Carleton College

Northfield, Minnesota · Private, nonprofit

Of 7 assessed programs, 5 leave graduates out-earning a typical Minnesota high-school graduate (about $37,835/yr) and 2 fall short. Another 28 could not be assessed.

What would this cost you?

My family earns and I expect to take

Family income	Net price per year
Under $30k	$7,881
$30k to $48k	$8,203
$48k to $75k	$9,680
$75k to $110k	$18,485
$110k and up	$44,082
All families (average)	$25,407

Net price is the yearly cost after grants and scholarships, by family income (College Scorecard). It reflects students who received federal aid.

Program earnings vs a high-school graduate

Earnings are measured four years after completion when available. Where four-year earnings are suppressed, one-year earnings are shown and marked 1-year earnings. One-year and four-year figures reflect different career stages and should not be compared as if measured at the same time.

7 of 35 programs could be assessed 20% have an earnings verdict

Programs by earnings versus a typical Minnesota high-school graduate.
Program	Degree	Median earnings	vs a high-school grad	Verdict	Median debt	Years to repay	Recent completers
Computer Science	Bachelor's Degree	$88,132 1-year earnings	+$50,297	clears the bar	$18,254	0.4 yrs	59
Biology	Bachelor's Degree	$30,726 1-year earnings	-$7,109	falls short	$17,929	insufficient data	59
Research Psychology	Bachelor's Degree	$39,238 1-year earnings	+$1,403	clears the bar	$16,700	11.9 yrs	43
Economics	Bachelor's Degree	$87,193	+$49,358	clears the bar	$19,500	0.4 yrs	34
Geology and Earth Science	Bachelor's Degree	$40,371 1-year earnings	+$2,536	clears the bar	insufficient data	insufficient data	18
English	Bachelor's Degree	$20,780 1-year earnings	-$17,055	falls short	$21,167	insufficient data	15
Political Science	Bachelor's Degree	$53,975	+$16,140	clears the bar	$18,700	1.2 yrs	insufficient data
International Relations	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	56
Mathematics	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	$11,500	insufficient data	38
Chemistry	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	$17,000	insufficient data	33
Physics	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	28
Statistics	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	18
Film and Photography	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	18
Natural Resources and Conservation	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	16
History	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	16
Area Studies	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	15
Sociology and Anthropology	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	15
Fine Arts	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	15
Cognitive Science	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	10
Philosophy	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	10
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	9
Music	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	9
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	6
Religion/Religious Studies	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	5
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	3
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	3
Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	1
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	1
Dance	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	1
Theatre	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	1
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
Psychology	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data
Archeology	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data
Social Sciences, Other	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data
Transportation and Materials Moving, Other	Bachelor's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release 2026-06-10. Earnings are medians measured four years after completion where available (programs shown with a 1-year figure are marked), compared with the state high-school-graduate benchmark ($37,835/yr). Debt is federal loans only. Suppressed values are shown as insufficient data, never imputed. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise.