Grinnell College is a private nonprofit institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Grinnell, Iowa. It enrolls 1,729 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Strong
84/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes93
Value76
Affordability38
Selectivity95
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Grinnell College admits 14.5% of applicants, which makes it genuinely competitive, so your application needs to be strong.
Acceptance Rate
14.5%
Very Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1410 – 1540
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
31 – 34
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Grinnell College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Getting more selective ↓
10.4 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $17,648 a year on average, it sits below what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$68,106
Room & Board (on-campus)
$16,842
Books & Supplies
$800
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,850
Total Cost of Attendance
$83,440
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$9,970
$30,001 – $48,000
$7,789
$48,001 – $75,000
$9,669
$75,001 – $110,000
$19,348
Over $110,000
$37,725
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$3,50010%percentile
$7,75325%percentile
$17,500Medianpercentile
$19,50075%percentile
$25,50090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $12,775
↓ $4,725
No Pell $15,089
↓ $2,411
Female students $14,205
↓ $3,295
Male students $14,100
↓ $3,400
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($17,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
88% of students who start here finish within six years, and 93% come back after first year. Most people who start here leave with the degree they came for. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
88%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
93%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $62,830 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$62,830
Earning > $25K
83%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$55,000
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$67,200
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $12,200, about 18% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Stable ↑
1.9 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 92% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,729 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
1,729
Part-Time
0%
First-Generation
18%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 48.4%837
International 21.0%363
Asian 9.7%168
Hispanic 8.7%151
Other 6.5%113
Black 4.7%81
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Grinnell College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Grinnell College offers
a varied set of programs:
28 distinct programs across
13 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 9 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.
Student : Faculty
9:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$2.7B
Strong financial cushion supports aid and stability
Avg Faculty Salary
$109,593
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
209 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
60
29%
$145,021
Associate Professors
63
30%
$113,011
Assistant Professors
69
33%
$85,896
Instructors
7
3%
$75,206
Lecturers
10
5%
$63,075
Pros & Cons of Grinnell College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Grinnell College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Highly competitive admissions, many strong applicants are rejected
Very high published cost of attendance (full-pay families pay much more than the net-price average)
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
No graduate programs offered at this institution
Best for:
Based on the data, Grinnell College is a fit for
students seeking a highly selective peer group.
Frequently Asked Questions about Grinnell College
The questions families ask most about Grinnell College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Grinnell College hard to get into?
Grinnell College is highly selective. Its acceptance rate is 14.5%, so admitted students generally have strong grades, competitive test scores, and a well-rounded application.
What is the acceptance rate at Grinnell College?
14.5% of applicants are admitted. Fewer than a third of applicants get in, so treat it as a stretch rather than a safe bet. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Grinnell College?
Aim for 1540 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1410 and 1540 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Grinnell College?
Aim for 34 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 31 and 34 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Grinnell College cost?
Budget around $17,648 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Grinnell College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $62,830 a year against a net price of $17,648, about 3.6 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Grinnell College known for?
Mostly Computer Science, Economics, Biology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Grinnell College graduates earn?
About $62,830 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Grinnell College accredited?
Yes. Grinnell College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Grinnell College?
1,729 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Grinnell College?
88% finish within six years. Most people who start here graduate, which is the signal you want. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Grinnell College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Grinnell College located?
Grinnell College is located in Grinnell, Iowa.
What programs does Grinnell College offer?
28 different programs, most commonly Computer Science, Economics, Biology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Grinnell College?
9 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Iowa
Other colleges in Iowa share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
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