How to Apply to Economics at Carleton College (Minnesota): A Liberal Arts College Where You Choose Your Major in the Third Term of Sophomore Year, a 75-Credit Economics Major with a Senior Integrative Exercise, with Admission Routes and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Carleton College is a liberal arts college in Minnesota; it is not Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. Economics is taught by the Department of Economics; the catalog is organized by department, Economics is one of its 33 majors, and the degree is a Bachelor of Arts. The department’s page says “Yes, an Economics major is offered.” Here is what the official pages say for fall 2027 entry, for US domestic applicants, international applicants (including those from China) and transfer applicants. Business administration has its own guide on this site and is not covered here.

1. How admission works: apply to the college, choose economics in sophomore year

• You apply to the college, not a department: the admissions “Criteria for Admission” page describes coursework, testing and personal qualities for the whole college and sets no conditions by major. The catalog says every student must complete a major and that students choose a major during the third term of their sophomore year. The pages I read do not say whether the application asks for an intended major; this is not published there.
• Conditions for the economics major: neither the catalog nor the department pages state a GPA bar or capacity limit; this is not published there. What they do say is that courses counting toward the major need a grade of C- or better and cannot be taken S/CR/NC; the department says math prerequisites may be taken S/CR/NC but encourages taking them for a grade.
• Double majors: the catalog says double majors are allowed with the permission of the Academic Standing Committee; the department names biology, environmental studies, mathematics, psychology, political science, international relations and history as examples.
• STEM designation: the department says the economics major is STEM-designated by US Citizenship and Immigration Services, so an international graduate may apply for up to 36 months of optional practical training (OPT); it points to the Director of International Life for questions.
• Honors: the department gives two annual prizes to graduating majors, the Ada M. Harrison Prize and the Robert E. Will Economics Prize; the integrative exercise can also be judged for Distinction (see section 2).

2. Prerequisites and courses

• High school: the admissions office says the strongest candidates have taken four years of English, four of mathematics, three or more of science, three or more of social science and three or more of a foreign or classical language; the stated minimum includes three or more years of mathematics including precalculus, two of social science, one of laboratory science, two or more of a language and three or more of English with a writing emphasis. The pages I read give no economics-specific high school prerequisite; this is not published there.
• The major is 75 credits in total (catalog; a course is normally 6 credits):
  • 42 core credits: ECON 110 Principles of Macroeconomics, ECON 111 Principles of Microeconomics, calculus (MATH 101 or MATH 111, or equivalent), statistics (STAT 120 or STAT 250, or equivalent), ECON 329 Econometrics, ECON 330 Intermediate Price Theory and ECON 331 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory;
  • 24 elective credits: four electives numbered 215 or above, which can include ECON 398 Advanced Research in Economics;
  • 6 credits for an advanced seminar: ECON 395 (typically offered only in fall term);
  • 3 credits for the senior integrative exercise: ECON 400;
  • 6 talk credits earned in the junior and senior years by attending department events, tracked by the department and not on the transcript.
• Sequencing: the catalog says MATH 101 or 111 is a prerequisite for ECON 330, and MATH 101 or 111 plus STAT 120 or 250 are prerequisites for ECON 329 and 331. The department “strongly encourages” finishing math prerequisites by the sophomore year and taking ECON 329 in the sophomore spring or junior fall; the core must be done by the end of junior year before the advanced seminar and the integrative exercise. Either ECON 110 or 111 can be taken first, and first-year students who have completed both (or equivalents) may take courses numbered below 300.
• For graduate study in economics the catalog also suggests MATH 120, 210 or 211, 232, 236, 240 and STAT 250.
• Placing out of the principles courses (department): a 5 on the AP Macroeconomics (Microeconomics) exam or a 6 or better on the IB Economics exam places a student out of ECON 110 (111); College in the Schools, A-Level or other college-level work may also earn an exemption with the department chair’s permission. Students who are exempt must teach themselves material the principles courses cover and AP/IB often do not: the Solow growth model for courses requiring ECON 110, and indifference curves for courses requiring ECON 111. The catalog lists a B or better in A-Level Economics as meeting the principles prerequisite for ECON 330, 331 and others. To waive an exemption and take the course, contact the Registrar’s Office.
• Elective examples (some of the 2026-27 courses in the catalog): Economics of Gender, Game Theory and Economic Applications, Behavioral Economics, Economics of the Public Sector, Law and Economics, Money and Banking, International Trade, The Theory of Investment Finance, Corporate Finance, Computational Economics, and AI: Economic Impacts, Challenges, & Opportunities (ECON 287). Which are offered in a given year is shown in the catalog.
• Senior integrative exercise (comps): the department says seniors write either a primary research paper or a policy white paper (the latter with a 15-minute oral examination); the work must flow from the ECON 395 advanced seminar; everyone presents a poster.
• College-level credit rules: the catalog has a section on Advanced Placement and other pre-matriculation examinations; I did not check it line by line, so read it directly.

3. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• Rounds and dates (no year is printed on the page, so check they apply to fall 2027 entry): Fall Early Decision, application and aid materials November 15, decisions December 15, confirm by January 15; Winter Early Decision, January 15, decisions February 15, confirm by March 1; Regular Decision, January 15, decisions April 1, confirm by May 1. Early Decision is binding: an admitted student must withdraw other applications and enroll; outcomes are admit, defer or deny, and deferred students are automatically reconsidered in Regular Decision. QuestBridge applications are due late September with decisions by December 1.
• Application fee: none. The Common App, QuestBridge application and Coalition application are all accepted and treated equally.
• Materials: transcript (first three years’ classes and grades, senior-year schedule, first-term senior grades); the counselor recommendation (School Report); two academic teacher recommendations; and TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo for students whose primary language of instruction has not been English. Interviews are optional. Essay: the Common App essay (the office has an essay tips page); the pages I read do not mention a separate college supplement, so this is not published there.
• Testing: since 2025 the SAT/ACT are permanently optional; the writing section is not required and scores may be self-reported, with official scores due after enrollment. The deadline for sending scores is stated two ways: the materials page says November 20 (Fall Early Decision) and January 20 (Winter Early Decision and Regular Decision); the criteria page says February 1 (Early Decision 2) and March 1 (Regular Decision). Confirm with the admissions office.
• Review: at least two admissions committee members read each file; they look at course rigor (honors, AP, IB), grades, recommendations and personal qualities; arts samples are optional and creative writing portfolios are not accepted.
• After the decision: the enrollment deposit confirms enrollment and is later applied to a lifetime transcript fee; admitted students can request a gap year by May 1.

4. US domestic applicants

• The pages I read do not distinguish in-state and out-of-state tuition or mention any in-state preference; this is not published there, so ask the admissions office.
• Tests are optional; financial aid generally requires the FAFSA and CSS Profile, due on the same dates as the admissions round.
• Aid: need-based, with packages made up mostly of grants and student employment. The office reports that families receiving aid paid an average of $21,763 in 2025–26 and the average need-based aid package was $71,866; from 2027–28, federal and institutional loans in need-based packages are replaced by grants and scholarships. 57% of students receive need-based aid. Merit scholarships are not mentioned on the pages I read; this is not published there.

5. International applicants (including those from China)

• Who counts: students who do not have US citizenship, permanent residency or DACA status, regardless of where they or their parents live or where they go to school.
• Materials: the same as everyone else, plus the Certification of Finances, available after you submit your application and required whether or not you apply for aid; it is used to prepare immigration paperwork. Documents not issued in English need an English translation, and you may not translate your own; the office suggests an EducationUSA advising office for translators.
• English proficiency: if you do not speak English at home and your classes for the last four years were not taught in English, submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo. The office says students in these ranges are best prepared: TOEFL iBT 5.5 and above (100 and above for tests before 2026), IELTS 7.0 and above, Duolingo 130 and above.
• Aid: the office says Carleton meets 100% of demonstrated need without loans and has no income cap, but also that it has “limited funding available to international students”, so it will not consider a new or revised aid application once you are admitted. You can submit the free International Student Application for Financial Assistance directly to Admissions, or the 2027–28 CSS Profile. Early Decision may bring a very limited number of international scholarships. International students are about 10% of the student body, from 51 countries.
• Interviews: not required; InitialView or Vericant interviews may be sent, and an on-campus interview can be booked if you visit Minnesota.
• Visa documents: prepared from the Certification of Finances; other details are not published on the pages I read, so ask Admissions or the Office of International Student Life.

6. Applicants from China

• The international students page has no section specific to China. Whether the Gaokao is considered: the pages I read do not mention it; this is not published there, so ask the admissions office (phone and email are listed on the site).
• Transcripts and huikao records: the pages I read only say the transcript should show the first three years of classes and grades and that non-English documents need a translation not made by the student; they list nothing extra for Chinese students, which is not published there.
• For IB, A-Level and other international curricula, the pages I read give no specific instructions.
• English, financial documents and aid are in the previous section.

7. Transfer applicants

• Who is a transfer applicant: anyone who has completed college coursework after graduating high school; dual enrollment during high school does not count. Fall entry only.
• Deadlines (no year printed, so check): application March 31, decisions by May 15, enroll by June 1; a small waitlist is kept each year, with final decisions generally by August 1. No application fee.
• Materials: Common App or Coalition application; a report from the registrar or school official confirming good standing; final high school and all college transcripts; two professor recommendations; optional SAT/ACT; and TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo if English is not your primary language. Transcripts from foreign colleges and universities must first go to a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) for a course-by-course evaluation before an admission decision and credit evaluation can be made.
• Credit: generally for coursework from regionally accredited institutions with grades of C- or higher; general credit is awarded first, and equivalency to specific courses is decided by departments; at most 102 credits (18 Carleton courses) can transfer in. The admissions page says you must spend at least two years in residence, including senior year; the catalog says at least 108 credits and at least six terms at Carleton.
• Transferring into economics: the office says you need not study what you studied before; enrolled transfers design a program with an assigned adviser. The pages I read give no GPA or prerequisite (such as calculus or principles of economics) for the economics major; this is not published there, so ask the Economics Department or the Registrar. The placement-out rules for ECON 110 and 111 are in section 2.
• For international transfers the requirements and aid follow section 5; the transfer page does not give a separate aid statement for them.

8. Costs, scholarships, internships and research

• 2026-27 costs (Financial Aid): tuition $75,186, student activity fee $480, housing $10,194, food $9,120, for a comprehensive fee of $94,980; estimated books and personal costs $2,040 and average travel $850, for a total cost of attendance of $97,870. Student health insurance is $2,355 and is charged only if you opt in (you must opt in or waive). I found no college surcharge for economics.
• A contradiction: the international students page gives an estimated 2026–27 cost of attendance of $104,746 and expects it to rise 4–5% a year, while the Financial Aid cost page gives a total of $97,870. The pages do not say whether the two use the same basis; check with Admissions.
• Other aid facts: students can receive up to $5,350 a year to fund an internship or research opportunity; about 80% of students have a campus job; nearly 70% study off campus and their aid travels with them.
• Opportunities in economics: students may work in the department as office assistants or teaching and research assistants, or prefect beginning-level courses; independent study (291, 391) is possible with any faculty member; ECON 297 is for students who completed an external experience such as an internship, with academic reading and written communication; the department also hosts the Veblen-Clark and Lamson lectures. The department pages also list careers and the Center for Leadership in Innovation & Change (CLIC), which I did not read.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Apply by November 15 (Fall Early Decision) or January 15 (Winter Early Decision or Regular Decision); no fee; SAT/ACT optional; two teacher recommendations
• After enrolling, take ECON 110, 111, calculus and statistics and choose a major in the third term of sophomore year; major courses need C- or better; the major is 75 credits

International applicants (including those from China):

• Complete the Certification of Finances after applying (required); apply for aid at the same time, as new requests are not considered after admission; translate non-English documents through someone else
• English reference ranges: TOEFL 5.5 (new scale), IELTS 7.0, Duolingo 130; ask the office whether the Gaokao is considered

Transfer applicants:

• Fall entry, apply by March 31; no fee; foreign transcripts need a NACES member evaluation; up to 102 credits transfer
• Requirements for entering the economics major are not published; confirm with the Economics Department before applying

Sources: Carleton College, Economics: home and first-year information; Economics: major; Economics: courses; Economics: senior integrative exercise; Economics: honors; Economics: student opportunities; Catalog: Economics and major requirements; Catalog: graduation requirements; Admissions: applying; Admissions: materials and deadlines; Admissions: criteria; Admissions: international students; Admissions: transfer; Admissions: afford; Financial Aid: cost of attendance. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 rates). Check Carleton for the latest details.