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 |
![]() 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% |
![]() |
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 |
|
|
|
||
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 |
|
|
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)
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)
|
Statistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Law (First Professional Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (First Professional Degrees)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
Public Health (Master's Degrees)
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Master's Degrees)
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Education, General (Doctoral Degrees)
Dentistry (First Professional 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.


































































































































































































