Degrees Offered at Carleton College
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Carleton College offers a total of 31 minors and 33 majors for enrolled students. The college knows that it cannot offer degrees for all types of students because of its small size, which is why it also offers students the choice to design their own majors. This program is a good choice for students who want to study a foreign language but also want to learn about the history and culture of a specific area. Students will work with advisors to make sure that they meet the minimum requirements to graduate.
Ten of the programs offered by the college let students major in a foreign language. Those programs include Japanese, Middle Eastern Languages, Spanish and Russian. To help students become fluent in those languages, Carleton offers study abroad programs. Some of these programs run for a few weeks in the summer and allow students to work with their professors and their peers. Other programs run for an entire semester and ask students to take other classes on campuses overseas. Similar programs focus on different cultures, including the majors in South Asian Studies and Judaic Studies.
As a liberal arts college, Carleton focuses more on social studies and behavioral subjects, but it also offers some science programs. Those who major in chemistry or biology have the right to do independent research projects and to get guidance from their professors as they work on those projects for course credit. The college’s economics program looks at how the economics of one area can affect people and businesses in other areas. It includes courses in business, finance, accounting, and management.
The college also offers some performing arts programs, including those in theater arts and dance. Students typically need to audition for the college and perform on stage before they can enroll in those programs. The creative writing program offered by the college also asks students to submit samples of their work, which it uses to determine whether that program can improve their writing skills. Some of the other majors offered by Carleton College include religion, political economy, sociology and anthropology, math, linguistics and cinema, and media studies.
About Carleton College
Carleton College is a private college with a liberal arts curriculum in the small city of Northfield, Minnesota. Established in 1866, it received land donations from two local businessmen, which served as the basis for Northfield College. The college named itself after William Carleton after he donated $50,000 to the school. It also has a library fund called the Heywood Fund in honor of a local banker killed by Jesse James and his band of outlaws in the 1870s.
More than 10% of the incoming freshmen coming to Carleton College are National Merit Scholarship winners. The college established a scholars program as a way to provide opportunities for those students and others who want to study select subjects. Both Washington Monthly and U.S. News and World Report rank Carleton as one of the nation’s top liberal arts schools, while Forbes ranks it as one of the best colleges out of all schools in the country. Carleton College designed a selective admissions policy as a way to keep class sizes low, which also helped it keep its enrollment around 2,100 students.
Carleton College Accreditation Details
Though Carleton is one of the smallest colleges in Minnesota, it has the same regional accreditation that large schools in that state do. The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) awarded regional accreditation to the college through its North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS). This lets students know that they can transfer to the college from another school with regional accreditation and that they can transfer out the credits they earned at Carleton to another school. This accreditation is also what lets students apply for a financial aid package.
Carleton College Application Requirements
The college highly recommends that students visit the campus and interview with an admissions counselor before they apply. During the campus tour, students can see what life is like for current students. Not only can they check out the buildings on the Minnesota campus, but they can also take a few classes. Carleton also attends special events at high schools across the country and can arrange for students to do their interviews during one of those events. Students can use the interview as a way to learn even more about the college and to find out what they need to do to apply.
Carleton has an early action deadline of November 15 and sends out decision letters by the middle of December. It also has a regular decision deadline of January 15, with students receiving their acceptance letters at the beginning of April. The first part of the application process is optional, but this step allows students to express their interest in the college and let Carleton know that they will apply. They can then use the QuestBridge, Coalition or Common Application. Students need to submit a transcript that shows they took at least three years of English, two years of math and social science and one year of life science classes. The college also asks for a personal essay that explains any of the challenges the student overcame and a standardized test score.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The total cost of attendance at Carleton College is nearly $69,000 a year. This includes tuition of more than $27,000 a semester and a room and board charge of more than $14,000 a year. Students will also pay out of pocket for any expenses they have, including transportation to the college and their books. Carleton encourages students to apply for government aid and for institutional help.
To get government aid, students need to use the FAFSA. They will typically use the tax returns filed by their parent(s) the previous year, though they can also use their records if they meet certain requirements. Students can use federal loans, accept a job working for the college and get at least one grant such as a Pell grant. They can also apply for more than 10 Carleton scholarships, which includes some full tuition packages and other small packages that give them a few hundred dollars or more. Students who design their own majors and those who enroll in other degree programs at Carleton College can get thousands of dollars in financial aid every year.