Carleton College vs St. Mary's College of Maryland
Carleton College and St. Mary's College of Maryland, while both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Carleton, located in Northfield, Minnesota, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 18%, while St. Mary's, situated in St. Mary's City, Maryland, is more accessible with an acceptance rate of 75%. Carleton's student body is predominantly White (69%) and female (56%), while St. Mary's student body is more diverse, with a larger proportion of Black (14%) and Hispanic (11%) students and a more balanced gender ratio. Both colleges offer a wide range of majors, with Carleton excelling in the natural sciences and St. Mary's excelling in the social sciences. Carleton's graduation rate is slightly higher at 89% compared to St. Mary's 83%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more distinctions and determine which
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![]() Carleton College |
![]() St. Mary's College of Maryland |
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Overview |
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Location | Northfield, Minnesota | St. Mary's City, Maryland |
Campus setting | Town: Distant | Suburb: Small |
College type | 4 year | 4 year |
Control/business model | Private (Non Profit) | Public |
Calendar system | Trimester | Semester |
Degrees offered | Undergraduate | Undergraduate and Graduate |
Students retention rate | 95.0% | 85.0% |
![]() |
Yes | No |
Religious affiliation | ||
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Admission |
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Acceptance rate | 17.5% | 77.3% |
Application fees | $50 | |
SAT range | 1408 - 1550 | 1135 - 1340 |
ACT range | 31 - 35 | 26 - 32 |
Students submitting SAT score | 35.0% | 24.0% |
Students submitting ACT score | 34.0% | 5.0% |
Total number of applicants | 7,915 | 2,872 |
Total number of admissions given out | 1,389 | 2,221 |
Admitted students who chose to enroll | 555 | 381 |
Yield rate | 40.0% | 17.2% |
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 |
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Tuition and Fees |
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Sticker price | $78,315 |
In state:
$31,361
Out of state:
$47,437
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Average net price | $31,718 | $20,213 |
Tuition | $59,850 |
In state:
$12,116
Out of state:
$28,192
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Room & board |
Room/dormitory:
$8,115
Meal plan:
$7,260
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Room/dormitory:
$8,007
Meal plan:
$6,340
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Available payment plans |
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Financial Aid |
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Students receiving financial aid
(Grants & scholarships) |
65.0%
Average amount $45,715 |
98.0%
Average amount $10,828 |
Students receiving federal student loan |
45.0%
Average amount $3,914 |
39.0%
Average amount $5,108 |
Students taking out private loans |
2.0%
Average amount $14,334 |
5.0%
Average amount $17,506 |
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Students and Campus |
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Undergraduate students |
2,044
Men 48.7% Women 51.3% |
1,519
Men 42.3% Women 57.7% |
Graduate students | N/A |
25
Men 24.0% Women 76.0% |
Racial/ethnic diversity |
Moderate
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Low
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Out-of-state students | 81.5% | 11.3% |
International students | 10.2% | 0.8% |
Campus local/setting | Town: Distant | Suburb: Small |
Dormitory capacity | 1,854 | 1,499 |
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 | Maryland Virginia District of Columbia California Connecticut |
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Academics |
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Popular study areas |
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Students to faculty ratio | 8:1 | 10:1 |
Institutional accreditation | Higher Learning Commission | Middle States Commission on Higher Education |
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Outcome |
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Graduation rate | 91.4% | 72.8% |
Dropout rate | 8.3% | 3.6% |
Transferred out | N/A | 23.2% |
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)
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Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Public Policy Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees)
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
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