Non-Profit Private
Accredited · Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Helena, Montana
72.6% Acceptance Rate
Carroll College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
72.6%Acceptance Rate
3.64Avg GPA
1170Avg SAT
27Avg ACT
$54,141Annual Cost
$61,772Grad Salary
18%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
72.6%
Avg GPA
3.64
Avg SAT
1170
Avg ACT
27
Selectivity
Somewhat Selective
Institution Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
SAT Middle 50%
1080–1330
ACT Middle 50%
24–29
Need-Based Aid
18% receive Pell
Carroll College is a private, Catholic liberal arts institution in Montana known for its commitment to academic excellence, intellectual inquiry, and character formation. Offering a wide range of undergraduate programs, the college fosters a supportive and engaged campus community that encourages personal growth and leadership development. Its focus on providing a values-centered, high-value education makes it a premier choice for students seeking a well-rounded and formative educational experience.
Carroll College Acceptance Rate
At 72.6%, admission to Carroll College is achievable for most students who meet the basic academic profile.
What Carroll Montana CC Admissions Looks For
- Whole-Person Review: Personal circumstances and career goals are weighed alongside grades.
- Flexible on GPA: Strong extracurriculars or work experience can offset an average transcript.
Selectivity at a Glance
Somewhat Selective
Selectivity scale: Somewhat Selective — 72.6% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.64 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.44 – 3.63
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 3.19
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Carroll College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
Carroll College follows a Rolling Admissions policy, meaning applications are reviewed as they arrive and there is no single fixed deadline, though the priority deadline of November 1 is recommended for the best chances of admission and financial aid.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 85 days left — Early Action
Rolling Admissions — Apply Anytime
Carroll Montana CC reviews applications continuously throughout the year. Seats and scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so applying early gives you a significant advantage for both admission and financial aid.
Early Action
November 1
Decision by: December 1
Regular Decision
February 28
Rolling
June 15
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
Carroll Montana CC GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at Carroll Montana CC is 3.64. That makes admissions here highly selective. Most admitted students carry mostly A's with the occasional B.
Between 3.34 and 3.64? A strong standardized test score is worth prioritizing.
Note the scale: this figure reflects an unweighted 4.0 GPA. Add AP or IB coursework and the equivalent weighted GPA usually lands around 3.84–4.04.Carroll Montana CC GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Selective, with solid academic performance as the expectation.
Recommended Strategy: A clear, defined strength in one activity or research area matters more than breadth.
This range is a rough map. Where you land determines what else needs to carry weight in your application.:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.64 – 4.00
Target/Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.44 – 3.63
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
3.24 – 3.43
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 3.23
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Private Catholic liberal arts college in Helena, MT; NAIA Frontier Conference, 15 varsity sports ("Fighting Saints"); no application fee.
- Test-optional with GPA-based exceptions; campus visit and personal interview are described as essential to the admission decision.
- Direct Entry Nursing deadline is Nov 1, separate and earlier than the Feb 28 Regular Decision deadline; strong pre-professional health science and civil engineering programs.
- A new Physician Assistant (MSPAS) program is in development - applications open April 2027, inaugural cohort of 34 targeted for May 2028, pending accreditation.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: Course rigor is read alongside the number itself. A 3.8 with a demanding schedule can beat a 4.0 without one.
- Trajectory Matters: Grades that climb toward graduation tend to matter more than a flat average. The trajectory tells its own story.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at Carroll Montana CC
Admission Chance Predictor
Built from Carroll College's own verified admissions data — adjust the sliders below
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Carroll College (Carroll Montana CC) Test Requirements
Scores aren't just a formality at Carroll Montana CC. Landing within or above the 2026 admitted class's middle 50% keeps you fully competitive, even where submission is optional.
Can I Get Into Carroll Montana CC Without SAT or ACT?
Carroll Montana CC considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
Carroll College Average SAT Score: 1170
Admitted students at Carroll College average a 1170 SAT (out of 1600).
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1170 — Less Competitive
A 1170 average leaves meaningful room above it for a competitive application.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1330 SAT or 29 ACT) to stand out. Below average? Carroll College allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
Scored under 1080? A retake is worth it at Carroll Montana CC. Two or three sittings is standard for competitive applicants, and there's no cap on how many times you can test.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 605 | 540 | 670 |
| SAT Reading | 600 | 540 | 660 |
| SAT Composite | 1170 | 1080 | 1330 |
A score under 1080 puts you in the lower quarter of admits; 1330+ puts you ahead of three-quarters of the admitted class. (These percentiles mark where a given share of the admitted class scored at or below.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1150
Can I get into Carroll College (Carroll Montana CC) with a 1350 SAT?
At 1350, your SAT is squarely in Carroll Montana CC's favor. That said, admissions staff read the full file. GPA, activities, and essays still carry real weight even with a strong score in hand.
Carroll College (Carroll Montana CC) ACT Requirements
Carroll Montana CC's admitted students average an ACT of 27.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 27 — Competitive
An average of 27 is a respectable, above-average national benchmark.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 24 | 21 | 26 |
| ACT English | 25 | 22 | 28 |
| ACT Composite | 27 | 24 | 29 |
Can I get into Carroll College with a 29 ACT?
At 29, you're in the top quarter of Carroll Montana CC's admitted class by ACT score. That's a real advantage, but admissions still reads GPA, essays, and activities alongside it.
The ACT's four sections, English, Math, Reading, and Science, are each scored independently on a 1–36 scale, and admissions staff do notice a lopsided breakdown. If one section trails the others significantly, that's worth addressing before you apply, particularly for STEM programs where Science carries extra weight.
Beyond the number itself, Carroll Montana CC weighs your transcript rigor, activities, recommendations, and essays just as heavily. The ACT opens the door, and the rest of your file decides what happens next.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Carroll Montana CC
Accessible Strategy: Academic Foundation
Getting into Carroll Montana CC isn't the hard part. Building a solid academic foundation and securing aid early is where the real strategy lives.
Hit the Nov 1 Direct Entry Nursing deadline
This competitive early-entry track - straight from high school into the nursing major - runs on its own earlier timeline, separate from Carroll's Feb 28 general Regular Decision deadline. Miss it and you're reapplying later as a pre-nursing transfer.
Use test-optional strategically, not by default
Carroll only requires scores if your unweighted GPA falls below a stated threshold. Strong-GPA applicants can self-report by test date (no superscoring) or skip testing; borderline-GPA applicants should submit scores to strengthen the file.
Name the Adventure & Mountaineering program specifically
Carroll builds real student life around Montana's outdoors - fly-fishing, snowshoeing. Naming this program by name in your application signals genuine fit, versus generic "I like nature" language.
Plan around the future PA program, don't wait for it
The new Physician Assistant (MSPAS) program isn't accepting applications yet - it opens April 2027, first cohort May 2028, pending accreditation. If that's your goal, apply to a strong pre-PA major now and plan to apply internally later.
Expert Insight:
A specific failure pattern here is treating "test-optional" as "essay-optional." Carroll requires a real campus visit and personal interview as essential parts of the decision, not a formality - skipping or phoning in the interview costs more at Carroll than at typical test-optional schools.
Carroll Montana CC Profile
Full Name
Carroll College (Carroll Montana CC)
City
Helena
State
Montana
ZIP Code
59625-0002
Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
Is a Carroll Montana CC Degree Worth It?
Whether Carroll Montana CC is worth it depends less on its reputation and more on your program choice, financial aid package, and career goals. Here's the data to weigh it against.
Admitted students' families report a median household income around $55,300, and graduates see a 3.53% unemployment rate.
How much does a degree from Carroll Montana CC Cost?
Listed tuition runs $54,141/year at Carroll Montana CC. Factor in Pell and federal grant aid, and most students land typically much lower.
At Carroll Montana CC, 18% receive a Pell Grant and 44.9% carry federal loans. Filing FAFSA early and naming Carroll Montana CC on it improves your shot at both.
How much does a Carroll Montana CC Graduate earn?
Ten years out from enrollment, Carroll Montana CC graduates report a median income of $61,772, about 52% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Carroll College. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntingdon College | Montgomery, AL | 1148 | 23 |
| Tuskegee University | Tuskegee, AL | 1121 | 22 |
| Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, CA | 1155 | 22 |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs, CO | 1140 | 25 |
| Western Colorado University | Gunnison, CO | 1130 | 25 |
| Lynn University | Boca Raton, FL | 1136 | 25 |
| Florida International University | Miami, FL | 1154 | 23 |
| University of West Florida | Pensacola, FL | 1137 | 24 |
| Georgia College & State University | Milledgeville, GA | 1150 | 24 |
| Georgia State University | Atlanta, GA | 1149 | 23 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Carroll College. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR | 1174 | 25 |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, GA | 1178 | 25 |
| Hawaii Pacific University | Honolulu, HI | 1180 | 25 |
| The College of Idaho | Caldwell, ID | 1166 | 24 |
| North Central College | Naperville, IL | 1165 | 25 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Carroll College. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Mobile | Mobile, AL | 1220 | 24 |
| Samford University | Birmingham, AL | 1203 | 26 |
| John Brown University | Siloam Springs, AR | 1222 | 26 |
| Ouachita Baptist University | Arkadelphia, AR | 1212 | 25 |
| California Lutheran University | Thousand Oaks, CA | 1224 | 26 |
Degree Programs at Carroll Montana CC
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Carroll Montana CC Admissions
Carroll College graduates earn a moderate median salary of $61,772/year, with some variation by field.
Tuition at Carroll College runs high, at roughly $54,141+/year, so financial aid planning matters.
18.0% receive a Pell Grant here, below the ~35% national average. Carroll College skews toward higher-income students, though merit aid may still be worth checking.
Carroll College's acceptance rate is 72.6%, comparatively higher than most selective universities. Admission is more attainable here.
The average GPA of admitted Carroll College students is 3.64, reflecting a competitive applicant pool.
There's no strict cutoff, but a GPA at or above 3.34 puts you in the standard applicant pool at Carroll College. Below that, your essays and recommendations need to work harder to provide context.
A GPA of 3.24 or below makes admission tougher at Carroll College, but strong test scores, activities, and essays, plus AP/IB coursework, can still keep you in contention.
Carroll College weighs the SAT heavily. Scoring above 1170, and within the 1080–1330 range, keeps you competitive.
Carroll College's deadline is November 1 (Early Action), with decisions out by December 1. Rolling Admissions applies too, so earlier is always better.
Transferring in is a well-trodden path here. Line up your transcripts, recommendations, and a strong personal statement before applying.
The biggest levers are academic performance, a clear extracurricular focus, and essays that stand out, plus a solid test score where the school considers one.