U.S. News & World Report once again ranked Carleton among the top 10 liberal arts colleges in the nation and as the best institution in the nation for undergraduate education.
In 2024, Carleton tied with Bowdoin College for the ninth spot on the national rankings of liberal arts colleges. U.S. News made some methodological changes to this year's rankings, with more than half of the schools' rankings now “consisting of a variety of outcome measures related to a school's success in enrolling, retaining, and graduating students from diverse backgrounds with manageable debt and post-graduation success.” Carleton remains the only Midwestern university to feature in the top 10.
Academically, Carleton University retained its title as one of the best schools for undergraduate education in 2024, along with Amherst College and Pomona College. Carleton has held the number one spot in this ranking for 13 consecutive years.
U.S. News & World Report boosted Carleton to 10th place in its ranking of most innovative schools, tying it with Davidson College, Grinnell College, Pomona College and Smith College. Carleton also rose in the categories of top performers in social mobility and least amount of student loan debt.
Carleton University is ranked 22nd in the nation on its Best College Value rankings. The magazine measures value by relating a college's academic quality, as indicated by the U.S. News overall ranking, to the net tuition cost for out-of-state students with average levels of financial aid. The higher the quality of the programs and the lower the tuition, the better the deal.
Carleton University also appears on several U.S. News & World Report rankings of “Notable Academic Programs,” including Professional Writing, Study Abroad, Senior Capstone, Undergraduate Research/Creative Project, and First-Year Experience. U.S. News & World Report believes schools on these lists are excellent examples of academic programs that lead to student success.
