Carleton College Acceptance Rate
Northfield, Minnesota · Private not-for-profit · 4-year or above
- Applicants
- 6,464
- Admitted
- 1,440
- Yield
- 37.4%
- Test policy
- Test-optional
Latest official IPEDS 2023–24 · Updated July 2026
Acceptance rate & applications over time
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.
Over the 10 years of federal data, Carleton College's acceptance rate has fallen from 22.8% in 2014–15 to 22.3% in 2023–24. Applications grew from 6,297 to 6,464 (+3%) over that period.
Its 22.3% rate makes Carleton College more selective than about 94% of the 1,419 schools tracked here. Among 33 tracked Minnesota schools, it is more selective than about 97%.
In 2023–24, women were admitted at a higher rate (24% for women vs 20.5% for men, a 3.5-point gap). Carleton College has been test-optional since 2020–21. Of admitted students, 37.4% enrolled (the yield rate) in 2023–24.
Full year-by-year table
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | 6,297 | 1,434 | 22.8% | 521 |
| 2015–16 | 6,722 | 1,388 | 20.6% | 491 |
| 2016–17 | 6,485 | 1,467 | 22.6% | 567 |
| 2017–18 | 6,499 | 1,378 | 21.2% | 522 |
| 2018–19 | 7,092 | 1,407 | 19.8% | 529 |
| 2019–20 | 7,324 | 1,401 | 19.1% | 525 |
| 2020–21 | 6,892 | 1,460 | 21.2% | 453 |
| 2021–22 | 7,915 | 1,389 | 17.5% | 555 |
| 2022–23 | 8,583 | 1,427 | 16.6% | 532 |
| 2023–24 | 6,464 | 1,440 | 22.3% | 538 |
Acceptance rate by gender
| Group | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 3,212 | 772 | 24% |
| Men | 3,252 | 668 | 20.5% |
SAT / ACT ranges & policy
Test-optional (considered if submitted).
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | % submitting |
|---|---|---|
| SAT EBRW | 710–760 | 30% |
| SAT Math | 720–790 | |
| ACT Composite | 32–34 | 27% |
How Carleton College compares
Where this school sits among peers of similar selectivity — each dot is a school's current acceptance rate on the same scale.
Frequently asked
What is Carleton College's acceptance rate?
Carleton College's acceptance rate is 22.3% for 2023–24, the most recent year of federal IPEDS data (1,440 admitted of 6,464 applicants).
Is Carleton College test optional?
Carleton College is test-optional: SAT/ACT scores are considered if submitted but not required.
How many people apply to Carleton College?
Carleton College received 6,464 applications in 2023–24 and admitted 1,440.
What SAT score do you need for Carleton College?
Admitted students at Carleton College typically scored 710–760 on SAT Reading/Writing and 720–790 on SAT Math (middle-50% ranges).
Is Carleton College getting harder to get into?
Carleton College has become harder to get into: its acceptance rate went from 22.8% in 2014–15 to 22.3% in 2023–24.
How this is calculated
Acceptance rate = admitted ÷ applicants, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates, from the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS Admissions (ADM) survey; institution details from the IPEDS Institutional Characteristics (HD) survey. Data span: 2014–15 to 2023–24. Official site: https://www.carleton.edu/.