Middlebury College vs Carleton College

Middlebury College and Carleton College, both highly regarded liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Middlebury, located in Vermont, boasts a lower acceptance rate (15.6%) compared to Carleton's (22.6%) in Minnesota. While Middlebury's student body is slightly larger, both colleges share a commitment to small class sizes and personalized attention. Carleton's student body is more diverse, with a higher percentage of international students and students of color. In terms of academics, Middlebury offers a wider range of majors, including popular choices like economics, political science, and environmental studies, while Carleton is known for its strengths in the natural sciences and social sciences. Both colleges boast impressive graduation rates, with Middlebury's at 94% and Carleton's at 93%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and find the college that best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Carleton College logo

Carleton College

Middlebury College logo

Middlebury College

Overview

Location Northfield, Minnesota Middlebury, Vermont
Campus setting Town: Distant Town: Distant
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% 94.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 17.5% 13.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $65

Graduate: $75
SAT range 1408 - 1550 1380 - 1530
ACT range 31 - 35 32 - 34
Students submitting SAT score 35.0% 31.0%
Students submitting ACT score 34.0% 23.0%
Total number of applicants 7,915 11,906
Total number of admissions given out 1,389 1,601
Admitted students who chose to enroll 555 680
Yield rate 40.0% 42.5%
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 $78,820
Average net price $31,718 $26,958
Tuition $59,850 $59,330
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,115

Meal plan: $7,260
Room/dormitory: $9,600

Meal plan: $7,450
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
52.0%
Average amount $49,988
Students receiving federal student loan 45.0%
Average amount $3,914
25.0%
Average amount $4,384
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $14,334
10.0%
Average amount $7,858

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,044
Men 48.7% Women 51.3%
2,858
Men 46.4% Women 53.6%
Graduate students N/A 79
Men 8.9% Women 91.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 81.5% 94.7%
International students 10.2% 12.3%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity 1,854 2,891
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 Mississippi California Connecticut Vermont

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Physical Science
  • Social Sciences
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Social Sciences
  • Ethnic Studies
  • English Language and Literature
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 8:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 91.4% 91.2%
Dropout rate 8.3% 1.7%
Transferred out N/A 7.1%
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
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,712
  • Year 2: $75,518
  • Year 3: $98,106
International Relations and National Security Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,169
  • Year 2: $60,523
  • Year 3: $68,272
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,074
  • Year 2: $41,025
  • Year 3: $62,953
International Business (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,380
  • Year 2: $55,512
  • Year 3: $62,186
Public Administration (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,883
  • Year 2: $56,544
  • Year 3: $61,255
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,031
  • Year 2: $40,485
  • Year 3: $60,732
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,928
  • Year 2: $52,941
  • Year 3: $57,550
Education, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,155
  • Year 2: $46,869
  • Year 3: $50,725
Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,056
  • Year 2: $43,798
  • Year 3: $44,126
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,769
  • Year 2: $42,682
  • Year 3: $41,771

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