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Carleton College · Minnesota

Carleton scholarships and merit aid

Top-tier LAC in Northfield, Minnesota with a published categorical no-merit policy: 'All Carleton grants and scholarships are need-based.' Cost of attendance lands at $97,870 for 2026-27, with 100% of demonstrated need met for eligible students.

Verified Jul 20262 months ago· CC-1

The short answer

Is Carleton worth a closer look?

We did not find a simple published award list to show for Carleton. Read our full reasoning before spending more time here.

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Research checkedJul 2026By our research team

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What families often miss

  1. Carleton states explicitly that 'All Carleton grants and scholarships are need-based.' A 4.0/1550 student with no calculated need pays the full $97,870 cost of attendance — same as a lower-stat full-pay student. The school is structurally a need-only institution.

  2. Carleton publishes that 'the average amount a family on aid pays' is $20,700. For families with demonstrated need, that's a dramatic discount from the $97,870 sticker. Run Carleton's Net Price Calculator before comparing to merit-driven schools.

  3. Carleton uses institutional methodology via the CSS Profile alongside the FAFSA. Skipping CSS Profile filings can result in incomplete aid review or missed eligibility — the FAFSA alone is not enough for Carleton's need-based packaging.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Families with substantive demonstrated need who can leverage Carleton's 100%-of-need commitment. Strong students without calculated need should not target Carleton for academic-merit discounts — the school structurally does not offer them.

Cost of attendance$97,870 for 2026-27Each bar is the full published cost for that scenario, sized against the highest figure so totals compare at a glance.
On-campus$97,870
  • Tuition & fees
  • Housing & food
  • Books
  • Travel

Comprehensive fee (tuition, activity fee, housing, food) plus indirect books/personal and travel. Books & personal combined per source ($2,040, includes loan fees). Optional $2,355 health insurance excluded (waivable).

Carleton cost-of-attendance source

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Carleton, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at Carleton, academic year 2021-22
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$7,881
$30,001–$48,000$8,203
$48,001–$75,000$9,680
$75,001–$110,000$18,485
$110,001+$44,082
All income levels (average)$25,407

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
$68,892
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$25,407

That works out to roughly a 70% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $84,893 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
90%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
96%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$16,750 (~$178/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$75,525
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
21%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
40%

Carleton merit aid FAQ

  • Does Carleton College offer merit scholarships?

    No. Carleton's published policy states: 'All Carleton grants and scholarships are need-based.' The school does not award academic, athletic, or talent-based merit scholarships independent of demonstrated financial need.

  • How much does Carleton cost?

    $97,870 for 2026-27: comprehensive fee $94,980 (tuition $75,186 + activity fee $480 + housing $10,194 + food $9,120) plus indirect costs ($2,040 books + $850 travel). Optional health insurance adds $2,707 if not waived.

  • Does Carleton meet 100% of demonstrated need?

    Yes. Carleton states 'we meet 100 percent of every student's demonstrated need' through a combination of grants, employment, and loans. Demonstrated need is calculated using FAFSA, CSS Profile, and supporting documents under institutional methodology.

  • What's the average family contribution at Carleton?

    Per Carleton's published figures, 'the average amount a family on aid pays' is $20,700 — meaning the average package on aid covers roughly $77,000 of the published cost of attendance. Individual outcomes vary significantly with family income and assets.

  • Can I apply for outside scholarships at Carleton?

    Yes — outside scholarships are allowed. Carleton's public financial aid pages do not detail a specific displacement policy for outside awards; families with substantial outside awards should email financialaid@carleton.edu for a written package preview before depositing.

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Sources used on this page

Every claim is checked against Carleton’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

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