Grinnell, IA · Private · 1,729 undergraduates · town
Grinnell College
Highly selective
Grinnell removes almost all college-wide course requirements but embeds that freedom inside close first-year faculty advising.
Institutional profile
Top tier Exceptional in academic standing, and strong in affordability.- Admission
- 12.7% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 87.8%
9,988 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$62,830 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Grinnell apart
Academic design
The Individually Advised Curriculum has no general-education or core requirements beyond the First-Year Tutorial and Experience.
Campus pattern
Tutorial classmates form an initial cohort that reconnects during the first two years.
A signature opportunity
Individually Advised Curriculum
Can I get in?
12.7% admitted
The strongest case shows why this structure fits a student who wants maximum freedom to construct a curriculum and will actively use close advising.
Recent applicant pool
9,988About 13 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 30% submitted an SAT, and 21% submitted an ACT. Submission rates alone do not settle the choice. Submit a score if it strengthens the application.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Grinnell, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Grinnell weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
The Individually Advised Curriculum has no general-education or core requirements beyond the First-Year Tutorial and Experience.
Make institutional fit specific
A student who wants maximum freedom to construct a curriculum and will actively use close advising.
Use the application route carefully
Keep the academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.
Give commitments a clear through-line
Activities and recommendations should show sustained contribution, not a collection of disconnected credentials.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Use the application to show a clear academic direction and a specific reason this institutional structure fits.
Check eligibility for a fee waiver
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Grinnell
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Read the outcomes panel as a whole: completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together matter more than one headline number.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Computer Science
Economics
Biology, General
Political Science and Government
Sociology
What is campus life like?
Grinnell beyond the classroom
Tutorial classmates form an initial cohort that reconnects during the first two years. The college links curricular autonomy with student self-governance and responsibility.
The academic structure
The Individually Advised Curriculum has no general-education or core requirements beyond the First-Year Tutorial and Experience.
How the community is organized
Tutorial classmates form an initial cohort that reconnects during the first two years.
Daily campus life
The college links curricular autonomy with student self-governance and responsibility.
What shapes an ordinary week
Tutorial classmates form an initial cohort that reconnects during the first two years. The college links curricular autonomy with student self-governance and responsibility.
Use the campus beyond class
A student who wants maximum freedom to construct a curriculum and will actively use close advising.
Fit the community in practice
Students must deliberately create breadth and sequencing for themselves.