Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA
14.5%
Acceptance Rate
$68,106
Avg Cost (In-State)
$68,106
Avg Cost (Out-of-State)
87.8%
Graduation Rate
1,729
Total Enrollment
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Application requirements
Regular Deadline
January 15
Early Deadline
November 15 (Early Decision I), January 1 (Early Decision II)
Common App
Yes
Test Policy
Test Optional
Essays Required
1
Letters of Rec
2
Interview
Available
Essays: Common App personal essay required; Grinnell supplement includes short answer questions about why Grinnell and academic interests
Requirements are AI-generated from public data and may change. Always verify directly with the college.
Getting there
Graduate outcomes
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
$49,004
Median Earnings at 6 Years
median graduate salary 6 years after starting
$62,830
Median Earnings at 10 Years
median graduate salary 10 years after starting
88%
4-Year Graduation Rate
students completing degree within 4 years
Earnings data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures reflect federal aid recipients only — actual median earnings may be higher at schools where many students receive grants rather than loans.
Earnings by major
Median earnings 1 year after graduation, by bachelor's program. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard FieldOfStudy data.
| Program | Median earnings (1yr) | Earnings (4yr) | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science. | $84,449 | $109,892 | 46 |
| Political Science and Government. | $36,662 | $68,518 | 44 |
| Biology, General. | $37,170 | $56,275 | 25 |
| Economics. | $46,791 | $110,724 | 25 |
| Sociology. | $28,216 | — | 24 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology. | $38,598 | $53,105 | 22 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. | $28,691 | $54,983 | 22 |
| History. | $39,687 | $54,703 | 20 |
Tracked through federal tax records. Programs with fewer than 30 graduates with reported earnings are privacy-suppressed. 4-year figure tracks the same cohort 3 years later.
What current students say
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Calculate Your Cost at Grinnell College
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Tactics that apply here
Things you can do that most families don't know about.
Early Action priority deadlines unlock the biggest merit pools
~$15k valueAt many public universities, applying by the EA deadline (Nov 1) instead of regular (Feb 1) decides whether you're considered for the top merit awards.
Who it helps: Students with their applications ready by November of senior year, especially those targeting merit-rich publics.
How to use: List each target school's EA deadline (commonly Nov 1, sometimes Oct 15 or Dec 1). Submit complete applications + test scores by then. Confirm merit-scholarship deadlines separately — some require a different priority date or supplemental essay.
Source ↗File FAFSA the day it opens
~$5k valueMost schools award state and institutional aid first-come-first-served from a fixed pool. Filing FAFSA in October beats filing in February by thousands.
Who it helps: Every student applying for need-based aid, but especially families relying on state grants or institutional aid.
How to use: Set a calendar reminder for the FAFSA opening date (currently Oct 1 most years; Dec 1 in the 2024-25 transition year). Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to auto-fill tax info. Submit even if you have to estimate; corrections are easy.
Source ↗CSS Profile is required by 200+ private schools — separate from FAFSA
Most selective private colleges use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. It costs $25 + $16/school and reaches deeper into family finances than FAFSA does.
Who it helps: Any student applying to a private 4-year with significant institutional aid needs.
How to use: Check the CSS Profile school list for each of your target colleges. Open the app at cssprofile.collegeboard.org as soon as it opens (early Oct). Submit ahead of each school's earliest priority date — often before the FAFSA deadline.
Source ↗Scholarships
Scholarships you may qualify for.
Iowa State Cardinal Scholarship
$3,500-$5,000/year (OOS)
universityOOS students with 25-29 ACT/1200-1340 SAT + 3.50+ GPA. Automatic.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗Grinnell College Trustee Honor Scholarship
$25,000-$32,000/year
universityTop Grinnell incoming freshmen via competitive process; merit-based at one of the more generous LACs.
Deadline: January 15
Learn more ↗Drake Scholarship Foundation
$1,000-$5,000
nationalDrake University-bound HS seniors + Drake-area HS seniors.
Deadline: Varies
Learn more ↗Iowa Tuition Grant
Up to $7,000/year
stateIA residents attending IA private 4-year nonprofit colleges with financial need.
Deadline: FAFSA by July 1
Learn more ↗All Iowa Opportunity Scholarship
Up to $9,250/year
stateIA residents with significant financial need + priority to former foster youth, homeless youth.
Deadline: FAFSA by July 1
Learn more ↗Iowa State University Honors Program Scholarship
$1,500-$5,000/year
universityIowa State Honors Program admits with academic merit.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗Iowa State Cyclone Aide Scholarship
$3,000-$8,000/year
universityIA State Cyclone Aide ambassadors with academic merit + service.
Deadline: March 1
Learn more ↗Iowa Honors at Iowa Scholarship
$3,000-$7,500/year
universityTop U of Iowa Honors Program admits with academic merit.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗Iowa Last-Dollar Scholarship
Last-dollar at IA CCs in high-demand fields
stateIA HS grads or adults pursuing in-demand certificates/diplomas/degrees at IA community colleges.
Deadline: Apply via FAFSA + school
Learn more ↗Round-by-round
Acceptance rates by application round.
The single overall 14.5% rate hides a 2–4x gap between ED and RD at most selective schools. Class of 2027 cycle.
Early Decision I
30%
acceptance
ED edgeEarly Decision II
22%
acceptance
Regular Decision
10%
acceptance
Overall ~11%.
Source ↗Regular Decision
14.51%
acceptance
Bulk-imported from College Scorecard (admission_rate.overall). Deadline/notification dates are typical RD defaults; revise as needed.
Source ↗Class profile
Who actually goes here.
From the most recent Common Data Set and IPEDS.
17.0%
% Pell-eligible
Federal Pell grant recipients
17.0%
% first-generation
First in family to attend college
8.0%
% in-state
Residents of the college's home state
17.0%
% URM
Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native combined
31.0%
Yield rate
Share of admitted students who enroll
94.0%
1st-to-2nd year retention
Freshmen who return as sophomores
87.0%
6-year grad rate
Graduate within 150% normal time
Demonstrated interest
Considered
Visiting, attending info sessions and opening admissions emails meaningfully helps your chances. Track your touchpoints.
Transfer pathways
Routes in from a community college.
From IA community colleges
articulation onlyGrinnell welcomes transfer applicants for fall semester; applications are due in April. The college requires the Common App transfer form, official transcripts from all institutions, a college official report, and two recommendations. Transfer admit rates are typically modest giv…
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