The real 4-year cost of Carleton College in Minnesota
Over the 18 years from 2008 to 2026, published tuition and required fees at Carleton College went from $38,046 to $75,666, an average of 4.0% a year. The 2026–27 figure is the school's own announced rate.
2026–27 rate announced: $75,666Tuition $75,186 + CSA activity fee $480.source
2008–2030: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $38,046 | – | – |
| 2009 | $39,777 | – | – |
| 2010 | $41,304 | – | – |
| 2011 | $42,942 | – | – |
| 2012 | $44,445 | – | – |
| 2013 | $46,167 | – | – |
| 2014 | $47,736 | – | – |
| 2015 | $49,263 | – | – |
| 2016 | $50,874 | – | – |
| 2017 | $52,782 | – | – |
| 2018 | $54,759 | – | – |
| 2019 | $57,111 | – | – |
| 2020 | $59,352 | – | – |
| 2021 | $60,225 | – | – |
| 2022 | $62,634 | – | – |
| 2023 | $65,457 | – | – |
| 2026 | $75,666 | $75,666 | – |
| 2027 | – | $78,677 | $78,109–$79,245 |
| 2028 | – | $81,807 | $80,630–$82,993 |
| 2029 | – | $85,062 | $83,233–$86,919 |
| 2030 | – | $88,447 | $85,919–$91,030 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $75,666 |
| Year 2 | $78,677 |
| Year 3 | $81,807 |
| Year 4 | $85,062 |
| 4-year total | $321,212 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $281,212
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $161,623
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Announced 2026–27
- $19,314/ yr
- rising 3.8% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $81,800
School’s own published rateHousing $10,194 + food service plan $9,120.source
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at Carleton College4-year schools with similar prices in Minnesota
Closest to Carleton College by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- Macalester College$74,724
- St Olaf College$66,200
- Gustavus Adolphus College$54,310
- Saint Johns University$53,942
- College of Saint Benedict$53,884
- University of St Thomas$52,284
- Hamline University$48,311
- Augsburg University$43,942
Use this data
Published figures for Carleton College from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.