Carleton is a small, well-regarded liberal arts school in Northfield, Minnesota, an hour outside of Minneapolis. It characterizes its curriculum as intense and challenging, and it prides itself on the individuality of the students it attracts.
The student body, which is all undergrads, is about 2,000 students. Consequently, classes tend to be small, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 8:1, and professors are accessible to students in the off hours. Intellectual discussions permeate social conversations in the dorms and at parties, though students say the tone is more collegial than competitive. The vast majority of students live on campus, and most students hold an on-campus job.
Outside of work and studying, there’s plenty to keep students busy. There are more than 200 student organizations, including a radio station and a weekly newspaper, and many students participate in sports, whether it's more traditional teams, like soccer and basketball, or some of the campus’s less familiar squads, like ultimate Frisbee or competitive ballroom dancing.
The estimated net price of a degree at Carleton is higher than average at about $233,600 (before factoring in state and federal aid), but the school scores well on Money’s other affordability measures, including typical student borrowing and debt repayment rates.
