Carleton College vs Duke University

Carleton College and Duke University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Carleton, a liberal arts college nestled in Northfield, Minnesota, boasts a tight-knit community and a focus on undergraduate teaching. Duke, a renowned research university located in Durham, North Carolina, provides a diverse range of academic programs and opportunities for interdisciplinary exploration. With acceptance rates of 18% and 8%, respectively, both institutions are highly selective. Carleton's student body is predominantly White (68%) and female (56%), while Duke's student body is more diverse, with a larger international student population (15%) and a more even gender distribution (51% female, 49% male). Popular majors at Carleton include Economics, Biology, and English, while Duke students commonly pursue majors in Public Policy, Economics, and Biology. Both institutions boast impressive graduation rates, with Carleton at 94% and Duke at 93%. Explore the detailed comparison
Carleton College logo

Carleton College

Duke University logo

Duke University

Overview

Location Northfield, Minnesota Durham, North Carolina
Campus setting Town: Distant City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Trimester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 95.0% 98.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 17.5% 5.9%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $95
SAT range 1408 - 1550 1468 - 1558
ACT range 31 - 35 33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 35.0% 47.0%
Students submitting ACT score 34.0% 46.0%
Total number of applicants 7,915 49,703
Total number of admissions given out 1,389 2,927
Admitted students who chose to enroll 555 1,744
Yield rate 40.0% 59.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $78,315 $79,860
Average net price $31,718 $27,297
Tuition $59,850 $58,085
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,115

Meal plan: $7,260
Room/dormitory: $9,164

Meal plan: $6,862
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

65.0%
Average amount $45,715
46.0%
Average amount $50,731
Students receiving federal student loan 45.0%
Average amount $3,914
20.0%
Average amount $4,537
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $14,334
3.0%
Average amount $22,957

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,044
Men 48.7% Women 51.3%
6,883
Men 48.4% Women 51.6%
Graduate students N/A 10,737
Men 45.5% Women 54.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 81.5% N/A
International students 10.2% 21.4%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant City: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,854 5,718
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Minnesota California Illinois New York Texas N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Physical Science
  • Social Sciences
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Legal Profession
  • Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 8:1 6:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 91.4% 95.9%
Dropout rate 8.3% 4.0%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,876
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $101,936
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,032
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $66,207
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,526
  • Year 2: $23,034
  • Year 3: $30,071
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,669
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,425
  • Year 2: $22,329
  • Year 3: N/A
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,952
  • Year 2: $37,568
  • Year 3: N/A
Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,227
  • Year 2: $36,141
  • Year 3: N/A
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $20,625
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Physics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $42,774
  • Year 3: N/A
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,301
  • Year 2: $33,719
  • Year 3: N/A
International Business (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $151,472
  • Year 2: $213,978
  • Year 3: $201,782
Law (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $155,031
  • Year 2: $168,098
  • Year 3: $200,300
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $143,622
  • Year 2: $148,189
  • Year 3: $163,560
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $163,977
  • Year 2: $138,342
  • Year 3: $159,598
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $115,135
  • Year 2: $106,898
  • Year 3: $134,542
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $123,138
  • Year 2: $116,541
  • Year 3: $124,406
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,817
  • Year 2: $97,071
  • Year 3: $117,262
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $94,699
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $112,646
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,661
  • Year 2: $91,078
  • Year 3: $108,736
Economics (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $104,348

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