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Carleton College
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Carleton College - Academics - Academics - College ProwlerCollege Prowler4.62

Academics

A
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Quick Stats

Student-Faculty Ratio 9:1
Full-Time Student Population 1,986
Part-Time Student Population 0
Full-Time Instructional Faculty 222
Part-Time Instructional Faculty 49
Total FT Faculty 222
Faculty with Terminal Degree 96%
Average Faculty Salary $88,676
Full-Time Retention Rate 98%
Graduation Rate 93%
Programs/Majors Offered 49
Average Course Load 3 courses per trimester
Academic/Career Counseling? Yes
Remedial Services? No
Class Sizes
  • Fewer than 20 Students: 66%
  • 20 to 49 Students: 34%
  • 50 or More Students: 0%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

The professors here get to know their students. They know their stuff, and they’re passionate about their work. This can lead to impossible homework assignments and endless amounts of papers, but there’s a reason for all of it. The professors never cease to challenge or lower their expectations for any of their students. Classes are rarely all lectures; they usually revolve around group discussion.

Carleton is a liberal arts college, so there are a lot of requirements in each field. Students must have a core of three math and science, two arts and literature, two humanities, three social sciences, and four physical education classes, as well as fulfilling the language requirement, completing a writing portfolio, and finishing your major with a comprehensive exam/paper senior year. This schedule gives students a balanced schedule. Parents often scratch their heads wondering why their pre-med daughter is learning about Miles Davis. But trust me: Carleton is not a walk in the park. Does baseball statistics sound easy to you? Answer that after your first four-hour assignment using a complicated program to prove why Jack Morris belongs in the Hall of Fame. Needless to say, you’ll be challenged at Carleton, but you’ll also have fun—even if you average more than one all-nighter a week.

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Carleton Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Academics at Carleton College

target7

Economics '12

2.3
C

Grading Horrible

Grading scheme is horrible. Professors dont explain properly

May 01, 2012

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Academics at Carleton College

cmak

Psychology '14

5.0
A+

Fantastic

The education here is phenomenal. Teachers genuinely care about their students and will work with you to get better. There is a lot of work, but everyone is doing it, so it's pretty bearable. There are resources for people with LD/ADHD and there are tons of support centers for any academic problems you may have.

Nov 29, 2011

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Academics at Carleton College

Impero

Latin and Ancient Greek Studies '15

5.0
A+

So far, so good

I've only had one term here, and due to having an amazing teacher in high school nobody here measures up yet. But as far as I haven't had professors who blow me away, they are all extremely good at what they do, which is a nice change from high school. They're all dedicated to teaching, accessible and patient with students and they ALL know you by name. Professors here are often on first name terms with students and in terms of teaching quality it doesn't get much better than this. They give a lot of work, and sometimes difficult work, but they're understanding of the fact that sometimes you might not be on top of it all. You can often negotiate with them to reschedule a midterm or an exam, or get extensions for any work you might not have time to do and I got to take 3 assessments outside of class because my prof trusts us not to cheat- hard not to, given the level of personal interaction we have. The TAs regularly hold review sessions (they don't teach, though) and someone is always around to help you in case you get lost. This is what I love about academics here: the college doesn't want to "weed you out". It wants everyone to succeed.

Nov 16, 2011

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Page 1 of 10
User rating for Carleton College - Academics is 4.6 out of 5 based on 28 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate your school’s professors on the following topics

Rate your school’s academic environment on the following topics

Facts

Instructional Programs Occupational: No
Academic: Yes
Continuing Professional: No
Recreational/Avocational: No
Adult Basic Remedial: No
Secondary (High School): No
Special Credit Opportunities Advanced Placement (AP) Credits: Yes
Dual Credit: Yes
Life Experience Credits: No
AP Test Score Requirements Possible credit for scores of 2, 3, 4, or 5
IB Test Score Requirements Possible credit for scores of 5, 6, or 7
Degrees Awarded Bachelor's degree
Most Popular Majors
  • Biology and Biological Sciences: 6%
  • Economics and Econometrics: 4%
  • History, General: 3%
  • Psychology: 4%
Special Study Options
  • Study abroad
  • Teacher certification (below the postsecondary level)
Best Places to Study
  • The Bald Spot when it's warm
  • Goodbye Blue Monday's
  • Library
  • Your room
Did You Know?
  • Carleton runs a trimester system instead of the traditional semester system. The advantages are that terms are only ten weeks long and students are expected to take no more than three classes a term. There is a ten-week break between Fall and Winter Term, giving a nice respite from Minnesota winters, and a two-week break between Winter and Spring Term. The downside is professors try to cram a semester's worth of work into their classes and Spring Term does not let out until June.
  • Carleton offers concentrations instead of minors. They run from Educational Studies to Media Studies to Archaeology.
  • Sixty-six percent of Carls study abroad. The college has off-campus programs in London, Paris, Italy, and New Zealand, to name a few. Students can also directly enroll in foreign universities and receive Carleton credit.
  • Carleton is often referred to as the Harvard of the Midwest.
  • Every Friday, Carleton holds Convocation in the Chapel and brings in prestigious guest speakers. In the past couple of years, Convocations have hosted Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry's, Fay Vincent, Dr. Drew Pinsky, and Terry Gross, just to name a few.

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Lingerr Senghor
Hometown
Unknown

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
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