Carleton College

Less selective than Amherst, Williams, and Swarthmore, if only because of its out-of-the-way Minnesota location. Carleton retains its position as the premier liberal arts college in the upper Midwest. Predominantly liberal, but not to the extremes of its more antiestablishment cousins, and turns out lots of students who go on to get Ph.D.s. Students at Carleton excel at making their own fun, especially with Frisbees in hand.

Minnesota is many things: the land of 10,000 lakes, home to the massive Mall of America, birthplace of lore from Hiawatha to Paul Bunyan, and proud parent of the Mississippi River. Beyond all that history-book stuff, tucked into a small town in the southeastern corner of the state is Carleton College, arguably the best liberal arts school in the Midwest. With traditions such as Friday Flowers, when students buy flowers on campus and “mail” them to their friends, you have the makings of an engaged, unique institution. “Carleton is quirky, and we’re not afraid to embrace our quirk. In fact, we revel in it,” says a biology major.

Carleton was founded in 1866 and named for an early benefactor. Surrounded by rolling farmland, Carleton’s 1,040-acre campus is in the small town of Northfield, whose one-time status as the center of the Holstein cattle industry brought it the motto “Cows, Colleges, and Contentment.” The campus boasts of fragrant lilacs in spring, rich summer greens, red maples in the fall, and a glistening blanket of white in winter. Lakes, woods, and streams abound, and you can traverse them on 15 miles of hiking and cross-country skiing trails. There’s even an 880-acre arboretum. Carleton’s architectural style is somewhat eclectic, with everything from Victorian to contemporary, but mostly red brick. Recent additions include Hasenstab Hall, home to the political science department, and a multiyear Student Life and Housing Plan to improve campus residences is ongoing. A new Student Health and Counseling Center will open in 2025.

Carleton’s top-notch academic programs are no less varied. The sciences—biology, physics, astronomy, chemistry, geology, and computer science—are among the best anywhere, and scores of Carleton graduates go on to earn Ph.D.s in these areas. Political science and international relations is a traditional strength; mathematics and computer science are popular too. Engineers can opt for a 3–2 program with Washington University in St. Louis, and for geologists seeking fieldwork—and maybe wanting to thaw out after a long Minnesota winter—Carleton sponsors a program in Death Valley. Closer to home at the “arb,” as the arboretum is affectionately known, students in the well-regarded environmental studies program have their own wilderness field station, which includes a prairie-restoration site. In the arts, music and studio art majors routinely get into top graduate programs, and the college has expanded offerings in dance and theater. Carleton offers interdisciplinary programs in Asian, Jewish, urban, African and African American, and women’s studies. A minor in cross-cultural studies brings in international students to discuss global issues and dynamics with their American counterparts. Sixty-eight percent of Carleton students spend at least one term abroad; offerings include 18 to 20 faculty-led programs every year. Seventy-seven percent of students conduct undergraduate research, and Carleton offers a rare summer research partner program in the humanities.

Distribution requirements ensure that a Carleton education exposes students not only to depth in their chosen field but also to “a wide range of subjects and methods of studying them,” administrators say. All students must show proficiency in writing and a second language while fulfilling requirements in the areas of humanistic and social inquiry, literary/artistic analysis, the arts, science, and quantitative reasoning. There’s also a Global Citizenship requirement, under which students must take one course on international studies, one course on intercultural domestic studies, and a first-year Argument and Inquiry Seminar. In their final year, all students complete a senior comprehensive project (known around campus as “Comps”).

With highly motivated students and an “entirely rigorous” workload, according to a biology major, Carleton isn’t your typical mellow Midwestern liberal arts college. The trimester calendar means finals may be just three months apart, and almost everyone feels the pressure. “I often joke that the hottest social spot at our school is the library,” says a linguistics major. The six-week Christmas vacation is Carleton’s way of dealing with the cold winters, offering more opportunities for off-campus studies or externships, a program unique to Carleton in which students can job shadow or focus on project-based work with alumni. Seventy-two percent of classes have fewer than 20 students, so Carls are expected to participate actively. Carleton’s faculty members are accessible and committed. As part of its extensive advising program, Carleton assigns a “liberal arts advisor” to work with entering students for their first two years before they declare a major in the spring term of sophomore year.

“Students here have a sense of adventure and curiosity,” says a senior. Not to be confused with the quintessentially Midwestern students across town at St. Olaf, 19 percent of Carleton students are Minnesota residents, and 10 percent are international. More than half of the out-of-staters are from outside the Midwest, with both coasts heavily represented. Black students account for 7 percent of the student body, Hispanics/Latinos 10 percent, Asian Americans 11 percent, and multiracial students 9 percent. “People are from all over the world, but it can feel kind of socioeconomically one-sided,” notes a freshman. The Carleton campus is decidedly liberal (“Anyone who has very conservative views may have a hard time fitting in,” remarks a junior), concerned with issues including climate change, gender and racial equality, and LGBTQ rights, and students are active in the local community. “The mental health support services have just begun to develop into a better system,” says a psychology major. Carleton meets the full demonstrated financial need of all enrolled students, and all financial aid is need-based—there are no merit or athletic scholarships.

Ninety-three percent of Carleton students live on campus, and housing is guaranteed for all four years; those who wish to live off campus must receive approval to do so. On-campus options range from comfortable old houses to modern hotel-like residence halls. “All dorms are quite livable and not all that different,” says a freshman. Dorms are co-ed by room, but there are two halls with single-sex floors. Several college-owned “interest” houses, situated in an attractive residential section of town close to campus, focus on themes such as social activism and the outdoors. All campus residents must submit to a meal plan, and, a junior says, with “two dining halls plus three cafés, there are lots of options to choose from!” Students can also use their meal plans at neighboring St. Olaf. Students say the campus is safe, especially given its small-town location.

“There is no Greek life here, but everyone still finds ways to have a good time,” enthuses a junior. Carleton’s social life tends to be relaxed and informal. A group called Co-op sponsors dances and Wednesday socials every two weeks, free movies, and special events like Comedy Night. Students say there is no pressure to drink on campus. Popular annual events include the Midwinter Ball and the Spring Concert. Traditions include the weeklong freshman orientation program where, during opening convocation, students bombard professors with bubbles as the faculty members process. Another distinctive Carleton tradition is the regular liberation and dramatic reappearance of a plaster bust of Friedrich Schiller, the Romantic philosopher and buddy of Goethe—such as dangling from a helicopter over homecoming football games.

Northfield itself is a history-rich town with a population of about 21,000. A favorite town event is the annual reenactment of Jesse James’s failed bank robbery in 1876. “Northfield is quaint,” a sophomore says, with vintage stores, coffee shops, restaurants, and a handful of bars and breweries. Students often frequent St. Olaf’s campus and a popular coffee shop called Goodbye Blue Monday. Minneapolis-St. Paul, 45 minutes to the north, is a popular road-trip destination. First-year students aren’t allowed to have cars on campus, but daily bus service is available.

The Knights compete in Division III athletics. Men’s and women’s cross-country have won multiple Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles in recent years, and men’s soccer and men’s and women’s tennis and track and field are also competitive. “Carleton’s rivalry with St. Olaf is present in every sport,” notes one student. “Carls have recently resorted to calling St. Olaf ‘Northfield Community College!’” The school’s powerhouse ultimate Frisbee club teams have won several national championships. About three quarters of the students compete in 24 club and 14 intramural sports, including broomball in the winter. While not an intramural sport, a popular tradition on campus is Rotblatt, a game described as “softball on steroids” and unique to Carleton. “Played once each spring, this marathon softball game begins at sunrise and lasts one inning for each year of Carleton’s existence. It is Rotblatt tradition for players to both bat and field with a beverage of their choice in one hand.”

It can be cold in Minnesota, in a face-stinging, bone-chilling kind of way. And the classes are far from easy. But Carleton is a warm campus where students toe the line between individuality and community. At Carleton, says one student, “It isn’t about getting the degree; it’s about having an impactful experience where students learn more about themselves and the world they live in.”