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Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa · Private nonprofit · 4-year · Town

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At a glance

Average net price
$17,648What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
Acceptance rate
15%
Graduation rate
88%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
Undergraduates
1,729
In-state tuition
$68,106Published price before aid.
Out-of-state tuition
$68,106
SAT midpoint
1,450
Median earnings, 10 yrs
$62,830Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.

How it compares to similar colleges

Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.

Affordability

$17,648

Better than 77% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).

Completion

88%

Better than 94% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).

Earnings

$62,830

Better than 73% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).

Debt at graduation

$17,500

Better than 89% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).

What these ratings are based on
Affordability
Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
Completion
Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
Earnings
Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
Debt at graduation
Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
Why there is no rating for selectivity
A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.

What it actually costs

Published cost

$83,440

The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.

Average net price

$17,648

What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.

Use this college’s official net price calculator

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, debt and earnings for Grinnell College
Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time88%
Retention rateFirst-year students who return93%
Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed$17,500
Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled$62,830

What graduates of each major earn

Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.

Bachelor’s programs at Grinnell College by graduate earnings
MajorEarnings, 1 yrDegrees awarded
Computer Science$84,44962
Economics$46,79154
History$39,68712
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology$38,59835
Biology, General$37,17043
Political Science and Government$36,66240
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$28,69123
Research and Experimental Psychology$28,50724
Sociology$28,21636
Fine and Studio Arts$20,1119
English Language and Literature, GeneralNot reported34
MathematicsNot reported33
PhysicsNot reported17
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group StudiesNot reported17
AnthropologyNot reported14
PhilosophyNot reported12
MusicNot reported11
Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftNot reported7
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsNot reported7
ChemistryNot reported7
Religion/Religious StudiesNot reported7
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsNot reported7
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherNot reported6
Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsNot reported4
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsNot reported3
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, OtherNot reported2
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, OtherNot reported1
Mathematics and Statistics, OtherNot reported1
Psychology, OtherNot reportedNot reported
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesNot reportedNot reported
Psychology, GeneralNot reportedNot reported

All 31 bachelor’s programs this college reported.

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