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Cal Poly Macalester College Stanford Grinnell St Olaf MIT HMC Yale Carnegie Mellon UCLA Hamilton College Oberlin| California Institute of Technology | Carleton College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Caltech | Carleton College | ||
| Location | Pasadena, CA | Northfield, MN | ||
| Setting | Midsize City | Distant Town | ||
| Enrollment | 2,463 | 2,069 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #6 | #42 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | caltech.edu | carleton.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Caltech | Carleton College | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $60,816 | $65,043 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $60,816 | $65,043 | ||
| Room & Board | $19,503 | $16,710 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $23,397 | $29,434 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $60,201 | $51,916 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 55% | 57% |
Admission |
Caltech | Carleton College | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 13,107 | 6,464 | ||
| Admitted | 412 | 1,440 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 3.1% | 22.3% | ||
| Enrolled % | 64.6% | 37.4% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.97 | 3.9 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Very High | ||
| ACT Range | 35/36 | 32/34 | ||
| SAT Range | 1530/1580 | 1430/1550 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | ||
| Application Deadline | Jan 3, 2026 | Jan 15, 2026 |
Academics |
Caltech | Carleton College | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 3:1 | 8:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Caltech | Carleton College | ||
| Graduation Rate | 87% | 93% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $85,800 | $65,600 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | - | 92% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $14,350 | $19,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $148 | $201 |
Diversity |
Caltech | Carleton College | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 38% | 1% | ||
| % Women | 21% | 1% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Medium | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 27% | 63% | ||
| % Black | 2% | 4% | ||
| % Hispanic | 12% | 7% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 5% | ||
| % International | 8% | 10% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 0% | 2% |
Students |
Caltech | Carleton College | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 30% | 21% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 51% | 67% | ||
Campus |
Caltech | Carleton College | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | Yes | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- California Institute of Technology is larger than than Carleton College based on total student enrollment (2,463 students vs. 2,069 students)
Caltech vs. Carleton College Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Caltech or Carleton College?
- Carleton College is 7% more expensive to attend than Caltech for in-state tuition ($65,043.00 vs. $60,816.00)
- Out of state tuition is 7% higher at Carleton College than California Institute of Technology ($65,043.00 vs. $60,816.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California Institute of Technology than Carleton College ($23,397 vs. $29,434)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Carleton College are 16.7% lower than costs at California Institute of Technology ($16,710 vs. $19,503)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Carleton College than California Institute of Technology (57% vs. 55%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by California Institute of Technology students is 16% larger than aid received Carleton College ($60,201 vs. $51,916)
Caltech vs. Carleton College Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Caltech or Carleton College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Carleton College or Caltech .
- The average SAT score at California Institute of Technology (1544) is 144 points higher than at Carleton College (1400)
- Incoming Caltech students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (35) than students at Carleton College (31)
- Accepted freshman Caltech students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.97) than students at Carleton College (3.9)
- Carleton College has a higher acceptance rate (22.3%) than Caltech (3.1%)
Caltech vs. Carleton College Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Caltech or Carleton College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Carleton College and Caltech.
- The graduation rate at Carleton College is higher than California Institute of Technology (93% vs. 87%)
- Graduates from California Institute of Technology earn on average $20,200 more per year than Carleton College graduates after ten years. ($85,800 vs. $65,600)
- California Institute of Technology students graduate with a $5,150 lower median federal student loan debt than Carleton College graduates. ($14,350 vs. $19,500)
- Caltech graduates are paying $53 less per month on federal student loans than Carleton College graduates. ($148 vs. $201)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/