Carleton College students expect to be busy on the eve of final exams, of course, but not just in the predictable way. At 10 p.m., Carls all over campus open their windows and scream at the top of their lungs. Soon after that, they’ll be noiselessly dancing on tables — wearing headphones — in Gould Library and enjoying a late-night breakfast served up by the college’s deans in one of the dining halls.
These are just a few of the traditions that provide students at the private liberal arts college with a break from the books. Carleton College students are “extremely high achievers” but for the most part “we don’t take ourselves too seriously,” says Becca Giles, a recent history grad from Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Carleton is situated on 1,040 acres in rural Northfield, less than an hour from the Twin Cities and just a mile or so from athletic rival St. Olaf College. The annual football game between the Carleton Knights and the St. Olaf Oles is known as the Cereal Bowl, a nod to the nearby cereal factory.
[Check out great college towns with top schools.]
Bounded to the west by the Cannon River, Carleton’s cozy campus contains a good deal of brick and a mix of architectural styles. Adjacent to the academic core of the campus is an 880-acre arboretum, often just called the Arb, which serves as an outdoor classroom of sorts for biology, environmental studies and even drawing courses.
About 90 percent of Carleton’s 2,000-some students live in college housing. First-years are mixed with upperclassmen in the residence halls, though older students can also live in shared-interest houses or highly sought-after townhomes. The residential nature of the place makes it easy to keep meeting people, and even the library “is a social hub,” says recent biology grad Jorde Ranum of Spring Lake Park, Minnesota.
Those craving “monastery quiet,” as posters in the library call it, are directed to study on the lowest level of Gould; the main floor maintains “Blue Monday quiet,” a reference to the Goodbye Blue Monday coffee shop downtown, a popular hangout.
When it comes to academics, Carls benefit from a student-faculty ratio of 9-to-1 and an average class size of 18. The college has recently been atop the U.S. News list of liberal arts institutions with a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching, with St. Olaf close behind.
Among a range of general education requirements, freshmen must complete a discussion-based Argument and Inquiry seminar during their first term. Senior year, every Carl completes a capstone in his or her major that could take the form of a research paper or project.
Classes are arranged in three 10-week trimesters, and the faster pace “definitely forces you to learn how to manage your time,” says Matthew Pruyne, a junior from Amherst, Massachusetts, studying theater and computer science. “By the time midterms are actually done, you’re getting ready for finals.”
[Know which questions to ask when touring college campuses.]
Each Friday morning, members of the campus community gather in Gothic-inspired Skinner Memorial Chapel for the weekly installment of the college’s speaker series. Past speakers have included poet Javon Johnson, journalist Marco Werman and Kimberly Bryant, founder of the education organization Black Girls Code.
On an open area known as the “Bald Spot” just outside the chapel, students ice skate in winter and, in warmer weather, play Ultimate Frisbee — a club sport in which both the Carleton men’s and women’s teams are nationally competitive. In all, there are more than 200 organizations for undergrads to choose from, such as an anime society and CANOE, the Carleton Association of Nature and Outdoor Enthusiasts. Says Giles: “It feels sometimes like we’re constantly moving.”
But if undergrads need to slow down and take a break, they can head to the Dacie Moses House to bake cookies or just to relax. The house, the former residence of a longtime Carleton employee who used to host students in her home for meals and games, is stocked with the necessary baking supplies.
“Dacie’s occupies a pretty unique place in the community,” says Pruyne. Campus a cappella groups rehearse there, and on Sundays, any member of the Carleton or Northfield community can stop by the house for a student-hosted brunch.
More From the Minnesota College Road Trip:
— University of Minnesota–Twin Cities
This story is excerpted from the U.S. News “Best Colleges 2016” guidebook, which features in-depth articles, rankings and data.
More from U.S. News
Take a College Road Trip to Minnesota
Take a College Road Trip to the San Francisco Bay Area
Take a College Road Trip to Central Massachusetts
Minnesota College Road Trip: Carleton College originally appeared on usnews.com