The value of a Carthage education can’t be summed up in percentage points or statistics, but these quick facts will give you a quick look at what a Carthage education is all about.
The Basics
- Founded in 1847. (Read more about Carthage’s rich history)
- More than 80 acres campus on the shore of Lake Michigan. (Read more about our location)
- 2,600 full-time undergraduate students.
- 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio. (Read more about our faculty)
- 130+ student organizations. (Read more about student orgs)
- Named a Best Midwestern College by The Princeton Review (2020), a designation given to only 25 percent of four-year schools.
- Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1916. (Read more about accreditation)
Academics and Outcomes
- Majors, minors, and concentrations in more than 50 areas of study. (See all areas of study)
- Professors, not teaching assistants, teach all classes. (Read more about our faculty)
- Average class size is just 17 students. (See course schedules)
- Curriculum designed to cultivate critical thinking and provide hands-on learning. (See the Carthage Plan)
- Monthlong J-Term for travel abroad and in-depth study. (Read about J-Term)
- Ranked No. 3 nationally for student participation in short-term study abroad. (Read why)
- Named a top producer of Fulbright fellows four of the past five years. (Read about Carthage Fulbright winners)
- Every student is automatically enrolled in The Aspire Program™ for career development. (See program details)
- Within six months of graduation, 90 percent of alumni report landing a satisfying career position or enrollment in graduate school.
Lakefront Campus
- Arboretum located on the shore of Lake Michigan. (Read more about our location)
- More than $250 million invested in campus facilities in recent years, including our Science Center, A.W. Clausen Center for World Business, Campbell Student Union, Hedberg Library, N.E. Tarble Athletic and Recreation Center, Tarble Arena, The Oaks Residential Village, and The Tower Residence Hall.
- Tarble Arena seats nearly 2,400 for basketball and volleyball games, concerts, and other special events.
- Award-winning Hedberg Library includes a café offering bagels and smoothies.
- N. E. Tarble Athletic and Recreation Center has a pool, indoor rock-climbing wall, and more.
- A. W. Clausen Center for World Business features classrooms designed to enable lively discussion, a boardroom for student presentations, and a Starbucks.
- Within an hour’s drive of both Milwaukee and Chicago. (Read more about area attractions)
Enrollment, Admissions, and Financial Aid
- In 2019, 7,004 high school students applied for 700 positions in the freshman class.
- More than 90 percent of students receive financial aid. (FAFSA code: 003839)
- Carthage awards more than $2 million annually in competitive scholarships. (See a full list of scholarships)
- Average high school GPA for Fall 2019 freshman applicants: 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.
- Average ACT composite score: 24 for Fall 2019 freshmen.
- Middle 50 percent of ACT scores: 21-27.
- More than 50% of entering students are in the top 20% of their class.
- In Fall 2019, Carthage welcomed its most racially diverse class ever; 27% of incoming students came from historically underrepresented minorities.
- Approximately 27% of Carthage’s student body self-identified as American Indian, Asian, black, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, or multiracial in 2019.
- Competitive scholarships open to all majors, as well as for specific programs such as language, business, fine arts, math, and science. (See a full list of scholarships)
- Request information
- Apply online
- Visit the Admissions website
- Check out our online viewbook
Athletics
- 24 NCAA Division III sports (expanding to 27 sports in 2020-21). (Visit the Athletics website)
- Men’s sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball, with men’s wrestling starting in 2020-21.
- Women’s sports: basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and water polo, with women’s wrestling and women’s bowling starting in 2020-21.
- About one-third of Carthage students are involved in varsity intercollegiate athletics, and another one-third participate in intramurals and club sports offered here (men’s and women’s bowling, soccer, and co-ed ice hockey).
Student Life
- More than 130 student organizations on campus.
- Through the Carthage Activities Board (CAB), students pick, plan, and promote weekly campus events from movies, to musicians and bands, to comedians.
- Carthage has 14 active sororities and fraternities; about 20 percent of students are involved in a Greek social organization.
- 70 percent of students live on campus in residence halls and campus apartments; full-time undergraduate students are required to live on campus until their senior year.
- The Tower Residence Hall is Carthage’s newest housing option. Its eight stories offer single and double rooms, semi-private bathrooms, and two floors of common space.
- The Center for Faith and Spirituality welcomes those of all faith journeys. Weekly chapel services rooted in the Lutheran tradition and Catholic Mass are offered, along with interfaith discussions.