Carleton College and Carleton University are two different schools in two different countries. Carleton College is a small private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, founded in 1866, with 2,128 students. Carleton University is a large public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, founded in 1942, with more than 25,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students. To make matters more confusing, the Canadian university was itself called “Carleton College” from 1942 to 1957.
Here is how the two compare. The Minnesota figures come from the federal College Navigator database for fall 2024; the Canadian school is not in that database, so its figures come from its published profile.
Carleton College vs Carleton University at a Glance
| Item | Carleton College | Carleton University |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Northfield, Minnesota, United States | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Founded | 1866 | 1942 (chartered as a university in 1952; current name 1957) |
| Type | Private liberal arts college | Public research university |
| Students | 2,128, all undergraduate (fall 2024) | More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,000 graduate (2025) |
| Programs | 33 majors and 39 minors, plus self-designed majors | Five faculties, more than 65 degree programs |
| Admitted | 20% (fall 2024) | Not reported in College Navigator |
| Tuition and fees | $68,892 (2024-2025); average net price $28,047 (2023-2024) | Set in Canadian dollars; see the university’s fee schedule |
| Student-to-faculty ratio | 8 to 1 | Not reported in College Navigator |
| Athletics | Knights, NCAA Division III, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Ravens, U Sports |
What Is Carleton College?
Carleton College is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, about 40 miles from Minneapolis and St. Paul. It was founded in 1866 by the Minnesota Conference of Congregational Churches and renamed after William Carleton of Massachusetts gave the college $50,000 in 1871. Its 200-acre main campus sits beside the roughly 800-acre Cowling Arboretum. Carleton offers 33 majors and 39 minors, lets students design their own majors, and is highly selective: it admitted 20% of applicants for fall 2024, 96% of freshmen return for a second year and 90% of the fall 2018 cohort graduated within six years. Its teams compete in NCAA Division III in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
What Is Carleton University?
Carleton University is an English-language public research university in Ottawa, the capital of Canada. It began in 1942 as Carleton College, a private, non-denominational evening college serving returning Second World War veterans, was chartered as a university by Ontario in 1952 and took its present name in 1957. It is named after the former Carleton County, which included Ottawa. Its 150-acre campus lies between the Rideau Canal and the Rideau River. It has five faculties and more than 65 degree programs, including the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, the Carleton School of Journalism and the Sprott School of Business. Its Ravens play in U Sports, and the men’s basketball team has won 18 national championships.
Why People Mix Them Up
- The name. Both are “Carleton”, and the Canadian school used the exact name “Carleton College” for its first fifteen years.
- Different naming conventions. In the United States “college” often means a small undergraduate school, while in Canada “college” usually means a non-degree or technical institution, so people assume the two names describe the same kind of place.
- Search results. “Carleton” alone brings up both, and rankings lists for the U.S. college and the Canadian university sit side by side.
The quick tell: Carleton College is the small one in Minnesota; Carleton University is the big one in Ottawa.
Who Each School Suits
Carleton College suits students who want a highly selective, residential American liberal arts college with very small classes and a strong record of graduating students on time, and who can meet a high sticker price or qualify for need-based aid.
Carleton University suits students who want a large public university in a national capital with professional programs in public affairs, international affairs, journalism, engineering and business, at Canadian public-university tuition levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Carleton College the same as Carleton University? No. Carleton College is in Northfield, Minnesota; Carleton University is in Ottawa, Canada.
- Which is older? Carleton College, founded in 1866. Carleton University was founded in 1942.
- Is Carleton University in the United States? No. It is in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
- Why was Carleton University once called Carleton College? It opened in 1942 as an evening college and became a university by provincial charter in 1952, taking the name Carleton University in 1957.