This is a common — and valid! — question. While the majority of our students receive financial aid, many do pay full tuition. So, what are you paying for?
At Carleton, we employ the best teachers and offer an 8 to 1 student to faculty ratio. Since ensuring you get a highly personalized education is a top priority, faculty and staff compensation is our biggest expense. (U.S. News & World Report has ranked Carleton number one in undergraduate teaching for the past decade.)
Our second biggest expense is financial aid. We distribute $55–60 million annually in financial aid to provide access to the best students regardless of their family’s ability financial position.
The rest of our budget goes to things like research, career and counseling services, and keeping our campus clean and safe.