Carleton is No-Loan for All

Your future should be guided by talent and ambition — not student loan debt. Carleton meets 100% of your demonstrated financial need, without loans.

We believe that your finances should never determine your ability to attend Carleton, or the depth of the education you receive once you arrive. By giving you grants instead of loans, we ensure that every student who earns a place here can graduate free of debt, allowing you to enter the world with everything Carleton gave you and nothing holding you back.

How much does Carleton cost?

Not as much as you might think. Because we meet your full financial need, you may end up paying less at Carleton than a public university, or at most other private colleges that don’t have the same financial aid resources.

100%

We meet the full demonstrated need of every student, without loans.

$0

We don’t assume you’ll need to take out private loans or find outside scholarships.

$21,763

Average cost a family on financial aid paid in 2025–26

$71,866

Average need-based financial aid package in 2025–2026

$94,980

The 2026–27 comprehensive fee, including tuition, housing, food, and an activity fee

Estimate your cost — instantly.

Use our Instant Net Price Estimator for a quick estimate of your family’s net costs for a Carleton education. Simply select the number of siblings in college and your family income, and you’ll see a range for your estimated cost.

Important note: Your net price equals the cost of attendance minus grants/scholarships. Student employment will also be included in your financial aid offer. The total amount for first-year students is around $3,200 (equal to 8 hours of work per week) and up to $4,000 for returning students (equal to 10 hours of work per week).

We offer two additional tools that go more in depth to help you understand what your financial aid offer might look like.

MyinTuition

MyinTuition Quick College Cost Estimator asks six questions and quickly gives you a rough estimate of your college costs and your financial aid offer.

Net Price Calculator

The Net Price Calculator asks more in-depth questions. This tool mirrors our financial aid application process. It is great for families who want to get into the details of their aid offer.

Student Financial Aid

Learn more about financial aid at Carleton

We know the questions these tools ask might not exactly match your family’s situation. If you have any questions, we hope you’ll be in touch with our team.

When it comes time to apply, we use both FAFSA and the CSS Profile to calculate your financial need. If you complete both of those at the time of your application to Carleton, you will receive your financial aid award along with your admission letter.

Get in Touch

Curious to learn more? Explore the Student Financial Aid Website