View source for Carleton College

{{Short description|Private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, U.S.}}
{{About|the college in Minnesota, United States|the university in Ontario, Canada|Carleton University}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = Carleton College
 | image                  = Combined_logo_and_seal_for_Carleton_College.png
 | image_upright          = 1.1
 | former_names           = Northfield College (1866–1871)
 | motto                  = ''Declaratio Sermonum Tuorum Illuminat'' ([[Latin]])
 | mottoeng               = The Revelation / Announcement of Your Words Illuminates
 | established            = {{start date and age|1866|12}}
 | type                   = [[Private college|Private]] [[Liberal arts colleges in the United States|liberal arts college]]
 | academic_affiliations  = {{hlist
|[[Associated Colleges of the Midwest|ACM]]
|[[Annapolis Group]]
|[[Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges|CLAC]]|[[Consortium on Financing Higher Education|COFHE]]|[[National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities|NAICU]]<ref>[http://www.naicu.edu/member_center/members.asp NAICU – Member Directory] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109231238/http://www.naicu.edu/member_center/members.asp |date=November 9, 2015 }}</ref>|[[Oberlin Group]]|
|[[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program|Space-grant]]
}}
 | endowment              = $1.2 billion (2024)<ref>As of June 30, 2024. {{cite report |url= https://www.carleton.edu/business/gen-acct/endow-fund/ |title=Endowment — Carleton College — Business Office |publisher=Carleton College |date=June 30, 2024 |access-date=July 25, 2025}}</ref>
 | budget                 = $190.4 million (2019)<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kennedy|first1=Patrick|title=Minnesota Nonprofit 100|url=http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-nonprofit-companies-top-100-for-2019/566290571/|website=StarTribune News|date=January 15, 2020 |publisher=Minneapolis StarTribune|access-date=16 January 2020|archive-date=February 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212175618/http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-nonprofit-companies-top-100-for-2019/566290571/|url-status=live}}</ref>
 | president              = [[Alison Byerly]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Alison Byerly Named 12th President of Carleton College |date=May 5, 2021 |url=https://www.carleton.edu/presidential-search/announcement/ |publisher=Carleton College |access-date=12 May 2021 |archive-date=June 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210620214532/https://www.carleton.edu/presidential-search/announcement/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
 | undergrad              = 2,019 (2025)<ref name="Spring-2025-Enrollment-Report">{{cite web |title=Spring-2025-Enrollment-Report |url=https://carleton-wp-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/sites/292/2025/05/Spring-2025-Enrollment-Report.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250725064222/https://carleton-wp-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/sites/292/2025/05/Spring-2025-Enrollment-Report.pdf |archive-date=July 25, 2025 |access-date=July 25, 2025 |publisher=Carleton College}}</ref>
 | faculty                = 268 (2024)<ref name="CDS2016">{{cite web |title=Common Data Set 2024–2025 |url=https://carleton-wp-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/sites/292/2025/07/2024-2025-CDS_06032025.pdf |access-date=Aug 30, 2025 |publisher=Carleton College}}</ref><!-- full and part time p. 26-->
 | city                   = [[Northfield, Minnesota]]
 | country                = United States
 | coordinates            = {{Coord|44|27|43|N|93|9|13|W|region:US-MN_scale:10000_type:edu|display=title}}
 | campus                 = Small town, {{convert|1040|acre|ha}}
 | colors                 = {{color box|#0B5091}}{{color box|#F3B61D}} Blue and Maize<ref>{{cite book |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/creativeservices/assets/Carleton_Identity_StyleGuide_0709.pdf |title=Carleton College Identity Guidelines |access-date=2017-06-09 |archive-date=August 12, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150812023112/https://apps.carleton.edu/creativeservices/assets/Carleton_Identity_StyleGuide_0709.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 | sporting_affiliations  = [[NCAA Division III]] – [[Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference|MIAC]]
 | sports_nickname        = [[Carleton Knights|Knights]]
 | website                = {{URL|www.carleton.edu}}
 | logo                   = Carleton College logo.svg
 | logo_upright           = .9
}}

'''Carleton College''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ɑːr|l|t|ᵻ|n}} {{Respell|KARL|tin}}) is a [[Private college|private]] [[Liberal arts colleges in the United States|liberal arts college]] in [[Northfield, Minnesota]], United States.<ref name=about>{{cite web |title = About Carleton |url = https://apps.carleton.edu/about/ |publisher = Carleton College |access-date = October 31, 2017 |archive-date = November 22, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201122122520/https://www.carleton.edu/about/ |url-status = live }}</ref> Founded in 1866, the {{convert|200|acre|adj=on}} main campus is between Northfield and the approximately {{convert|800|acre|adj=on}} [[Carleton College Cowling Arboretum|Cowling Arboretum]], which became part of the campus in the 1920s.<ref name=arb>{{cite web |title = Cowling Arboretum |date = July 3, 2003 |url = https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/arb/ |publisher = Carleton College |access-date = October 31, 2017 |archive-date = November 29, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201129102032/https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/arb/ |url-status = live }}</ref>

The college offers courses from 33 major programs and 39 minor programs, and has the option for students to design their own majors.<ref name=academic-programs>{{cite web |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/registrar/catalog/current/academicprograms/ |title=Academic Programs |date=August 5, 2015 |publisher=Carleton College |access-date=June 3, 2023 |archive-date=June 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603185602/https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/registrar/catalog/current/academicprograms/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Carleton's varsity sports compete at the [[NCAA Division III]] level in the [[Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference]].

== History ==
The school was founded in 1866, when the Minnesota Conference of [[Congregational church|Congregational Church]]es unanimously accepted a resolution to locate a college in Northfield. Two Northfield businessmen, [[Charles Augustus Wheaton]] and Charles Moorehouse Goodsell, each donated {{convert|10|acre|ha|0}} of land for the first campus.<ref name="historically">{{cite web |title=Historically Speaking |url=http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/registrar/catalog/current/historicallyspeaking/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171101215944/https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/registrar/catalog/current/historicallyspeaking/ |archive-date=November 1, 2017 |access-date=October 31, 2017 |publisher=Carleton College}}</ref>  The first students enrolled at the preparatory unit of '''Northfield College''' in the fall of 1867. In 1870, the first college president, [[James Strong (college president)|James Strong]], traveled to the East Coast to raise funds for the college. On his way from visiting a potential donor, [[William Carleton (Massachusetts businessman)|William Carleton]] of [[Charlestown, Massachusetts]], Strong was badly injured in a collision between his carriage and a train. Impressed by Strong's survival of the accident, Carleton donated $50,000 to the fledgling institution in 1871. As a result, the Board of Trustees renamed the school to '''Carleton College''' in his honor.<ref name=history>{{cite web |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/about/history/ |title=Our History |publisher=Carleton College |access-date=June 21, 2015 |archive-date=June 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621102709/https://apps.carleton.edu/about/history/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
The first graduating class was in 1874 and consisted of James J. Dow and Myra A. Brown, who married each other later that year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northfieldhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Carleton_College |title=From Northfield Historical Society history of early Carleton |archive-date=August 2, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070802132808/http://northfieldhistory.org/wiki/index.php?title=Carleton_College }}</ref><ref name="timeline1866">{{cite web |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/archives/exhibits/timeline/1866/ |title=Timeline: 1866-1891 |date=July 19, 2007 |publisher=Carleton College |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107011813/https://apps.carleton.edu/archives/exhibits/timeline/1866/ |url-status=live }}</ref> A third student, Bayard T. Holmes, had originally been in the same class, but withdrew before graduating. [[File:Academic Course Catalog 1867 - 1868, Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota - DPLA - 1aecafd453fdf3d0294c4a2b8f8ca9fc (page 3) (cropped).jpg|alt=Scan of a page from a printed academic catalog, reading "The first annual catalogue of Northfield College, Northfield, Minn July 1868"|left|thumb|Title page to the first academic catalog for Northfield College|189x189px]][[File:Carleton College Aerial.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of the campus]]

On September 7, 1876, the [[James-Younger Gang]], led by outlaw [[Jesse James]], tried to rob the First National Bank of Northfield. [[Joseph Lee Heywood]], Carleton's Treasurer, was acting cashier at the bank that day. He was shot and killed for refusing to open the safe, foiling the attempt.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.northfieldhistory.org/the-bank-raid/ |title=The Bank Raid |work=Northfield Historical Society |access-date=October 27, 2023 }}</ref> Carleton later named a library fund after Heywood. The Heywood Society is the name for a group of donors who have named Carleton in their wills.

In its early years under the presidency of James Strong, Carleton reflected the theological conservatism of its Minnesota Congregational founders. In 1903, modern religious influences were introduced by William Sallmon, a [[Yale Divinity School]] graduate, who was hired as college president. Sallmon was opposed by conservative faculty members and alumni, and left the presidency by 1908.  After Sallmon left, the trustees hired Donald J. Cowling, another theologically liberal Yale Divinity School graduate, as his successor. In 1916, under Cowling's leadership, Carleton began an official affiliation with the Minnesota [[Baptist]] Convention. It lasted until 1928, when the Baptists severed the relationship as a result of [[fundamentalist]] opposition to Carleton's liberalism, including the college's support for teaching [[evolutionary theory|evolution]].<ref>Mark A. Greene, [http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/52/v52i01p016-026.pdf "The Baptist Fundamentalists Case Against Carleton, 1926–1928"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306074451/http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/52/v52i01p016-026.pdf |date=March 6, 2012 }}, ''Minnesota History'' magazine, Spring 1990, pp. 16–26, Minnesota Historical Society.</ref> Non-denominational for a number of years, in 1964 Carleton abolished its requirement for weekly attendance at some religious or spiritual meeting.<ref name=history />

In 1927, students founded the first student-run pub in the nation, [[The Cave (pub)|The Cave]]. Located in the basement of Evans Hall, it continues to host live music shows and other events several times each week.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apps.carleton.edu/student/orgs/cave/calendar/|title=Schedule - The Cave|publisher=Carleton College|access-date=October 31, 2017|archive-date=October 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025075314/https://apps.carleton.edu/student/orgs/cave/calendar/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[File:Class of 1874 (Carleton's first college class), Northfield, Minnesota - DPLA - 1e1445f57778094ab63ddb2e931ef51d (cropped).jpg|alt=Two men standing behind a seated woman. The men are in suits and the woman is in a dress, posed with an open book on her lap.|left|thumb|James J. Dow, Myra A. Brown, and Bayard T. Holmes|198x198px]]In 1942, Carleton purchased land in [[Stanton, Minnesota|Stanton]], about {{convert|10|mi|km|adj=off}} east of campus, to use for flight training. During [[World War II]], several classes of male students went through air basic training at the college. Since being sold by the college in 1944, the Stanton Airfield has been operated for commercial use.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140201232549/http://www.stantonairfield.com/history.html Stanton Airfield site, with history] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919051621/http://www.stantonairfield.com/history.html |date=2008-09-19 }}</ref>

The world premiere production of the English translation of [[Bertolt Brecht]]'s play, ''[[The Caucasian Chalk Circle]]'', was performed in 1948 at Carleton's Little Nourse Theater.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apps.carleton.edu/student/orgs/players/theaterelections/?module_api=image_detail&module_identifier=module_identifier-mcla-ImageSidebarModule-mloc-sidebar-mpar-da9af63edc444779df2c954dfc8d4d40&image_id=257664|title=The Caucasian Chalk Circle – 1948|website=apps.carleton.edu|access-date=2016-06-29|archive-date=June 15, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160615085432/https://apps.carleton.edu/student/orgs/players/theaterelections/?module_api=image_detail&module_identifier=module_identifier-mcla-ImageSidebarModule-mloc-sidebar-mpar-da9af63edc444779df2c954dfc8d4d40&image_id=257664|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1963, Carleton students founded the [[Reformed Druids of North America]], initially as a means to be excused from attendance of then-mandatory weekly chapel service.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.carleton.edu/student/orgs/druids/questions/pamph/|title=What is Reformed Druidism (1965) {{!}} Reformed Druids of North America {{!}} Carleton College|website=apps.carleton.edu|access-date=2019-01-09|archive-date=January 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110014408/https://apps.carleton.edu/student/orgs/druids/questions/pamph/|url-status=live}}</ref>  Within a few years, the group evolved to engage in legitimate spiritual exploration. Its legacy remains in campus location names such as the Stone Circle<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Morrow|first=Avery|date=July 13, 2020|title=A Druid Geography of Carleton College|url=https://www.carleton.edu/student/orgs/druids/geography/|url-status=live|access-date=June 26, 2021|website=Reformed Druids of North America, Carleton College|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119030731/https://www.carleton.edu/student/orgs/druids/geography/ |archive-date=2021-01-19 }}</ref> (commonly called "the Druid Circle"<ref>{{Cite web|last=Li|first=Walt|date=February 14, 2020|title=Otters are Back: Finally Confirmed by a Photograph|url=https://thecarletonian.com/2020/02/14/otters-are-back-finally-confirmed-by-a-photograph/|url-status=live|access-date=June 26, 2021|website=The Carletonian|quote="the trail heading south from the Druids rocks [circle]"|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217135528/https://thecarletonian.com/2020/02/14/otters-are-back-finally-confirmed-by-a-photograph/ |archive-date=2020-02-17 }}</ref>) and the Hill of the Three Oaks.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{
Cite web
|last1=Frangquist
|first1=Deborah Gavrin
|last2=Frangquist
|first2=David
|last3=Hillemann
|first3=Eric
|date=1993-10-31
|title=David and Deborah Gavrin Frangquist, oral history transcript
|url=https://archivedb.carleton.edu/index.php?p=digitallibrary/digitalcontent&id=89143
|url-status=live
|access-date=2021-06-26
|website=Carleton College Archives
|page=71
|quote="As far as we know, it had no name before the Druids, who called it the Hill of the Three Oaks."
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626213451/https://archivedb.carleton.edu/index.php?p=digitallibrary/digitalcontent&id=89143 |archive-date=2021-06-26 }}</ref> Meetings continue to be held in the [[Carleton College Cowling Arboretum]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2015}}

President [[Bill Clinton]] gave the last commencement address of his administration at Carleton, on June 10, 2000, marking the first presidential visit to the college.<ref>{{Cite news | first=Elaine | last=Sciolino | title=Transition in Syria; A New Hurdle to Peace | date=2000-06-11 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/11/world/transition-in-syria-a-new-hurdle-to-peace.html?pagewanted=all | work=The New York Times | access-date=2008-09-15 | archive-date=July 28, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728005133/https://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/11/world/transition-in-syria-a-new-hurdle-to-peace.html?pagewanted=all | url-status=live }}</ref>

==Academics==
Carleton is a small, liberal arts college offering 33 different majors and 39 minors, and is [[Higher education accreditation in the United States|accredited]] by the [[Higher Learning Commission]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/academics/?v=majors |title=Carleton Academics |date=August 17, 2012 |publisher=Carleton College |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107020202/https://apps.carleton.edu/academics/?v=majors |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/accreditation/ |title=Carleton College Accreditation |date=May 15, 2007 |publisher=Carleton College |access-date=September 19, 2008 |archive-date=February 17, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100217202140/https://apps.carleton.edu/accreditation/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Students also have the option to design their own major. Ten languages are offered: Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/languages/at_carleton/ |title=Foreign Languages at Carleton |publisher=Carleton College |access-date=December 3, 2016 |archive-date=December 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161214204719/https://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/languages/at_carleton/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The academic calendar follows a trimester system in which students usually take three classes per 10-week term.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |title=Trimesters |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/office_blog/?story_id=691020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621101747/https://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/office_blog/?story_id=691020 |archive-date=June 21, 2015 |access-date=2015-06-21 |work=Admissions}}</ref> 

Carleton's graduation requirements are designed to expose students to a wide variety of disciplines independent of their selected major subject. Degree students are required to demonstrate proficiency in a second language (which can be achieved through testing, placement examinations, or classes at Carleton). All first-year non-transfer students are assigned to an Argument and Inquiry (A&I) seminar in their first term. During their studies, students are required to take a writing-rich course, three quantitative reasoning encounters (courses in which students work with quantitative data and arguments),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.carleton.edu/academics/liberalarts/requirements/#qre|title=Graduation Requirements {{!}} Carleton Academics {{!}} Carleton College|website=apps.carleton.edu|date=February 7, 2013 |language=en-US|access-date=2018-11-20|archive-date=November 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121021823/https://apps.carleton.edu/academics/liberalarts/requirements/#qre|url-status=live}}</ref> four terms of physical education activity, as well as courses in international studies, intercultural domestic studies, humanistic inquiry, literary/artistic analysis, arts practice, science with lab, formal or statistical reasoning, and social inquiry.<ref name=":5">{{cite web |url = https://apps.carleton.edu/academics/liberalarts/requirements/ |title = Graduation Requirements |date = February 7, 2013 |publisher = Carleton College |access-date = May 23, 2015 |archive-date = May 24, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150524042827/http://apps.carleton.edu/academics/liberalarts/requirements/ |url-status = live }}</ref>

Studying abroad is common at Carleton: 76% of the senior class of 2018 studied abroad at least once over their four years.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/ocs/assets/2018_Senior_Class.pdf |title=Off-Campus Studies Participation Statistics |access-date=20 November 2018 |archive-date=November 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121021837/https://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/ocs/assets/2018_Senior_Class.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> Carleton offers a number of its own programs each year, which are led by Carleton faculty and available only to Carleton students. In 2017–2018, 17 such programs were offered.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/ocs/office/overview/ |title=Overview {{!}} Off-Campus Studies {{!}} Carleton College |website=apps.carleton.edu |language=en-US |access-date=2018-11-20 |archive-date=November 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120221142/https://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/ocs/office/overview/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Although many students opt to go on a Carleton-specific program, because full financial aid and academic credits can transfer to other programs,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/ocs/money_matters/finaid/ |title=Financial Aid {{!}} Off-Campus Studies {{!}} Carleton College |website=apps.carleton.edu |language=en-US |access-date=2018-11-20 |archive-date=November 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120221143/https://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/ocs/money_matters/finaid/ |url-status=live}}</ref> many students choose to study with other schools or organizations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/ocs/assets/2017_18_Academic_Year.pdf|title=Off-Campus Studies Participation Statistics Academic Year 2017-2018|website=Carleton|access-date=20 November 2018|archive-date=November 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121021918/https://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/ocs/assets/2017_18_Academic_Year.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
===Admissions===
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}}-->Admission to Carleton has been categorized as "most selective" by ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/carleton-college-2340/applying |title=Carleton College – Applying |work=U.S. News & World Report |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-date=October 11, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011023626/https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/carleton-college-2340/applying |url-status=live }}</ref> The class of 2028 admittance rate was 17.9% of all applicants, making Carleton the most selective college in Minnesota.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-05 |title=Carleton accepts class of 2028 |url=https://thecarletonian.com/19046/news/admitting-the-class-of-2028-admissions-after-affirmative-action-and-legacy-preference/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240405231543/https://thecarletonian.com/19046/news/admitting-the-class-of-2028-admissions-after-affirmative-action-and-legacy-preference/ |archive-date=April 5, 2024 |access-date=2024-09-29 |website=The Carletonian |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/hardest-to-get-in/s/minnesota/ |title=2019 Hardest Colleges to Get Into in Minnesota |work=Niche |access-date=August 6, 2019 |archive-date=August 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806232413/https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/hardest-to-get-in/s/minnesota/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Carleton has a history of enrolling students who are in the [[National Merit Scholarship Program]], often enrolling more than any other liberal arts college in the nation. The class of 2026 included 38 National Merit Scholars.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/afford/national_merit_tips/carleton_merit_scholars/ |title=Carleton Merit Scholars |publisher=Carleton College |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107014030/https://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/afford/national_merit_tips/carleton_merit_scholars/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Admissions |first=Carleton |title=Class of 2026 Profile |url=https://www.carleton.edu/admissions/apply/steps/profile/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=Carleton Admissions |language=en-US |archive-date=April 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422184923/https://www.carleton.edu/admissions/apply/steps/profile/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Rankings===
{{Infobox US university ranking
<!-- Liberal arts rankings -->| Forbes = 172
| USNWR_LA = 8
| Wamo_LA = 19
| THE_WSJ = 35
}}

Carleton has been in the top 10 liberal arts colleges since 1997 in the ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' rankings. For 2025, it ranks tied for 8th overall, 1st for "Best Undergraduate Teaching", and 17th for "Best Value".<ref>{{cite web |title=US News Rankings – Liberal Arts Colleges |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/carleton-college-2340/overall-rankings |magazine=U.S. News & World Report |year=2020 |access-date=September 25, 2019 |archive-date=September 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925161009/https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/carleton-college-2340/overall-rankings |url-status=live }}</ref>  In 2019, the ''[[Washington Monthly]]'' ratings — using criteria of social mobility, research, and service — ranked Carleton the 24th best college in the liberal arts college category. In the 2019 ''[[Forbes]]'' ranking of 650 American colleges, which combines liberal arts colleges, service academies and national research universities, Carleton is ranked 52nd.

''[[Kiplinger's Personal Finance]]'' places Carleton 13th in its 2019 ranking of the 149 best value liberal arts colleges in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-best-college-values-college-finder/index.php#Table |magazine=Kiplinger's Personal Finance |title=College Finder |date=July 2019 |access-date=September 25, 2019 |archive-date=August 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823230821/https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-best-college-values-college-finder/index.php#Table |url-status=dead }}</ref> Carleton was ranked 5th in the 2015 [[Brookings Institution]] list of "Four-Year or Higher Colleges With the Highest Value-Added With Respect to Mid-Career Earnings", with Carleton adding an estimated 43% in value, raising the predicted mid-career salary of $76,236 to $117,700.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/BMPP_CollegeValueAdded.pdf |title=Beyond College Rankings: A Value-Added Approach to Assessing Two- and Four-Year Schools |first1=Jonathan |last1=Rothwell |first2=Siddharth |last2=Kulkarni |publisher=Brookings Institution |date=April 2015 |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-date=February 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215084116/https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/BMPP_CollegeValueAdded.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In a 2012 study of higher education institutions, Carleton was listed as the most chosen as a peer institution, followed by [[Princeton University|Princeton]] and [[Oberlin College|Oberlin]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chronicle.com/article/In-Selecting-Peers-for/134228/ |title=In Selecting Peers for Comparison's Sake, Colleges Look Upward |work=Chronicle of Higher Education |first=Andrea |last=Fuller |date=September 10, 2012 |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107013516/http://www.chronicle.com/article/In-Selecting-Peers-for/134228/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Graduates===
In the 2023–2024 school year, 14 Carleton graduates obtained a Fulbright grant from 54 applications. Among liberal arts colleges, the school is a "Top Producer of Fulbright Awards for American Students".<ref>{{cite web |title=Fulbright U.S. Student Top Producing Institutions By Year |url=https://www.fulbrightprogram.org/tpi/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240927130320/https://www.fulbrightprogram.org/tpi/ |archive-date=September 27, 2024 |access-date=September 30, 2024 |publisher=Fulbright}}</ref> Carleton has produced 75 [[Watson Foundation|Watson Fellows]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://apps.carleton.edu/now/stories/?story_id=1545704|title=Ross '17 is Carleton's 75th Watson Fellowship winner|work=Carleton Now|access-date=2018-11-20|language=en-US|archive-date=November 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121021920/https://apps.carleton.edu/now/stories/?story_id=1545704|url-status=live}}</ref>

Of those who applied, on average over 80% of Carleton graduates are accepted to medical school and about 90% to law school. Within five years of graduating, between 65% and 75% of graduates pursue postgraduate studies.<ref name=lifeafter>{{cite web |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/parents/life_after_carleton/ |title=Life after Carleton |publisher=Carleton College |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-date=November 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115062630/https://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/parents/life_after_carleton/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Program |first=Pre-Health |title=Medicine - Carleton College |url=https://www.carleton.edu/pre-health/medicine/ |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=www.carleton.edu |date=April 12, 2019 |language=en-US}}</ref> The 15 most common graduate or professional schools attended by Carleton students are [[University of Minnesota|University of Minnesota–Twin Cities]], [[University of Wisconsin–Madison]], [[University of Michigan–Ann Arbor]], [[Harvard University|Harvard]], [[University of Chicago]], [[University of Washington]], [[Columbia University|Columbia]], [[University of California–Berkeley|UC Berkeley]], [[Northwestern University|Northwestern]], [[New York University|NYU]], [[Yale University|Yale]], and [[Stanford University|Stanford]]. The most commonly pursued graduate programs are law, medicine, education, business administration, history, and chemistry.<ref name=post-carleton>{{cite web |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/career/assets/EmployEducByMajorSummary.pdf |title=Post-Carleton Employment and Education |publisher=Carleton College |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-date=October 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002193151/https://apps.carleton.edu/career/assets/EmployEducByMajorSummary.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Carleton is the second-largest producer of [[Harvard Divinity School]] students, after [[Harvard College]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Voice |date=2025-06-18 |title=A Scaffold for Spiritual Leadership - Carleton College |url=https://www.carleton.edu/voice/stories/a-scaffold-for-spiritual-leadership/ |access-date=2025-11-09 |website=www.carleton.edu |language=en-US}}</ref>

Over 20% of all Carleton graduates since 1990 work in the business/finance/sales sector. Over 10% work in either healthcare or higher education. Pre K-12 education accounts for about 9% of graduates.<ref name="carleton-facts">{{cite web |title=Carleton Facts 2015–2016 |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/ira/assets/Carleton_Facts_2015_16.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111173657/https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/ira/assets/Carleton_Facts_2015_16.pdf |archive-date=November 11, 2018 |access-date=October 31, 2017}}</ref> Carleton graduates with only a bachelor's degree have an average mid-career salary of $113,800, according to self-reported data from [[PayScale]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report/bachelors |title=Best Universities and Colleges by Salary Potential |website=PayScale.com |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-date=July 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712030121/https://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report/bachelors |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Student life==
===Student body===
Carleton typically enrolls about 2,000 students, with roughly equal numbers of women and men.<ref name=about/>

As of 2016, 26.5% of the total student population are domestic students of color, 10.9% are among the first generation in their family to attend college, and 83.5% are U.S. citizens from out of state.<ref>{{cite web |title = Student Recruitment and Enrollment |url = https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/ira/assets/Carleton_Fall_Enrollment_Diversity_Profile.pdf |website = Carleton College |access-date = October 31, 2017 |archive-date = November 17, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161117112835/https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/ira/assets/Carleton_Fall_Enrollment_Diversity_Profile.pdf |url-status = live }}</ref>

10.2% of students are [[international student|international]], with the most represented countries being China (4.3%), South Korea (0.8%), India (0.7%), Canada (0.7%), and Japan (0.4%).<ref name=carleton-facts />

===Extracurricular organizations===
{{See also|KRLX}}
The school's nearly 240 active student organizations include three theater boards (coordinating as many as ten productions every term), long-form and short-form improv groups and a sketch comedy troupe, six ''[[a cappella]]'' groups, four choirs, seven specialized instrumental ensembles, five dance interest groups, two auditioned dance companies, a successful [[Mock Trial]] team, a nationally competitive debate program, and the student-run 24-hour [[KRLX]] radio station, which employs more than 200 volunteers each term.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/topics/student_orgs/ |title=Student Organizations |publisher=Carleton College |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107014620/https://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/topics/student_orgs/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the 2013–2014 academic year, the school's Model United Nations team ranked among the top 25 in the nation.<ref>{{cite web |date=May 22, 2014 |title=North America Final College Rankings 2013–2014 |url=http://bestdelegate.com/north-america-final-college-rankings-2013-2014/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621234722/http://bestdelegate.com/north-america-final-college-rankings-2013-2014/ |archive-date=June 21, 2015 |access-date=June 21, 2015 |website=bestdelegate.com}}</ref> Carleton's Model United Nations team has also been awarded the Best Delegation in previous editions of the World Model United Nations competition.<ref>{{cite web |title=Carleton College Model U.N. Delegation Wins World Title |url=https://www.carleton.edu/news/stories/carleton-college-model-u-n-delegation-wins-world-title/ |website=Carleton College |access-date=20 November 2025 |date=16 April 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Carleton Model UN Group Named ‘Outstanding Delegation’|url=https://www.carleton.edu/news/stories/carleton-model-un-group-named-outstanding-delegation/ |website=Carleton College |access-date=20 November 2025 |date=7 May 2004}}</ref>

==== Student publications ====
[[File:39398 ca object representations media 134679 original.jpg|alt=A newspaper with text in two columns. The title in large text at the top of the page reads "The Carletonian. Carlet on College, Northfield, Minn., June, 1877."|thumb|Inaugural issue of ''The Carletonian'', published June 1877.]]
''The Carletonian'' is the school's student newspaper. It was founded in 1877 and renamed ''The Carletonia'' from June 1881 until November 12, 1921, when it regained its original title.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Collection PB008: Carletonian, The, 1877 - |url=https://archive.carleton.edu/Detail/collections/144132 |access-date=February 24, 2025 |website=Carleton College Archives}}</ref> The paper was originally published annually, then monthly or semi-monthly until fall 1910, when it began regular weekly publication. From January to September 1977, the paper was published daily under the title ''The Carleton Daily'', after which time it reverted to weekly publication as ''The Carletonian.'' Currently, it is distributed weekly on Fridays during the school year.

''The Cow Print'' is a satire magazine at Carleton, published and distributed fortnightly.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Cow Print |url=https://carleton.presence.io/organization/the-cow-print |access-date=2023-06-13 |website=Presence {{!}} Carleton College |language=en |archive-date=June 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230613205635/https://carleton.presence.io/organization/the-cow-print |url-status=live }}</ref> It was founded in 1999 as ''The Carl'', an arts and culture supplement to ''The Carletonian,'' and renamed ''The Cow Print'' in May 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Collection PB098: Carl, The / Cow Print, 1999-2023 |url=https://archive.carleton.edu/Detail/collections/98 |access-date=February 24, 2025 |website=Carleton College Archives}}</ref>

''The Carleton Literary Association Paper (The CLAP)'' is a weekly satire publication, distributed on Fridays during convocation time. The magazine is printed in grayscale, on 8.5" x 11" paper instead of traditional newsprint. ''The CLAP'' is notable for accepting any and all student submissions, allowing any student to have their opinions and jokes published without censorship.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nicosia |first=Emma |title=A Brief History of The CLAP |url=https://thecarletonian.com/3752/news/a-brief-history-of-the-clap/ |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=The Carletonian}}</ref>

===Traditions===
Carleton has numerous student traditions and a long history of student pranks,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://apps.carleton.edu/voice/?story_id=732812&section_id=353600&issue_id=732138|title=Carleton Capers: An Incomplete Compendium of Pranks|work=Voice|access-date=2018-08-31|language=en-US|archive-date=August 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831211944/https://apps.carleton.edu/voice/?story_id=732812&section_id=353600&issue_id=732138|url-status=live}}</ref> including painting the college's water tower.<ref name="pages.stolaf.edu">{{Cite web|url=https://pages.stolaf.edu/nfldhist/carleton-water-tower/|title=Carleton Water Tower {{!}} Northfield Historical Project|website=pages.stolaf.edu|language=en-US|access-date=2018-08-31|archive-date=August 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831211828/https://pages.stolaf.edu/nfldhist/carleton-water-tower/|url-status=live}}</ref> Notably, a likeness of [[Bill Clinton|President Clinton]] was painted on the tower the night before his commencement speech in 2000. Early the following morning, college maintenance staff painted over it (although in his speech, Clinton mentioned his amusement and regret it had been covered before he could see it).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=58615|title=William J. Clinton: Commencement Address at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota|website=www.presidency.ucsb.edu|access-date=2018-08-31|archive-date=September 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180901003743/http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=58615|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Schiller bust ====
[[File:Friedrich Schiller by Ludovike Simanowiz.jpg|thumb|171x171px|Friedrich Schiller]]
A bust of [[Friedrich Schiller]], known simply as "Schiller", has made regular, brief appearances at large campus events. The tradition dates back to 1956, when two students absconded with the bust from Scoville Library while books were being transferred to the new library. "Schiller" resided in their dorm rooms for a period, only to have the bust taken from them. Possession of the bust escalated into an elaborate competition, which took on a high degree of secrecy and strategy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.carlwiki.org/Bust_of_Schiller |title=Bust of Schiller |website=Carlwiki.org |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171121004036/http://www.carlwiki.org/Bust_of_Schiller |archive-date=2017-11-21 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

Schiller's public appearances, accompanied with a cry of "Schiller!", are a tacit challenge to other students to capture the bust. The currently circulating bust of Schiller was retrieved from [[Puebla]], Mexico in the summer of 2003. In 2006, students created an online scavenger hunt, made up of a series of complex riddles about Carleton,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wehaveschiller.com |title=Homepage |publisher=Wehaveschiller.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927205800/http://www.wehaveschiller.com/ |archive-date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref> which led participants to Schiller's hidden location. The bust was stolen from the winner of the scavenger hunt. At commencement in 2006, the holders of the bust arranged for Schiller to "graduate".  When his name was called at the appropriate moment, the bust was pulled from behind the podium and displayed.

In March 2010, the bust of Schiller appeared on ''[[The Colbert Report]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cc.com/video-clips/s0mkwg/the-colbert-report-sign-off---friedrich-schiller |title=Sign Off – Friedrich Schiller |work=The Colbert Report |date=March 3, 2010 |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107004759/http://www.cc.com/video-clips/s0mkwg/the-colbert-report-sign-off---friedrich-schiller |url-status=dead }}</ref> The appearance was organized by custodians of Schiller who contacted [[Peter Gwinn]], a Carleton alumnus who was a writer for the program.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bellos |first=Nicholas |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/carletonian/?story_id=626864&issue_id=622287 |work=The Carletonian |issue=2010 Spring Issue 1 |title=Schiller makes his national TV debut |date=April 23, 2010 |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107014616/https://apps.carleton.edu/carletonian/?story_id=626864&issue_id=622287 |url-status=live }}</ref> The bust also appeared on a Halloween broadcast of ''[[A Prairie Home Companion]]'' on Minnesota Public Radio.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/reason_package/reason_4.0/www/displayers/image.php?id=686071 |title=Schiller appears on the live Halloween broadcast of "A Prairie Home Companion" hosted by Garrison Keillor, right, accompanied by Rich Dworsky |publisher=Carleton College |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-date=July 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728201013/https://apps.carleton.edu/reason_package/reason_4.0/www/displayers/image.php?id=686071 |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Rotblatt====
In 1964, Carleton students named an intramural slow-pitch [[softball]] league after [[Marv Rotblatt]], a former Chicago White Sox pitcher. Although traditional intramural softball is still played at Carleton, the name "Rotblatt" now refers to a campus-wide annual beer softball game that is played with one inning for every year of the school's existence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/activities/rotblatt/|title=Rotblatt|publisher=Carleton College|access-date=November 2, 2017|archive-date=November 13, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113031352/http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/activities/rotblatt/|url-status=live}}</ref> The game begins at sunrise and lasts until the slated number of innings have been completed for that year. The only rule for gameplay is that all players must have a cup in one hand.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/cut4/marvin-rotblatt-is-the-man-behind-100-inning-softball-game/c-210698514|title=Marvin Rotblatt is the man behind 100 inning softball game|website=MLB.com|date=December 9, 2016 |language=en|access-date=2018-08-31|archive-date=August 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831211849/https://www.mlb.com/cut4/marvin-rotblatt-is-the-man-behind-100-inning-softball-game/c-210698514|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1997, ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' honored Rotblatt in its "Best of Everything" section with the award, "Longest Intramural Event".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1009978/2/index.htm|title=The Best Of Everything|last=Walters|first=John|date=28 April 1997|magazine=Sports Illustrated|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103130705/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1009978/2/index.htm|archive-date=November 3, 2012}}</ref> Rotblatt himself attended the game several times over the course of his life and appreciated the tradition.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://apps.carleton.edu/voice/?story_id=1069936&section_id=353603&issue_id=1069733|title=Remembering Rotblatt|work=Voice|access-date=2018-08-31|language=en-US|archive-date=August 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831211706/https://apps.carleton.edu/voice/?story_id=1069936&section_id=353603&issue_id=1069733|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/23/sports/baseball/marv-rotblatt-pitcher-celebrated-through-softball-marathon-dies-at-85.html|title=Marv Rotblatt, Pitcher Celebrated Through Softball Marathon, Dies at 85|last=Goldstein|first=Richard|work=The New York Times |date=July 23, 2013 |access-date=2018-08-31|language=en|archive-date=August 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831211920/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/23/sports/baseball/marv-rotblatt-pitcher-celebrated-through-softball-marathon-dies-at-85.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Friday Flowers ====
A highly visible campus tradition is "Friday Flowers", where students can purchase individual flowers from a local florist and place them in one another's mailboxes each Friday of term.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.carleton.edu/admissions/explore/outside-class/traditions/|title=Nontraditional Traditions {{!}} Carleton Admissions|last=Admissions|first=Carleton|work=Carleton Admissions|access-date=2018-08-31|language=en-US|archive-date=September 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180901044428/https://www.carleton.edu/admissions/explore/outside-class/traditions/|url-status=live}}</ref> This tradition was in the news after three students died in a car accident en route to a frisbee tournament in 2014. Students at the nearby [[St. Olaf College]] sent over Friday Flowers for each student's mailbox.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.startribune.com/grieving-carleton-campus-strewn-with-flowers/249097511/|title=Grieving Carleton campus strewn with flowers|work=Star Tribune|access-date=2018-08-31|archive-date=September 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180901003744/http://www.startribune.com/grieving-carleton-campus-strewn-with-flowers/249097511/|url-status=live}}</ref> Later that fall, after a St. Olaf student died, Carleton returned the gesture.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.today.com/news/carleton-college-fills-rival-st-olafs-mailboxes-flowers-1D80225186|title=After tragedy, students put aside rivalry with heartwarming gift|work=TODAY.com|access-date=2018-08-31|language=en-US|archive-date=September 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180901044444/https://www.today.com/news/carleton-college-fills-rival-st-olafs-mailboxes-flowers-1D80225186|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Freshman Frisbee Toss ====
Every first year student receives a frisbee on their first day of orientation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://ultiworld.com/livewire/photo-of-the-day-carleton-class-of-2019-does-the-annual-frisbee-toss/|title=Photo Of The Day: Carleton Class Of 2019 Does The Annual Frisbee Toss {{!}} Livewire {{!}} Ultiworld|work=Ultiworld|access-date=2018-08-31|language=en-US|archive-date=September 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180901003753/https://ultiworld.com/livewire/photo-of-the-day-carleton-class-of-2019-does-the-annual-frisbee-toss/|url-status=live}}</ref> The design of the disc changes from year to year but always includes a penguin and the graduating year. At the Frisbee Toss Ceremony, students write their name on the frisbee, gather on the Bald Spot in a circle and throw their discs.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://apps.carleton.edu/voice/?story_id=1489186&issue_id=1488818|title=Frisbee|work=Voice|access-date=2018-08-31|language=en-US|archive-date=September 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906195829/https://apps.carleton.edu/voice/?story_id=1489186&issue_id=1488818|url-status=live}}</ref> This officially marks the beginning of a student's time at Carleton. After the toss, each new student collects a disc and eventually returns it to the original owner in the hopes of making a new friend.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.carleton.edu/newstudents/events/?event_id=1152073&date=2017-09-05|title=NSW: Frisbee Toss {{!}} New Students 2018 {{!}} Carleton College|website=apps.carleton.edu|date=August 25, 2010 |language=en-US|access-date=2018-08-31|archive-date=September 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180901044430/https://apps.carleton.edu/newstudents/events/?event_id=1152073&date=2017-09-05|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Beer Olympics ====
Each spring term since at least 2002<ref>{{Cite web |last=Giles |first=Becca |title=Interview: Zach McGowan '02, Actor on TV Show Black Sails |url=https://thecarletonian.com/3786/arts-and-features/interview-zach-mcgowan-02-actor-on-tv-show-black-sails/ |access-date=2024-05-07 |website=The Carletonian}}</ref> a number of Carleton students have participated in Beer Olympics (BO).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hoerger |first=Jacob |title=Some Rotblatt Blather |url=https://thecarletonian.com/3762/viewpoint/some-rotblatt-blather/ |access-date=2024-05-07 |website=The Carletonian}}</ref> In recent years, over 100 students have competed. BO is a competition that spans two days and consists of a series of events involving chugging beer (usually Coor's). These events include the frisbee, in which two students chug four beers out of a frisbee placed on the floor; the high-jump, in which a single student chugs up to eight beers out of a one-story-tall [[beer bong]]; and the 40-40, in which a student chugs a 40-ounce beer and runs a 40-yard dash.

Every year, a commission of students is elected to plan and organize Beer Olympics. The commission rotates every year, and any changes to the rules must be ratified and explained in the Beer Olympics Manifesto, which as of 2019 was 11 pages long.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Zaytoun |first1=Christian |last2=Chan |first2=Jen |last3=Hirsch |first3=Quentin |title=2019 Carleton College Beer Olympics Manifesto |url=https://github.com/dalmeidad/theMainframe/blob/master/2019%20Carleton%20College%20Beer%20Olympics%20Manifesto.pdf |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=GitHub |language=en}}</ref>

==== Farmstock ====
Every spring since 1979, Carleton students have organized a music festival called Farmstock. Originally a small event with a picnic and acoustic music, the event has evolved into an all-campus affair, featuring the roasting of a whole pig and a full day of live music. The event takes place in the backyard of Farm House—Carleton's sustainability interest house—and is planned and organized by Farm students.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ying |first=Sophia |title=A history of Carleton traditions, both new and old |url=https://thecarletonian.com/18102/arts-and-features/a-history-of-carleton-traditions-both-new-and-old/# |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=The Carletonian}}</ref>

==Campus==
[[File:Gould-Library.JPG|thumb|left|alt=A sidewalk approaches a modern brick and stone building surrounded by trees and greenery.| The Laurence McKinley Gould Library operates all days of the week, and was built in 1956 and enlarged in 1983.<ref>{{cite web|title = Carleton College: Gould Library|url = https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/library/|website = apps.carleton.edu| date=July 5, 2005 |access-date = 2015-06-21|archive-date = June 21, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150621233142/https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/library/|url-status = live}}</ref><ref name=buildings>{{cite web |title = Historical Building Information |date = November 6, 2003 |url = https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/facilities/property/historical/ |publisher = Carleton College |access-date = October 31, 2017 |archive-date = October 16, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171016013830/https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/facilities/property/historical/ |url-status = live }}</ref>|281x281px]]
The college campus was created in 1867 with the gifts of two {{convert|10|acre|ha|0|adj=on}} parcels from local businessmen Charles M. Goodsell and [[Charles Augustus Wheaton]]. The {{convert|1040|acre|adj=on}}{{clarify|date=December 2017}} school campus is on a hill overlooking the [[Cannon River (Minnesota)|Cannon River]], at the northeast edge of Northfield. To the north and east is the {{convert|800|acre|adj=on}} [[Carleton College Cowling Arboretum|Cowling Arboretum]], which was farm fields in the early years of the college.<ref name=arb />

The {{convert|0.25|acre|adj=on}} [[Jo Ryo En Japanese Garden]] is located behind Watson Hall in the center of the campus.

===Campus buildings===
Several of Carleton's older buildings have been listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] (NRHP). [[Willis Hall (Carleton College)|Willis Hall]], the first building on campus, was constructed from 1869 to 1872. Originally the hall contained the men's dormitory, classrooms, library, and chapel. The building was gutted by fire in 1879, after which it was entirely rebuilt within the existing stone shell. The original front of the building became the rear entrance with the construction of Severance Hall in 1928.<ref name=architecture>{{Cite book| last = Soth | first = Lauren |author2=Shoop, Jim | title = Architecture at Carleton: A Brief History and Guide | publisher = Carleton College | year = 2003 | location = Northfield, MN }}</ref>{{rp|3}} As new buildings were constructed, various academic departments cycled through the building. Beginning in 1954, Willis served as the college student union, until it was replaced in 1979 by the Sayles-Hill Student Center, a converted gymnasium. Willis Hall now houses the Economics, Political Science, and Educational Studies offices.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/econ/Willis_Hall_chronology/ |title=Economics department history of the building |publisher=Carleton College |access-date=18 September 2010 |archive-date=September 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928180310/http://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/econ/Willis_Hall_chronology/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Goodsell Observatory.jpg|thumb|alt=A brick building with silver domed roof.|[[Goodsell Observatory]] at Carleton College is on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] and is currently the largest observatory in Minnesota.]]

[[Goodsell Observatory]], also on the NRHP, was constructed in 1887 and at the time was the largest observatory in the state of Minnesota. It was named for Charles Goodsell, who donated land for the campus. From the late 19th century to the end of World War II, Goodsell Observatory kept the time for every major [[railroad]] west of the [[Mississippi River]], including [[Northern Pacific Railway]], the [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|Great Northern Railway]], the [[Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad]], and the [[Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad#Demise and future ownership|St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/observatory/histmain/story/four/ |title=Goodsell Observatory: Page Four |publisher=Carleton College |access-date=October 18, 2016 |archive-date=October 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018232522/https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/observatory/histmain/story/four/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Scoville Hall (originally [[Scoville Memorial Library (Carleton College)|Scoville Memorial Library]]), completed in 1896, is on the NRHP. Replaced in function by the Gould Library in the 1950s, Scoville was adapted for administrative space.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/locations/scoville/|title=Scoville Hall|publisher=Carleton College|access-date=October 18, 2016|archive-date=October 18, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018004414/https://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/locations/scoville/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Skinner-Memorial-Chapel-Carleton-College-Northfield-Minnesota.jpg|thumb|left|alt=The stone tower of the chapel. There are some decorative elements at the top and the rest of the chapel extends to the right. | Skinner Memorial Chapel hosts spiritual life events as well as the weekly convocation.<ref>{{cite web|title = Carleton College: Convocations: 2014–2015 Weekly Convocations|url = https://apps.carleton.edu/events/convocations/|website = apps.carleton.edu|access-date = 2015-07-13|first = Kerry|last = Raadt| date=September 4, 2003 |archive-date = July 13, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150713133007/https://apps.carleton.edu/events/convocations/|url-status = live}}</ref>|282x282px]]
Four nineteenth-century buildings have been demolished. Gridley Hall (1882) was the main women's dormitory for many years, and was torn down in 1967 for construction of the Music and Drama Center. Williams Hall (1880) was the college's first science building, and was demolished in 1961. Seccombe House (1880) was used for music instruction until 1914, and was located near the site of the current Skinner Chapel. The first observatory (1878) was replaced by Goodsell Observatory in 1887, and the old building was demolished in 1905 to make way for Laird Hall.<ref name=timeline1866 />

Laird Hall was built for science classes in 1905; the classical-revival building now houses the English department and administrative offices, including the president's office. Sayles-Hill was built as the first school gymnasium in 1910, and converted to a student center in 1979.<ref name=architecture/>{{rp|4}}

The eclectic styles of the eight buildings that made up the college in 1914, when Donald Cowling became president, were replaced by a uniform Collegiate Gothic style for the nine buildings erected during his tenure. [[Skinner Memorial Chapel]], completed in 1916, is on the NRHP. Three connected western dorms were built for men: Burton Hall (1915), Davis Hall (1923), and Severance Hall (1928), and two residence halls were built for women: Nourse Hall (1917) and Margaret Evans Hall (1927). Evans Hall was notable for decades for its subdivision into adjacent columns of rooms off stairwells, rather than the more typical arrangement of floors of rooms on hallways. In the fall of 2012, Evans was heavily refurbished to modernize the internal layout and increase overall occupancy. Music Hall was built in 1914, and has housed the Political Science and International Relations department as Hasenstab Hall since 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Facilities |date=2021-11-11 |title=Hasenstab Hall - Carleton College |url=https://www.carleton.edu/facilities/project-management/projects/past/hasenstab-hall/ |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=www.carleton.edu |language=en-US}}</ref> Laird Stadium which stands at the site of the football and track field, was built in 1927.<ref name=architecture/>{{rp|5}} Leighton Hall (1920), originally built for the Chemistry department, now houses academic and administrative offices, including the business office.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/locations/leighton_hall/|title=Carleton College|work=carleton.edu|access-date=January 23, 2015|archive-date=January 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123192652/http://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/locations/leighton_hall/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Willis Hall 2013.jpg|thumb|alt=A plain three-story, stone building with a clock tower on the left side.| Willis Hall is one of the oldest remaining campus buildings, constructed in 1872 and refurbished after a fire in 1880.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/locations/willis_hall/|title = Willis Hall|website = Carleton.edu|publisher = Carleton College|access-date = July 7, 2015|archive-date = July 7, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150707173949/https://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/locations/willis_hall/|url-status = live}}</ref>|209x209px]]
The [[Great Depression]] and [[World War II]] essentially ended the construction boom for two decades. Boliou Hall was built in 1949 in a modernist style, using yellow sandstone as a major element. It was enlarged using a similar style and materials in the early 1990s. The Library was built in 1956 in a similar style, but was expanded in a brick-based style in the mid-1980s. It was renamed the Gould Memorial Library in 1995 for former President [[Laurence McKinley Gould|Larry Gould]]. Musser and Myers Halls were built in 1958 as men's and women's dorms respectively, in a bare-bones modernist brick style.<ref name=architecture/>{{rp|8–9}}

[[Minoru Yamasaki]], architect of the [[Northwestern National Life Building]] in Minneapolis and of the original New York [[World Trade Center (1973-2001)|World Trade Center]], designed five buildings at Carleton in the 1960s. Olin Hall of Science (1961) has a distinctive "radiator" grill work on the exterior. Goodhue (1962) and Watson (1966) Halls were built as dormitories. At seven floors, Watson is the tallest building on campus. The West Gym (1964) and Cowling Gym (1965) were built to replace Sayles-Hill for indoor athletic facilities, originally for men and women respectively.<ref name=architecture/>{{rp|9}} 

Carleton's largest athletic facility is the Recreation Center, built in 2000.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Carleton College, Recreation Center |url=https://schooldesigns.com/Projects/carleton-college-recreation-center/ |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=School Designs |language=en-US}}</ref> The 1969 Music and Drama Center's functions were largely taken over by the [[Weitz Center for Creativity|Weitz Center of Creativity]] upon its completion in 2012, and it was demolished in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=News |date=2022-06-16 |title=Saying goodbye to the Music and Drama Center - Carleton College |url=https://www.carleton.edu/news/stories/saying-goodbye-to-the-music-and-drama-center/ |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=www.carleton.edu |language=en-US}}</ref> Yamasaki's Olin Hall was significantly expanded by the construction of [[Evelyn M. Anderson]] Hall, which was finished in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Evelyn M. Anderson Hall |url=https://www.pagethink.com/projects/evelyn-m-anderson-hall |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=www.pagethink.com |language=en}}</ref>

===Cowling Arboretum===
{{Main|Carleton College Cowling Arboretum}}

[[File:CarletonPrairie.jpg|thumb|alt=A rolling green and brown prairie, with a few trees in the background and a blue sky.| Carleton prairie in the Arboretum|237x237px]]
Since 1970, acreage has been removed from cultivation in sections. The Arboretum has approximately {{convert|800|acre|ha}} of restored and remnant forest,<ref>[https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/arb/ Cowling Arboretum] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129102032/https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/arb/ |date=November 29, 2020 }} (November 15, 2017)</ref> Cannon River [[floodplain]], [[Quercus macrocarpa|bur oak]] (''Quercus macrocarpa'') [[savannah]], and [[tallgrass prairie]]. The Arboretum is divided by Minnesota Highway 19 into the larger Lower Arb to the north (so-called because it includes the Cannon River valley) and the smaller Upper Arb. Pedestrian trails are located throughout the Arboretum, as well as the school's cross-country running and skiing courses, and a paved mixed-use bicycle/running trail in the Upper Arb.{{Citation needed|date=July 2015}}

===Sustainability===
The College Sustainability Report Card, which evaluated 200 colleges and universities with the largest endowments in the United States and Canada, Carleton received a grade of A−, earning the award of "Overall College Sustainability Leader".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://greenreportcard.org/report-card-2011/schools/carleton-college.html |title=College Sustainability Report Card |website=GreenReportCard.org |publisher=Sustainable Endowments Institute |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171031052038/http://www.greenreportcard.org/report-card-2011/schools/carleton-college.html |url-status=live }}</ref> A [[wind turbine]] located near the campus generates the equivalent of up to 40 percent of Carleton's electrical energy use; it is configured to sell this power back to the local grid for the most efficient use system wide.<ref name=Turbine_1>{{cite web |title=The History of Carleton's First Wind Turbine |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/facilities/sustainability/wind_turbine/ |publisher=Carleton College |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107024010/https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/facilities/sustainability/wind_turbine/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In late 2011, Carleton installed a second wind turbine that provides power directly to the campus, providing more than 25 percent of the college's electrical energy use.<ref name=Turbine_2>{{cite web |title=Carleton's Second Wind Turbine |url=https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/facilities/sustainability/second_turbine/ |publisher=Carleton College |access-date=October 31, 2017 |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107022838/https://apps.carleton.edu/campus/facilities/sustainability/second_turbine/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Three different [[Geothermal power|geothermal bore fields]] are on campus, underneath two of the main green spaces and Bell Field.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carleton |first=Sustainability at |title=Geothermal Campus - Carleton College |url=https://www.carleton.edu/sustainability/initiatives/geothermal-campus/ |access-date=2025-06-15 |website=www.carleton.edu |date=April 24, 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Athletics==
{{Main|Carleton Knights}}

The Carleton athletic teams are called the Knights. The college is a member of the [[NCAA Division III]] ranks, primarily competing in the [[Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference]] (MIAC) since the 1983–84 academic year;<ref>{{cite web|title=MWC History|url=http://midwestconference.org/sports/2010/7/21/GEN_0721105400.aspx|publisher=Midwest Conference|access-date=August 4, 2022|archive-date=July 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707143543/https://midwestconference.org/sports/2010/7/21/GEN_0721105400.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> which they were a member on a previous stint from 1920–21 to 1924–25.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://miacathletics.com/about/index |title=MIAC Athletics history |work=MIAC |access-date=March 15, 2015 |archive-date=March 7, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150307235341/http://www.miacathletics.com/about/index |url-status=live }}</ref>  The Knights previously competed in the [[Midwest Conference]] (MWC) from 1925–26 to 1982–83;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://miacathletics.com/about/index|title=The MIAC Story: Collegiate Athletics at its Best|work=miacathletics.com|access-date=March 15, 2015|archive-date=March 7, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150307235341/http://www.miacathletics.com/about/index|url-status=live}}</ref> although Carleton had dual conference membership with the MWC and the MIAC between 1921–22 and 1924–25.

All students must participate in physical education or athletic activities to fulfill graduation requirements.<ref name=":5" />

===Rivalries===
Carleton's biggest athletic rival is [[St. Olaf College]], located on the other side of Northfield. The Knights and the Oles contest six trophies in yearly matchups. The first trophy, "The Goat", was created in 1913 and goes to the winning men's basketball team.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.miacathletics.com/about/honor_history/rivalry_trophies/index |title=MIAC Rivalry Trophies |publisher=Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |access-date=August 4, 2022 |archive-date=July 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705163129/http://miacathletics.com/about/honor_history/rivalry_trophies/index |url-status=dead }}</ref> Carleton competes with [[Macalester College]] in the "Brain Bowl" for "The Book of Knowledge" trophy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=In the 'Brain Bowl,' Carleton recovers from first-play F to humble Macalester |url=https://www.startribune.com/carleton-macalester-book-of-knowledge-brain-bowl-bob-sullivan-patrick-reusse/600212162/ |access-date=2023-05-22 |website=Star Tribune |date=October 2, 2022 |archive-date=May 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230522075241/https://www.startribune.com/carleton-macalester-book-of-knowledge-brain-bowl-bob-sullivan-patrick-reusse/600212162/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Club sports===

==== Ultimate Frisbee ====
The student-run [[Ultimate (sport)|Ultimate]] clubs have had national success; the school's top men's team, [[Carleton Ultimate Team]] (CUT), and women's team, Syzygy, are perennial national contenders in the [[USA Ultimate]] College Division I tournaments. CUT has qualified annually for nationals since 1989, and won the National Championship in 2001, 2009, 2011, 2017, and 2025.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usaultimate.org/about/history/event_archives/college_open_division.aspx |title=College Open Division |publisher=Usaultimate.org |access-date=2012-03-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308075328/http://www.usaultimate.org/about/history/event_archives/college_open_division.aspx |archive-date=2012-03-08 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=D-I College Championships 2025: CUT! Roll Credits (Men's Final Recap) |url=https://ultiworld.com/2025/05/28/d-i-college-championships-2025-cut-roll-credits-mens-final-recap/ |website=Ultiworld.com |date=May 28, 2025 |access-date=3 June 2025}}</ref> Syzygy has qualified for women's nationals all but one year since 1987, and won the National Championship in 2000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usaultimate.org/about/history/event_archives/college_womens_division.aspx |title=College Women's Division |publisher=Usaultimate.org |access-date=2012-03-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308075341/http://www.usaultimate.org/about/history/event_archives/college_womens_division.aspx |archive-date=2012-03-08 }}</ref> The other men's Ultimate team, originally named the Gods of Plastic (GoP) and renamed Carleton House of Pancakes (CHOP) in 2021, won the 2010 and 2012 College Division III Open National Championships.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usaultimate.org/competition/college_division/division_iii_college_championships/default.aspx |title=UPA Division III College Championships |publisher=USA Ultimate |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921160819/http://www.usaultimate.org/competition/college_division/division_iii_college_championships/default.aspx |archive-date=2013-09-21 }}</ref> Eclipse, another women's ultimate team at the college, won the College Division III Women's nationals in 2011, 2016, and 2017. Eclipse finished as Women's Division III runners up in sequential years in 2023 and 2024.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usaultimate.org/news/2011-d-iii-college-championships--sunday-womens-recap/ |title=D-III College Championship – Sunday Women's Recap |publisher=USA Ultimate |access-date=4 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130416042437/http://www.usaultimate.org/news/2011-d-iii-college-championships--sunday-womens-recap/ |archive-date=16 April 2013 }}</ref>

==== Other Sports ====
Carleton founded the first women's rugby club in the state of Minnesota in 1978<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/activities/rugby/|title=Women's Rugby {{!}} Admissions {{!}} Carleton College|website=apps.carleton.edu|date=September 7, 2004 |language=en-US|access-date=2018-04-26|archive-date=March 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316212106/https://apps.carleton.edu/admissions/activities/rugby/|url-status=live}}</ref> and went on to win the Division III National Championship in 2011.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://apps.carleton.edu/now/stories/?story_id=794431|title=Women's Rugby Club Caps Undefeated Season with First National Title|work=Carleton Now|access-date=2018-04-26|language=en-US|archive-date=March 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180311064556/https://apps.carleton.edu/now/stories/?story_id=794431|url-status=live}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
[[Pamela Dean]] set her fantasy novel ''[[Tam Lin (novel)|Tam Lin]]'' (1991) at a fictional "Blackstock College", based on Dean's alma mater, Carleton. Dean's author's note begins, "Readers acquainted with Carleton College will find much that is familiar to them in the architecture, landscape, classes, terminology, and general atmosphere of Blackstock." Blackstock's buildings were given names that reference their counterparts at Carleton (e.g. Watson Hall becomes Holmes Hall, referring to [[Sherlock Holmes]]; Burton Hall becomes Taylor Hall, referring to the marriages of [[Richard Burton]] and [[Elizabeth Taylor]]).<ref>{{cite book|last=Dean|first=Pamela|title=Tam Lin|year=1991|publisher=Tom Doherty Associates|location=New York|isbn=978-0-312-85137-8}}</ref>

==Notable alumni and faculty==
{{main|List of Carleton College people}}

=== Notable graduates ===
* [[Kai Bird]], 1973, [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning biographer and journalist
* [[Pierce Butler (justice)|Pierce Butler]], 1887, US Supreme Court Justice
* [[Jonathan Capehart]], 1989, journalist, winner of the 1999 [[Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing]]
* [[John F. Harris]], 1985, editor-in-chief of ''[[Politico]]''
* [[Randall S. Herman]], politician who served as acting [[List of governors of Guam|governor of Guam]]
* [[Jane Elizabeth Hodgson]], 1934, pioneer in women's abortion rights 
* [[Chris Kratt|Christopher Kratt]], 1992, TV and film producer, host of [[Zoboomafoo]] and [[Wild Kratts]]
* [[Naomi Kritzer]], 1995, [[Locus Award]] and [[Hugo Award]]-winning author of speculative fiction, and blogger
* [[Melvin R. Laird]], 1942, [[United States Secretary of Defense|US Secretary of Defense]] from 1969 to 1973 under [[Richard Nixon]]
* [[Katherine Rowe]], 1984, first female President of [[College of William & Mary|The College of William & Mary]]
* [[T. J. Stiles]], 1986, two time Pulitzer Prize winning historian 
* [[Douglas Vakoch]], 1983, [[Astrobiology|astrobiologist]], president of [[METI (Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence)]]
* [[Thorstein Veblen]], 1880, [[Economics|economist]] and [[Sociology|sociologist]], coined the concept of ''[[conspicuous consumption]]''

=== Notable faculty ===
* [[Ian Barbour]], professor of religion; 1989–91 [[Gifford Lectures|Gifford Lecturer]] on religion and science; winner of the 1999 [[Templeton Prize]] for Progress in Religion
* [[Laurence McKinley Gould]], second-in-command to [[Richard E. Byrd]] on his first landmark expedition to [[Antarctica]]; professor of [[geology]]; Carleton College President from 1945 to 1962. The college's main library, Gould Library, is named for Gould. 
* [[Gao Hong (composer)|Gao Hong]], composer and performer of Chinese music, among the world's top [[pipa]] players
* [[Paul Wellstone]], [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] from [[Minnesota]] from 1991 until his death in 2002; professor of political science from 1969 to 1990
* [[Reed Whittemore]], professor of English; poet; Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1964 and 1984

==Points of interest==
* [[Carleton College Cowling Arboretum]]
* [[Goodsell Observatory]]
* [[The Cave (pub)|The Cave]]
* [[Weitz Center for Creativity]]
* [[Willis Hall (Carleton College)|Willis Hall]]

==See also==
* [[List of colleges and universities in Minnesota]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}}
* [https://athletics.carleton.edu/ Athletics website]

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