibility, not a promise
View as a table
| Family income | Price per year |
|---|---|
| $0–30K | $8K a year |
| $30–48K | $8K a year |
| $48–75K | $10K a year |
| $75–110K | $18K a year |
| $150K | Published data end at $110K |
| $200K | Published data end at $110K |
| $250K | Published data end at $110K |
| $300K | Published data end at $110K |
| $350K | Published data end at $110K |
| $400K and above | Published data end at $110K |
At $150K: Published data end at $110K
Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for a number.
Your own number depends on the details below, so use the college's calculator for it.
What can change this
- Savings and investments above a typical amount raise the price. The curve assumes typical assets.
- Home equity: some colleges that use the CSS Profile count it. Check this college's own aid page or calculator.
$51,187
Tuition, housing, food, books & other expenses, after grants · 2023–24
59% got grants averaging $56,846; 41% got none.
Who pays what
Share of first-year students, 2023–24.
Housing and food use the college's on-campus rates, so the estimate runs high where many students live at home. “Other expenses” is the college's estimate of personal and transportation costs. Loans aren't subtracted because they're repaid.
$94,986 before aid
Tuition, fees, and on-campus food and housing · up 16% from 2023–24.
Show the full next-year estimate
- Tuition, fees, food & housing$94,986
- Books and supplies$1,101
- Transportation$850
- Other expenses$939
- Total for a student living on campus$97,876
$16.8K
≈ $178/month for 10 years
2.7 yrs
of median salary to cover 4 years of net price
43% of undergrads borrow federally.
Everyone who borrowed and left, whether or not they graduated.
Three years into repayment
Where former undergraduates stand on their federal loans.
- Paid in full40–44%
- Paying it down30–34%
- Payments paused15–24%
- Not paying it down5–9%
- Behind or in default0–10%
- Forgiven or discharged0–5%
Some shares are published as a small range to protect privacy.
Who actually gets aid
Aid generosity
ModerateGrants cover 40% of the $84,893 full price on average across all first-years (moderate), more than at 49% of colleges.
$33,706 in grants per first-year ÷ $84,893 full price.
Who gets grants and scholarships
Full-time first-year students (538), 2023–24
About 1 in 2 first-year students got no grant aid and paid the full sticker price of $84,893.
Where the aid comes from
Share of first-year students receiving each; averages are per recipient.
Aid by family income
The whole first-year class (538)
- Federal aid + grants256avg grant $60.4K
- Grants, no federal aid63avg grant $42.3K
- No grants219pay full price
Students with grants but no federal aid usually got the college's own need-based aid (without federal loans or Pell) or merit aid.
By family income: only students who received federal aid (260 of 538), because income is only reported for them.
From Carleton College's Common Data Set
First-years and all full-time undergraduates, 2025–26 (estimated).
| First-years | All full-time | |
|---|---|---|
| Have financial need | 57%293 students | 56%1,077 students |
| Need met, on average | 100% | 100% |
| Need fully met | 100% | 100% |
| Average aid package | $72,667 | $73,117 |
| Average need-based grant | $66,762 | $65,579 |
| Average need-based loan | $3,974 | $5,065 |
| Merit aid without need | 3%average $2,000 | 3%average $3,197 |
0% of the college's own grant dollars were awarded without regard to need.
Each college decides what a family needs, so “100% of need met” can mean different prices at different colleges. Merit awards that went toward a student's need count as need-based here.
Applying for aid
For fall 2026 entrants.
If your parents are divorced or separated, the other parent also files the .
Priority date: January 15 · Aid offers: about March 15 · Reply by: May 1
Dates for fall 2026 entrants; the next cycle's are usually similar.
In the college's words:
“Carleton offers outsized financial support for middle-income families. Since 2013, we have ensured that at least 30% of every incoming class is made up of students from middle-income families.”Carleton College Common Data Set
International students
Need-based aid offered.
International applicants file: the CSS Profile, the college's own form ().
Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, 2023–24;College Scorecard, most recent release;Carleton College Common Data Set 2025–26, 2026–27;Carleton College Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26 (estimated);Carleton College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 entrants;Carleton College Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;Carleton College (2026–27), 2026–27;Common Data Set, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)