After Graduation
At Carleton, you’ll learn how to ask thoughtful questions, solve tough problems, and think creatively and critically. Whatever your dream career may be, a Carleton education can take you there! Carleton will help you land your first job — and prepare you to succeed in every stage of your career.
Carls make a dent in the universe.
Our graduates go on to lead lives that make an impact on our world — both in the workplace and beyond. The beauty of a liberal arts education means that you can apply your knowledge and skills to almost any job anywhere.
Learn more about the career exploration programs we offer through Carleton’s Career Center.
Our reputation speaks for itself
- #1 Best Professors, #1 for undergraduate teaching since 2010 — U.S. News and World Report
- Top 10 Liberal Arts college — U.S. News and World Report
- #2 Peace Corps volunteer-producing small college or university
- 7 Recent alumni received Fulbright awards in 2024
- Top 10 Best schools for financial aid (private schools) — Princeton Review
Carleton grads six months post-grad
- 73% employed
- 19% graduate school
- 6% interning, volunteering, or traveling
- 2% seeking
What are they up to now?
Whether they majored in physics or English, the one thing Carleton alumni all have in common is that they’re making the world a better place.
Mary-Claire King ’67
A math major at Carleton, Mary discovered the gene responsible for breast and ovarian cancer. She currently serves as a professor of genome sciences and medicine at the University of Washington.
Jimmy Chin ’96
Jimmy was an Asian studies major at Carleton and is best known as an Oscar-winning filmmaker, photographer, and mountaineer with National Geographic.
Chris Kratt ’92
As the co-creator and co-star of PBS’s Wild Kratts, Zoboomafoo, and Kratts’ Creatures, Chris has encouraged millions of kids to love animals.
Jonathan Capehart ’89
A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, he anchors MSNBC’s The Sunday Show with Jonathon Capeheart and the Washington Post Live show “First Look.” He got his start as a political science major at Carleton, where he wrote for the Carletonian and hosted a KRLX radio show.
Ingrid Lyons ’15
As executive director of Save the Boundary Waters, she leads a team dedicated to permanently protecting Minnesota’s own Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, one of the country’s most unique freshwater ecosystems.
Rev. Earl Neil ’57
Served as an Episcopal priest and civil rights activist who worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and Desmond Tutu, and has diffused an armed standoff between police and Black Panthers.
Maya Warren ’07
She made a million bucks as the winner of the 2014 The Amazing Race and now makes sure your ice cream tastes great a the taste-master for Cold Stone Creamery.
John Harris ’85
John revolutionized how Americans get their news. He is the founding editor and current editor-in-chief of Politico.
Carls for Life
Carleton alumni stay connected to the college long after they leave campus. They extend the Carleton community far beyond Northfield, helping current students (and one another) find their way in the world. Whether they’re sharing career advice and opportunities, connecting over a meal, or offering visitors a place to stay, our alumni never waiver in their dedication to supporting fellow Carls.
We offer numerous opportunities for you to connect with alumni while you’re a student, and after you graduate. We have active alumni groups in all major U.S. cities, and a few international ones, too. When you’re a Carl, connection and community are always near by.