Carleton College vs Harvard

Carleton College and Harvard University, two prestigious institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Carleton, a liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, boasts a tight-knit community and a focus on undergraduate teaching, while Harvard, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is renowned for its academic rigor and extensive resources. With acceptance rates of 18.5% and 4.5%, respectively, both institutions are highly selective. Carleton's popular majors include economics, biology, and political science, while Harvard offers a wide range of undergraduate programs, with popular choices including computer science, economics, and history. Carleton's student body is diverse, with 48% female and 52% male students, while Harvard's student body is slightly more balanced, with 50% female and 50% male students. Both institutions boast impressive graduation rates, with Carleton at 94% and Harvard at 97%. Explore the comparison table below
Carleton College logo

Carleton College

Harvard University logo

Harvard University

Overview

Location Northfield, Minnesota Cambridge, Massachusetts
Campus setting Town: Distant City: Midsize
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% 96.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 17.5% 4.0%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $105
SAT range 1408 - 1550 1480 - 1580
ACT range 31 - 35 33 - 36
Students submitting SAT score 35.0% 54.0%
Students submitting ACT score 34.0% 31.0%
Total number of applicants 7,915 57,786
Total number of admissions given out 1,389 2,318
Admitted students who chose to enroll 555 1,951
Yield rate 40.0% 84.2%
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 $78,028
Average net price $31,718 $13,910
Tuition $59,850 $51,143
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,115

Meal plan: $7,260
Room/dormitory: $11,705

Meal plan: $7,236
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

65.0%
Average amount $45,715
56.0%
Average amount $59,840
Students receiving federal student loan 45.0%
Average amount $3,914
3.0%
Average amount $5,180
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $14,334
2.0%
Average amount $8,080

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,044
Men 48.7% Women 51.3%
9,579
Men 49.0% Women 51.0%
Graduate students N/A 21,766
Men 46.3% Women 53.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 81.5% N/A
International students 10.2% 23.9%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 1,854 12,874
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 New York California Texas Illinois New Jersey

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Physical Science
  • Social Sciences
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Education
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 8:1 7:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 91.4% 96.7%
Dropout rate 8.3% 2.0%
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
Statistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $78,193
  • Year 2: $128,716
  • Year 3: $240,408
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $184,307
  • Year 2: $165,340
  • Year 3: $199,043
Business Administration, Management and Operations (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $171,333
  • Year 2: $171,907
  • Year 3: $187,553
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $140,072
  • Year 2: $128,737
  • Year 3: $163,896
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $151,371
  • Year 2: $174,023
  • Year 3: $163,512
Public Health (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $123,508
  • Year 2: $117,916
  • Year 3: $129,281
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $121,832
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $102,707
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $121,771
Education, General (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,905
  • Year 2: $98,670
  • Year 3: $107,389
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,745
  • Year 2: $71,486
  • Year 3: $106,375

Compare Similar Colleges

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