How to get into Carleton
What 62 admitted applicants actually had: their grades, test scores, activities, awards and intended majors, counted from 115 Carleton results that students posted for the 2016 to 2026 cycles. Every number below is counted, not estimated.
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Carleton admits by the numbers
Median unweighted GPA
3.98
Middle half 3.87 to 4.00
Median SAT
1,520
Middle half 1,450 to 1,550
Median ACT
34
Middle half 34 to 35
Median weighted GPA
4.50
Middle half 4.30 to 4.58
Results posted: 62 admitted, 21 rejected, 32 waitlisted. People who post results are a self-selected group, so this is not the Carleton acceptance rate; the official rate is in Carleton’s Common Data Set.
Admitted vs. rejected: grades are not the difference
| Median | Admitted | Rejected |
|---|---|---|
| Unweighted GPA | 3.98 | 3.98 |
| SAT | 1,520 | 1,530 |
When the rejected applicants’ numbers sit this close to the admitted ones, the decision was made somewhere else in the file: the activities, the essays and the letters. That is where the rest of this page looks.
What Carleton admits did outside class
Share of admitted applicants listing at least one activity of each type.
- Nonprofit/Service68%
- Athletics44%
- Tutoring/Teaching44%
- Research42%
- Music39%
- Work/Job32%
- Debate/MUN/Speech29%
- Arts27%
Held a leadership role
87%
Founded something
45%
National or intl. award
68%
Did research
42%
Intended majors of Carleton admits
- Computer Science11%
- Economics10%
- Political Science10%
- Pre-med/Health8%
- Engineering6%
- Sociology/Anthropology6%
Who got in
Of the admitted posters, 13% first-generation, 24% low income, 26% underrepresented minority, 11% legacy, 5% recruited athlete and 21% international.
Three recent Carleton admits
2026 cycle · English/Writing
Humanities applicant combining competitive academic activity, art, writing, and music.
GPA 4.00 UW · ACT 36 · Original post
2026 cycle · Environmental
Agriculture-focused international boarding student with a student farm, Chinese university research, and science competition awards.
GPA 3.52 UW · SAT 1530 · Original post
2026 cycle · RD · Data Science
Rural first-gen low-income applicant with student council, band, and quizbowl leadership.
GPA 4.00 UW · ACT 32 · Original post
Where else Carleton admits got in
Carleton admissions questions
- What GPA do you need to get into Carleton?
- Among 62 applicants who posted a Carleton admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 3.98 and the middle half reported 3.87 to 4.00 (46 reported a GPA). Carleton sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.
- What SAT score do you need for Carleton?
- Among 62 applicants who posted a Carleton admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,520 and the middle half scored 1,450 to 1,550 (42 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 34.
- What extracurriculars do Carleton admits have?
- The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (68%), athletics (44%), tutoring/teaching (44%), research (42%). 87% held at least one leadership role and 68% listed a national or international award.
- What is the Carleton acceptance rate?
- The official rate is published by Carleton in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.
Applying to Carleton?
A Specialist who got into a school like Carleton can read your student’s file against these numbers and say where it stands out and where it doesn’t.
Source: self-reported results posts on r/collegeresults, each linked from our Database, counted across the 2016 to 2026 cycles with transfer applicants excluded. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with Carleton. All colleges