Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Kenyon College, Macalester College, Carleton College. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | KenyonGambier, OH | MacalesterSaint Paul, MN | CarletonNorthfield, MN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 31.0% | 28.5% | 20.4% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1358–1503 | 1350–1510 | 1450–1560 |
| Average net price | $38,5129.5% on Pell grants | $32,14917.2% on Pell grants | $25,40716.5% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $71,520Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $68,104Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $68,892Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 82.3% | 87.1% | 89.6% |
| First-year retention | 91.6% | 92.3% | 96.5% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 9.5% | 17.2% | 16.5% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $71,830 | $63,878 | $75,525 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $18,527 | $23,000 | $16,750 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 9:1 | 10:1 | 8:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,732 | 2,131 | 2,086 |
| Consensus percentile | 24Lower is better | 26Lower is better | 19Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 56 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 64 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 55 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Kenyon | Macalester | Carleton |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #45 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 | #28 of 207Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 | #8 of 207Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 |
| Forbes | #142 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #207 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #128 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #105 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #38 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #50 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #301 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #333 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #294 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #110 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #136 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #89 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Kenyon College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Macalester College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Carleton College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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