Carleton College vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Carleton College and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) stand as two distinct beacons of higher education, each offering a unique path to academic excellence. Carleton, a liberal arts college nestled in the heart of Minnesota, boasts a tight-knit community and a focus on undergraduate teaching, while MIT, a world-renowned research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is celebrated for its groundbreaking research and technological innovation. With acceptance rates of 13% and 7%, respectively, these institutions attract top students from around the globe. Carleton's popular majors include economics, political science, and biology, while MIT's strengths lie in engineering, computer science, and physics. While Carleton's student body is predominantly White (68%) and female (56%), MIT's student population is more diverse, with a larger proportion of international students (20%) and a more balanced gender ratio (48% female). Both institutions boast impressive graduation rates, with Carleton at 94% and MIT at
Carleton College logo

Carleton College

Massachusetts Institute of Technology logo

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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 4-1-4
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 95.0% 99.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 17.5% 4.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
SAT range 1408 - 1550 N/A
ACT range 31 - 35 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 35.0%
Students submitting ACT score 34.0%
Total number of applicants 7,915 33,240
Total number of admissions given out 1,389 1,365
Admitted students who chose to enroll 555 1,177
Yield rate 40.0% 86.2%
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 $58,920
Average net price $31,718 $30,958
Tuition $59,850 $55,510
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,115

Meal plan: $7,260
Room/dormitory: $11,550

Meal plan: $6,550
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

65.0%
Average amount $45,715
100.0%
Average amount $32,562
Students receiving federal student loan 45.0%
Average amount $3,914
6.0%
Average amount $5,112
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $14,334
1.0%
Average amount $17,891

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,044
Men 48.7% Women 51.3%
4,638
Men 51.9% Women 48.1%
Graduate students N/A 7,296
Men 62.0% Women 38.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 81.5% N/A
International students 10.2% 29.2%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 1,854 6,280
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Minnesota California Illinois New York Texas California Texas New York Florida New Jersey

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Physical Science
  • Social Sciences
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Architecture
  • Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio 8:1 3:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 91.4% 96.2%
Dropout rate 8.3% 3.0%
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
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $144,716
  • Year 2: $150,045
  • Year 3: $183,153
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $170,089
  • Year 2: $165,236
  • Year 3: $182,183
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $118,191
  • Year 2: $127,993
  • Year 3: $163,496
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $82,796
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $155,540
Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $133,685
  • Year 2: $137,214
  • Year 3: $155,079
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $104,229
  • Year 2: $121,226
  • Year 3: $139,548
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $141,603
  • Year 2: $126,504
  • Year 3: $132,987
Mechanical Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $112,885
  • Year 3: $124,425
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $135,266
  • Year 2: $111,435
  • Year 3: $112,404
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $109,955
  • Year 2: $104,749
  • Year 3: $109,672

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