Carleton College Reviews

528 reviews

Carleton College is a great institution that offers a really strong educational experience. The standout feature of Carleton, in my opinion, is its incredible faculty. The professors are not only experts in their fields but also deeply committed to teaching and mentoring students. Their accessibility and dedication is really inspiring. Carleton's academics are rigorous and intellectually stimulating, which can definitely get challenging at times but it has really helped in the long run and in off-campus internship experiences. One of the things that sets Carleton apart is its close-knit community. The campus has a warm and inclusive atmosphere, where students, faculty, and staff form meaningful connections.

My time at Carleton has been filled with so many opportunities to connect with people from all over the county and world. We have a saying here that "Carls help Carls" and I think my past four years have been filled with examples of unconditional support both in and out of the classroom. As a senior I can say I have made some of my best friends here and am leaving with a very solid education. Carleton may not be for everyone, but if you're seeking an academically rigorous, intellectually stimulating, and close-knit community, it's a place where you can truly thrive.

This is my third year here at Carleton College, so I am pretty well-versed in college life! I love Carleton for so many reasons, I mean the campus is gorgeous year round (even in the winter when it's very cold) and the town of Northfield is so cute! Besides the scenery, the class sizes are just perfect. I don't have a class that has more than 23 people, which is the best because then students can always connect with their professors which is so critical to our education. I was worried when I was a freshman that because the academics are so rigorous, that there would be competition between students but that is not the case at all! People are really nice here and everyone just wants everyone else to do well in their classes too. The academics are certainly challenging but there are so many clubs offered to help break up all that studying time! I can confidently say that I have found friends for life here at Carleton, and have created connections that will serve me after I graduate.

Review Carleton College

I love Carleton! I have had so many meaningful conversations with students, professors, and even Security workers. Classes move very quickly, which can be both a blessing and a curse, because on one hand you are never bored, but on the other hand, wow, we move fast. If I had to choose a college all over again, I'd choose Carleton because this place has allowed me to grow into a more kind, more caring, and more active thinker prepared to solve today's problems in tomorrow's world.

Carleton has some of the best professors. They care so much about how you are doing and not just within the classroom but in life! Students at Carleton genuinely want to learn and have a non-competitive curiosity that binds us all together. The four seasons of Minnesota make for a great fall, winter, and spring term. We have plenty of quirky traditions that make the course of your four years unforgettable. Even after Carleton, not only do alumni do great things but they also continue to be part of the Carleton community. Just like we say "Every Carl for Carleton", we all care about each other and the community even after we graduate.

This is a great place if you peaked in high school and never want to leave. Cliques dominate social life. You can easily lose friends because people are quick to cancel you. Even LGBTQ students have been cancelled for opinions about themselves. If you do have friends, there’s not much to do with them. Northfield is boring and parties suck. Athletics are like high school, if not worse—no one watches games and athletes are laughed upon as jocks. Humanities and arts students are also disrespected because people put STEM on a pedestal. Campus events are lacking—the annual concert features indie musicians no one knows. Safety also lacks—students with lawsuits against them still roam campus and punishment is small for sexual misconduct offenders. Bad mental health resources too. Food sucks—turkey is always served because of the turkey farm and people are petitioning to take beef off the menu. Some dorms are like prison. Limited course offerings and availability. Almost no diversity either.

I enjoyed Carleton from the moment I stepped on campus. The other students are from all over the world. I have learned so much about different cultures and lifestyles. I have made a friend who is from Korea, and we ask each other questions every day about cultural differences big and small. Love the student body at Carleton.

Coming off my first year, I am more than content with my Carleton experience. The high praise for faculty is well merited as is the claim of a supportive atmosphere amongst students. The academic rigor is present in steady quantities, which makes adjusting an equally steady endeavor and not at all a jarring process. Communication leading up to orientation week was clear and informative and retained its transparency throughout the year. There is a lot that happens on campus and the trimester calendar only serves to emphasize a perception of hastiness, which feeds a culture of "busyness." This excessive workload is a reality for some, but is not necessarily a constant for everyone at all times. Aside from academics, student employment is varied but not really equal in demands and work conditions. Dorms are nice except for the days when weather shifts radically and facilities struggle to adapt. More broadly, Carleton and Northfield are peaceful and walkable places.

I just graduated from Carleton and really enjoyed my time there! The highlight for me was definitely the people: students and professors. I had a great academic experience that positively challenged me and helped me grow. I love that Carleton is academically rigorous but doesn't feel overly competitive. I loved the student body's quirky and fun-loving feel. I also really appreciate that student life isn't centered around partying and drinking—it's there if you want it, but I didn't feel pressured.
Carleton, like most other schools, has a lot of improvements that can be made on the institutional level in terms of supporting student's needs: specifically folks with disabilities and mental health issues, low-income students and students of color. I found myself constantly baffled by how out of touch the admin was with the student body's needs. There is also very little freedom to live off campus or be off the meal plan (which is cheaper), and the school is trying to restrict it even more.

On the one hand, Northfield is a nice little town, and I've made a lot of incredible friends and met tons of cool teachers. On the other hand, the food is mid-bad, and the schoolwork is incredibly stressful. You will probably be disappointed by the food, unless you can happily live on nothing but pizza, fries, turkey, and desserts-the desserts are great, I'll give 'em that. I might just have been unlucky with my courses and teachers, but many of my classes have given ridiculous amounts of reading, long and super difficult problem sets even in introductory classes, and worst of all, I had a teacher who tried to deny disability accommodations, made multiple students cry, and refused to believe me about my health conditions until I literally had a seizure and fainted in her class. I did get lucky with my dorm, mine was excellent, but most of the dorms are just fine. Location tends to be an issue with dorms and houses because of the bitterly cold winter-no one wants a 15 min walk to class.

Carleton is amazing! The resources Carleton provides along with the extremely helpful professors makes it so supportive, and the academic rigor has certainly pushed me to my limits in the best way possible!

I love Carleton because of its diversity in people, ways of thinking, politics, and interests. The community is kind and incredibly accepting. It is an academically rigorous college but Carleton challenges its students to be intellectually curious and open to new topics.

Good school, a little bit too focused on grades and not enough on learning, the campus was nice but the area around it was pretty boring

Carleton College is overall a beautiful campus with many people who want to see you succeed and are willing to make the effort to do so. Unfortunately, they lack support for students who are struggling and expect that to be resolved outside of Carleton.

The professors were amazing, but the career center was pretty poor. As a now graduate student with access to a great career center, I can look back and appreciate how poor my undergrad one was.

Great academics and professors. If you're looking to go to school to primarily focus on your education and have a strong desire to connect with profs, Carleton is a great school for you. However, the student life leaves a lot to desire. Despite what I was told before attending, I find it difficult to find things to do or get involved in – 2 terms in I already feel like I've done everything I can at Carleton and in Northfield. They list being close to the Twin Cities as an upside, but it really does not matter because transportation going there sucks and no one ever wants to go. Diversity is also extremely lacking - so many people are literal clones of each other. Campus is nice though and very safe. If you're into small towns, Northfield is nice, but make sure you are before attending. As mentioned previously academics and profs are top-tier. Dorms are pretty typical, some are far better than others though.

Carleton college is truly unique! The extraordinary supportive community makes Carleton like no other.

Academics here are top-tier, but keep in mind that it's also very rigorous and demanding. The trimester is not that big of a problem, it could even be a point of advantage for some!

As for the location, I think being in Northfield is something cool! It's calm and peaceful, perfect for those in love with nature. And yeah, it's really cold in winter. Keep in mind that as a college student, you won't have that enough time to go off campus and enjoy the city or stuff as long as you want to do well in your studies. So, not being in a big city will not make that big difference in your college life. Northfield has all the basics you need with extra special things to do related to Northfield and it's culture. I don't think the location should be something you concern that much while thinking about Carleton unless it's extremely important to you.

The food is ok, nothing amazing.

Review Carleton College

Carleton College provided me with challenging academics, engaging professors, and meaningful friendships. The financial aid office helped make my time at Carleton affordable, and I'm continuously grateful for it.

Carleton is for the certain type of person that just doesn't feel at home in normal big city social crowds. I'm from California and chose Carleton because I wanted a close knit community. In a small school its easier to stand out, get a better education, and explore more career opportunities since there isn't any competition for valuable positions (i.e., most students are in multiple clubs)
Party Scene: There are parties every weekend, but quality varies between years tbh. All the parties are held in the on-campus townhouses, so if the students living one year are more "party-ers" then there will be more parties that year.

Housing: All students live on campus which makes college feel like a home and community. Out of the 30ish options of housing to live in I'd say 10ish choices are "very good" - the others are average in facility quality

Culture: Over the place. Everyone is very nice. People are liberal, but most are center leaning. Very cliquey like a highschool without bullying

Full of warm people and chilly weather!

Lots of liberal arts colleges will pass out fancy brochures that claim "a strong sense of community" with inviting phrases like "close-knit" and "supportive peers" but I never knew that that really meant until I came to Carleton. Have a question about financial aid? Balancing course work? Class content? Special accommodations? There is someone on campus whose job it is to help you. More than that, someone that actually cares about helping you-- who will follow up and check in.

That being said, going to school here can be a lot to manage. Attending somewhere this academically rigorous takes its toll on stress levels, sleep, and having the time to be social. My take: passionate professors and a unique student body create a one of a kind and worthwhile college experience so far.

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