Gustavus Adolphus College vs Carleton College

Gustavus Adolphus College and Carleton College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions in Minnesota, offer distinct educational experiences. Gustavus, with an acceptance rate of 65%, boasts a diverse student body, with 49% male and 51% female students. Carleton, with a more selective admissions process (23% acceptance rate), has a slightly larger male population (52%) compared to its female student body (48%). While both colleges excel in the humanities and social sciences, Gustavus is known for its strong programs in nursing and business, while Carleton is renowned for its science and engineering offerings. With graduation rates of 84% and 89% respectively, both institutions ensure that their students are well-prepared for their future endeavors. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these two exceptional colleges and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Carleton College	Gustavus Adolphus College
Overview
Location	Northfield, Minnesota	Saint Peter, Minnesota
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Town: Fringe
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
Students retention rate	95.0%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	17.5%	72.6%
Application fees
SAT range	1408 - 1550	N/A
ACT range	31 - 35	26 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	35.0%
Students submitting ACT score	34.0%	28.0%
Total number of applicants	7,915	3,799
Total number of admissions given out	1,389	2,757
Admitted students who chose to enroll	555	551
Yield rate	40.0%	20.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$78,315	$63,270
Average net price	$31,718	$27,657
Tuition	$59,850	$49,950
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,115 Meal plan: $7,260	Room/dormitory: $6,750 Meal plan: $3,950
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	99.0% Average amount $33,174
Students receiving federal student loan	45.0% Average amount $3,914	49.0% Average amount $6,197
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $14,334	17.0% Average amount $14,100

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,044 Men 48.7% Women 51.3%	2,251 Men 43.6% Women 56.4%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Very Low
Out-of-state students	81.5%	19.2%
International students	10.2%	3.6%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	1,854	2,125
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	Minnesota Wisconsin South Dakota Texas Illinois

Academics
Popular study areas	Physical Science Social Sciences Ethnic Studies Mathematics and Statistics Visual & Performing Arts	Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Psychology Business Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	8:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	91.4%	78.4%
Dropout rate	8.3%	9.3%
Transferred out	N/A	12.3%
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	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $64,196 Year 3: $72,945 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,715 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $68,688 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,092 Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $66,456 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,254 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $60,313 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,068 Year 2: $48,302 Year 3: $52,394 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,694 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $48,449 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,021 Year 2: $42,166 Year 3: $45,271 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,866 Year 2: $38,829 Year 3: $42,958 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,044 Year 2: $35,179 Year 3: $41,058 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,638 Year 2: $36,745 Year 3: $39,885

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Gustavus Adolphus College vs Carleton College

Carleton College

Gustavus Adolphus College

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Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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