Bates College vs. Carleton College Overview
You’re wrestling with a tough question: “Should I go to Bates or Carleton College?“
Bates College
Carleton College
Can you get in?
Calculate Your ChancesCan you get in?
Calculate Your ChancesThis complete guide analyzes both the quantitative and qualitative differences between Bates College and Carleton College. This comparison is particularly valuable at understanding the cultural nuances between the colleges since it uses student videos to capture the “vibes” of campus - these videos are exclusively available on CampusReel :)
Differences between Bates College and Carleton College
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s go through a general overview of the high-level differences between Bates College and Carleton College. The table below summarizes some of the most important statistics around competitiveness, costs, etc.
| Bates College | Carleton College | |
|---|---|---|
| In-state Tuition | $48,435 | $49,263 |
| Net Price | $25,977 | $28,892 |
| Average Financial Aid | $42,437 | $36,449 |
| Total Undergraduates | 1792 | 1995 |
| Average SAT Scores | 0 - 0 | 1320 - 1520 |
| Acceptance Rate | 22 | 21 |
| Location | 2 Andrews Road | One North College Street |
| City Name | Lewiston | Northfield |
WARNINGS: Based on net price alone, Bates College is the cheaper option. However, this sticker price may not adequately represent the difference in living costs between Lewiston and Northfield. Bates is in a New England and Carleton College is in a West North Central - sometimes off campus meals and housing costs can dramatically vary between schools
Is Bates College or Carleton College Harder to get into? Which school is easier to get into?
If you’re looking at acceptance rate alone, then Carleton College is more difficult to get into. However, each college is looking to fill its incoming class with a variety of students with different strengths, backgrounds, etc.
Therefore, the acceptance rate alone is not a good indicator that Carleton College is a better school or will be more difficult for you specifically to get into. On the flipside, Bates College is easier to get into based on acceptance rate alone.
You can use the below college admissions predictor to determine your likelihood of acceptance at either school.
How Do Bates Dorms Compare to housing Options at Carleton College?
Both colleges provide on-campus living options. Bates charges for on-campus living, while Carleton College charges N/A for on-campus living. Most importantly, though, check out the video below for a sample of dorm tours at each school.
Bates and Carleton College student body differences
The table below helps demonstrate the student body differences as well.
| Bates College, % | Carleton College,% | |
|---|---|---|
| White | 71.37 | 63.36000000000001 |
| Hispanic | 7.6499999999999995 | 7.02 |
| Black | 4.91 | 3.7600000000000002 |
| Foreign | 7.31 | 10.43 |
| Others | 8.8 | 15.4 |
How different is the Bates College campus compared to Carleton College campus?
The Bates campus is located in Lewiston, ME and is characterized as City: Small (population less than 100,000). The Carleton College campus is located in Northfield, MN and is characterized as Town: Distant (in urban cluster more than 10 miles and up to 35 miles from an urbanized area).
Which school gives more financial aid?
Bates provides $42,437 whereas Carleton College provides an average of $36,449.
How does Bates academics compare to Carleton College?
When analyzing academics between Bates College and Carleton College we’ll look at both what current students are studying and also where they end up after graduation. After all, college should prepare you for a career! Analyzing each school’s outcomes is super valuable to understand the value of the degree.
| Majors | Bates | Carleton College |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture agriculture operations and related sciences | N/A | N/A |
| Natural resources and conservation | 27 | 11 |
| Architecture and related services | N/A | N/A |
| Area ethnic cultural gender and group studies | 18 | 17 |
| Communication journalism and related programs | N/A | N/A |
| Computer and information sciences and support services | N/A | 63 |
| Communications technologies technicians and support services | N/A | N/A |
| Personal and culinary services | N/A | N/A |
| Engineering | N/A | N/A |
| Education | N/A | N/A |
| Engineering technologies and engineering related fields | N/A | N/A |
Which is better: Bates College or Carleton College?
We’ve compared dorm life, costs, outcomes and more to provide the most complete comparison between Bates and Carleton College. But, you’re smart enough to know that numbers paint a terrible picture for truly understanding what each college and community is like. And, the real answer to which school is better is: the school that’s right for you. No matter who you ask, if they know what they’re talking about, the answer is the same: the “better” school is whatever is the best fit for you personally. That’s why it’s extremely important to check out all the videos on CampusReel for each school.
How does Bates social life compare to Carleton College?
It’s tough to understand the nuances of social life with data alone. That’s why we’ve brought in real student videos to show how Bates social life differs from Carleton College.
Check here.
Check here.