"Carleton College strives to provide a liberal education of the highest quality. The goal of such an education is to liberate individuals from the constraints imposed by ignorance or complacency and prepare them broadly to lead rewarding, creative, and useful lives."

What now constitutes over 900 acres of campus, arboretum, and athletic fields started with two ten-acre tracts deeded to the infant college in 1867 by Charles M. Goodsell, a miller, and Charles A. Wheaton, Northfield editor. Even before a class was held, the trustees authorized the executive committee "to enclose the grounds and improve the same by cultivation and planting trees." This concern for the students' environment is still an important aspect of the Carleton experience. The single building (Willis Hall) completed in 1872 has been joined by 48 others, including 10 academic facilities, nine on-campus residence halls, three athletic facilities, a library, a chapel, an observatory and a campus center.