Carleton College vs The University of the South

Carleton College and The University of the South, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Carleton, a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 22%, while The University of the South, a private liberal arts university in Sewanee, Tennessee, offers a slightly higher acceptance rate of 34%. Carleton's student body is more diverse, with 45% students of color compared to The University of the South's 28%. Both institutions excel in academics, with Carleton's popular majors including economics, political science, and biology, and The University of the South's popular majors including English, history, and psychology. While Carleton boasts a higher graduation rate of 89%, The University of the South offers a more affordable tuition. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which institution better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Carleton College logo

Carleton College

The University of the South logo

The University of the South

Overview

Location Northfield, Minnesota Sewanee, Tennessee
Campus setting Town: Distant Rural: Distant
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% 90.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Protestant

Admission

Acceptance rate 17.5% 60.3%
Application fees
SAT range 1408 - 1550 1200 - 1390
ACT range 31 - 35 26 - 31
Students submitting SAT score 35.0% 25.0%
Students submitting ACT score 34.0% 49.0%
Total number of applicants 7,915 4,162
Total number of admissions given out 1,389 2,508
Admitted students who chose to enroll 555 474
Yield rate 40.0% 18.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $78,315 $66,480
Average net price $31,718 $29,626
Tuition $59,850 $49,146
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,115

Meal plan: $7,260
Room/dormitory: $7,314

Meal plan: $6,798
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

65.0%
Average amount $45,715
95.0%
Average amount $35,383
Students receiving federal student loan 45.0%
Average amount $3,914
74.0%
Average amount $5,329
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $14,334
0.0%
Average amount $0

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,044
Men 48.7% Women 51.3%
1,735
Men 47.1% Women 52.9%
Graduate students N/A 85
Men 58.8% Women 41.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Very Low
Out-of-state students 81.5% 77.6%
International students 10.2% 3.9%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant Rural: Distant
Dormitory capacity 1,854 1,800
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 Tennessee Georgia North Carolina Texas Alabama

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Physical Science
  • Social Sciences
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Theology
  • History
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
Students to faculty ratio 8:1 10:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 91.4% 80.2%
Dropout rate 8.3% 1.9%
Transferred out N/A 17.9%
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
Theological and Ministerial Studies (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,807
  • Year 2: $75,204
  • Year 3: $77,812
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,532
  • Year 2: $47,595
  • Year 3: $63,733
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,235
  • Year 2: $37,568
  • Year 3: $52,168
International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $28,960
  • Year 3: $47,601
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,230
  • Year 2: $26,353
  • Year 3: $38,096
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,774
  • Year 3: $33,693
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $15,922
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,028
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: N/A
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $37,568
  • Year 3: N/A

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