Carleton College

Northfield, Minnesota

ACCEPTED

SETTING

Small town, 40 min from Minneapolis

SIZE

Small (~2,000 students)

ACADEMIC RIGOR

Very High

Environmental Programs

Environmental Studies

B.A. (Major)

  • Interdisciplinary program
  • Strong science foundation
  • Policy and society focus
  • Field-based learning opportunities

Geology

B.A.

  • Can focus on environmental geology
  • Strong field work component
  • Research opportunities

Campus & Nature

880-acre arboretum with prairies, forests, and wetlands

  • Cowling Arboretum - 880 acres
  • Prairies, forests, and wetlands on campus
  • Beautiful Midwest setting
  • 40 minutes from Minneapolis-St. Paul

Academic Rigor

Highly selective liberal arts college with rigorous academics

  • Highly selective admissions
  • Very academically rigorous
  • Trimester system (3 terms per year)
  • Strong science programs for liberal arts school
  • Excellent graduate school preparation

Liberal Arts Access

  • Premier liberal arts with no distribution requirements
  • Strong economics, political science, history, philosophy
  • Complete freedom to explore all disciplines
  • Exceptional breadth across humanities and social sciences

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Excellent liberal arts education and law school prep
  • Massive arboretum for environmental study
  • Strong science programs
  • Close-knit community
  • Access to Minneapolis-St. Paul

Cons

  • No engineering program
  • Minnesota location (cold winters, far from coasts)
  • Very small school size
  • Trimester system is intense

Student Voices

Real perspectives from students and alumni on third-party review sites

What Students Love

"I spent 2 years at Carleton before transferring to a top national university. I regret heavily my decision as I loved Carleton a lot more, way better classes/lectures, tight-knit community and overall amazing people."

— Sophomore, 5 months ago

What Students Love

"When I arrived for orientation week, a squad of upperclass student athletes showed up to carry up all of my stuff to my 3rd floor dorm room. That sense of camaraderie has remained. I love it here!"

— Freshman, 5 months ago

Common Complaint

"It feels so isolating, living in a small college town is not for the weak. Food is terrible and hard to get parking, and the public transport takes 2 hours to get to target."

— Sophomore, 5 months ago