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 |
![]() 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% |
![]() |
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 |
|
|
|
||
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 |
|
|
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)
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees)
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
Physics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
|
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees)
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
Mechanical Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
|
Compare Similar Colleges
The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing
statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you
don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page.
There, you can search for the
specific colleges and initiate your comparison.





























































































































































































































