What Carleton University's Official Website (carleton.ca) Is and What You Can Do There
Updated
carleton.ca is the official website of Carleton University, a university in Ottawa, Canada. It is the main entry point for prospective and current students, researchers and visitors to explore admissions, campus life, research news and events. Use it when you want to check program options, find application routes, follow university news or plan a campus visit.
What the site covers
The homepage presents Carleton as a career-focused institution with top-ranked programs, research activity and campus life. Key figures shown on the site include:
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Student population | 30,600+ |
| Clubs & societies | 170+ |
| Scholarships & bursaries | $87 M |
| Research funding | $155.4 M |
These figures give a quick sense of scale before you dig into specific sections.
Admissions: the main reason most visitors come
The site separates admissions into clear paths, each with its own "Learn More" entry:
- Undergraduate Admissions — over 200 programs within 26 undergraduate degree options.
- Graduate Admissions — over 100 graduate programs with professional development and research opportunities.
- Continuing Studies — a range of programs with flexible learning options.
- Professional Development — Carleton's Future EDge, described as innovative professional development and continuous education.
If you are deciding where to apply, start with the undergraduate or graduate admissions page and confirm program availability there rather than relying on the homepage summary.
Campus life and events
The site is also where you find out what is happening on and around campus:
- Ravens athletics — 12 varsity teams; the site directs visitors to the Ravens website for game schedules, ticket sales, news and merchandise.
- Open House — the homepage promotes a Fall Open House on Saturday, October 24, with a registration link.
- Upcoming events — for example, an Ethnographic Documentary Workshop and Screening with Diego Pani on Oct 19, 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre.
Research and news
The homepage highlights current research and institutional news, including:
- Advancing research collaborations with African universities in Indigenous knowledge, innovation and equitable collaboration.
- Carleton ranking fourth among Canada's mid-size universities in Maclean's 2027 University Rankings.
- Student Nyabuol Biel Gang bringing lived experience to refugee policy work.
- Professors Shawna Dolansky and Timothy Pettipiece on technology-free learning and critical thinking in the age of AI.
- The nursing program preparing graduates with prescribing skills and training aimed at underserved and remote communities.
Student perspective
The site includes a co-op student testimonial from Carrie Cho, a BA Psychology student, who says the co-op program gave her a greater sense of direction on the type of work she wants to pursue and confidence in the skills needed to get there. Treat this as one student's experience rather than a general outcome.
Practical tips for using the site
- Decide your goal first (applying, researching, visiting, following news), then go straight to that section instead of browsing the homepage.
- For athletics schedules and tickets, follow the link to the Ravens website — the main site only summarizes it.
- For Open House and workshops, check the event listing for date, time and location before planning travel; the homepage shows a registration link for Open House.
- Program counts and figures on the homepage are summaries; confirm details on the specific admissions page.