The first 'campus' consisted of a few rented classrooms in a high school. Full-time programmes were offered for the first time in 1945, and Carleton moved to its own building in downtown Ottawa the following year. Carleton's continued growth led to another move in 1959 to its present site - a 62 hectare campus, located between the Rideau River and the historic Rideau Canal.

Carleton University offers Instructional Television (itv) courses each week on cable television in the Ottawa region on the Rogers Cablevision network, and through the distribution of video cassettes to registered students not residing in a cable television broadcast area.

Distance education courses presented through itv are part of Carleton's commitment to learners who might not otherwise be able to continue, or even consider participating in, post-secondary education activities. itv courses have the same requirements and hold the same value as on-campus courses. Courses are available in a wide variety of subjects including: Anthropology, Architecture, Biology, Business, Canadian Studies, Chemistry, Economics, Engineering, English, Earth Sciences, Geography, Industrial Design, Law, Linguistics, Mass Communications, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Religion, and Social Work.