Kenosha, WIprivate nonprofitwww.carthage.edu/
Admit rate has ranged 68%–84% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Carthage College is a small, private liberal arts school in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where Lake Michigan views meet a surprisingly robust career-prep curriculum. With an 87% acceptance rate and a median SAT range of 1010–1280, it’s accessible yet punches above its weight in nursing, business, and criminal justice programs. The vibe is tight-knit (69% live on campus) and active, with 130+ student orgs and a graduation rate that beats peer averages.
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Outcomes & value
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Campus & location
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Carthage College is decidedly not a reach school—with an 87% acceptance rate (per multiple sources), it’s firmly in the ‘likely’ category for most applicants. The middle 50% of admitted students score between 1010–1280 on the SAT or 19–26 on the ACT, though 98% of applicants submit ACT scores (reflecting Wisconsin’s ACT-heavy testing culture). Notably, 40% of applicants are male and 60% female, with first-year enrollment hovering around 700 students annually. The college doesn’t publish an early decision rate, but its rolling admissions policy suggests flexibility for late applicants.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Don’t let the liberal arts label fool you—Carthage leans pragmatic, with nursing, business, and criminal justice dominating its 75+ majors. The most popular programs (per U.S. News) are business (marketing sees 63 grads/year), health professions (nursing produces 62 grads), and education. Standouts include:
Students often double major (thanks to flexible requirements), and the faculty-student ratio of 12:1 ensures accessibility. The curriculum balances career-ready fields with classic liberal arts—think biology seminars alongside marketing practicums.
Life at Carthage orbits around Lake Michigan’s shoreline (the campus has its own beach) and a club scene that’s busier than you’d expect for 2,600 undergrads. Key details:
International students (from Germany, Thailand, and beyond) make up a small but visible contingent, adding to the Midwest-meets-global vibe.
Carthage’s 61% graduation rate (per College Scorecard) outpaces similar schools (peer average: 58.9%), and early-career earnings hover around $39,000—on par for its mix of majors. The 10-year post-enrollment median earnings jump to $56,950, suggesting steady career growth. Nursing and business grads fare best, with the latter often landing in Milwaukee or Chicago firms. While not a feeder to elite grad schools, the college emphasizes applied learning (internships, clinicals) that smooths the transition to work.
At $58,950 sticker price (tuition + room/board), Carthage isn’t cheap, but 94% of students receive aid, slashing the average net price to $24,962. The college offers:
Pro tip: Use their Net Price Calculator—it’s unusually transparent, accounting for everything from sibling discounts to work-study.
Carthage is the anti-stereotype liberal arts school: pragmatic, unpretentious, and laser-focused on outcomes without sacrificing the small-college experience. Where else can you:
It’s a hidden value play—especially for Wisconsinites and Midwesterners who want career-ready programs without the cutthroat competition of Big Ten schools.