Private nonprofit · College

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa · Remote town

#1 most selective in Iowa#2 graduation rate in Iowa#4 best value in Iowa
14.5%
Admit rate
$17,648
Avg net price
88%
Graduation rate
$62,830
Median earnings

Grinnell College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Grinnell, Iowa (remote town setting), enrolling 1,729 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,729 undergradsRemote townHighly selective · 15% admitNCAA Division III with football · Midwest ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Grinnell College's admitted students.

Admit rate
14.5%
SAT (mid 50%)
1410–1540
Avg GPA (est.)
4.00

Enter a test score to see where you land against Grinnell College's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Grinnell College's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Grinnell, Iowa

Grinnell is a city in Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States. Grinnell was founded by settlers from New England who were descended from English Puritans of the 1600s. The city was to be named "Stella," but J. B. Grinnell convinced the others to adopt his name, describing it as rare and concise. The Grinnell Area Arts Council began in 1979 and sponsors many of the creative projects in Grinnell, including various community theater plays, the community band and a summer arts camp. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Remote town
Highest degree offered
Bachelor's
To Great Lakes shore
254 miles
Nearest airport
50 miles to Des Moines (DSM) · major hub

How Grinnell College compares

Selectivity14.5%

More selective than 96% · #1 most selective of 28 in Iowa

SAT average1486

Higher than 95%

Graduation rate88%

Higher than 95% · #2 of 30 in Iowa

First-year retention93%

Higher than 90%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$62,830

Higher than 73% · #5 of 31 in Iowa

Average net price$17,648

Cheaper than 61% · #4 cheapest of 29 in Iowa

Median debt at graduation$17,500

Lower than 86%

Student–faculty ratio9 : 1

Lower than 83%

Undergraduate enrollment1,729

Larger than 53%

Percentiles compare Grinnell College with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Iowa.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

1,729undergrads
  • Women92553%
  • Men80447%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White48%
  • Black4.7%
  • Hispanic8.7%
  • Asian9.7%
  • Other or multiracial28%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,729
Student–faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
18%
First-generation students
18%
Students over 25
0%
Median family income
$74,916
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$113,184
Endowment
$2,670,849,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 457 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Iowa7.7%
  • Other U.S. states72%
  • International20%

A national draw — only 8% of first-years come from Iowa; 72% arrive from other states.

20% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
14.5%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1410–1540
SAT average
1486
SAT reading
700–750
SAT math
710–790
ACT composite
31–34
Average GPA (estimated)
4.00

Cost

In-state tuition
$68,106
Room & board
$16,842
Books & supplies
$800
Total cost of attendance
$83,440
Average net price
$17,648

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
88%
Graduated on time (4 years)
75%
First-year retention
93%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$49,004
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$62,830
Median debt at graduation
$17,500
Students with federal loans
13%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
85%

About 13% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
75%
Low-income (Pell)
80%
First-generation
83%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,450
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
84%
Housing charge (year)
$7,500
Meal plan (year)
$8,378
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Midwest Conference
Varsity athletes
580 (327 men · 253 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (12)

Track and Field (Indoor)95
Track and Field (Outdoor)90
Swimming and Diving (combined)69
Football60
Soccer54
Cross Country51
Baseball42
Basketball36
Tennis35
Softball17
Volleyball16
Golf15

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
4.7 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
14
Property offenses (2022–2024)
11

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (1,788 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

8.3reported offenses a year
4.7 violent a year3.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
3.0
Rape
2.7
Fondling
1.3
Aggravated assault
0.7
Arson
0.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$9,970
$30–48k
$7,789
$48–75k
$9,669
$75–110k
$19,348
$110k+
$37,725

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$40,880

$9,669/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

92%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$44,274
average award, among those who get one

Grinnell College discounts heavily: 92% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $44,274. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 437 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$62,830
Typical debt at graduation
$17,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
28%
Out-earn a HS grad
59%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$59,723
Men
$69,569

Men out-earn women by $9,846 (16%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
83°F
Winter low
10°F
Annual rain
38.2″
Annual snow
31″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.85.5JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Grinnell 3 SW, IA US station (2.4 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Grinnell College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Grinnell College side by side →

Colleges near Grinnell College

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.