More selective than 100% of Iowa colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $83,440. College Scorecard.
Higher than 97% of Iowa colleges we cover and 95% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 87% of Iowa colleges we cover and 75% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Grinnell College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 9,988 applicants, Grinnell College admitted 1,266 and 457 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1410–1540 on the SAT or 31–34 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Grinnell College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Grinnell College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Grinnell College took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Iowa. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $9,970 | $41,575 | 1.6 years |
| $30–48k | $7,789 | $32,480 | 1.2 years |
| $48–75k | $9,669 | $40,320 | 1.5 years |
| $75–110k | $19,348 | $80,681 | 3.1 years |
| $110k+ | $37,725 | $157,313 | 6.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (74% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($62,830) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $26,169 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Grinnell College majors, earnings & careers
Grinnell College offers 31 bachelor's majors across 6 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 12
- Science & Math · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Arts & Design · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Business & Finance · 1
Highest-earning majors at Grinnell College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | $110,724 | $16,950 |
| Computer Science | $109,892 | $16,375 |
| Political Science | $68,518 | $17,500 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $59,638 | — |
| Psychology (Research) | $57,752 | $17,702 |
| Biology | $56,275 | $17,500 |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | $54,983 | $17,814 |
| History | $54,703 | $17,500 |
Quick list of all 31 majors
- Anthropology—
- Biochemistry$53,105
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other—
- Biology$56,275
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other—
- Computer Science$109,892
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Economics$110,724
- English$36,854
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- German—
- History$54,703
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$59,638
- Mathematics—
- Mathematics and Statistics, Other—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$68,518
- Psychology—
- Psychology (Research)$57,752
- Psychology, Other—
- Religious Studies—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$54,983
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Computer Science → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Grinnell
2 bedrooms $1,014.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 38 inches of rain a year, 31 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Poweshiek County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Poweshiek County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Grinnell College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Iowa by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grinnell College | 15% | $17,648 | 88% | $62,830 | This school |
| Emmaus Bible College | 60% | $13,186 | 83% | $42,631 | |
| Drake University | 64% | $29,127 | 74% | $71,901 | |
| Dordt University | 68% | $25,807 | 70% | $52,559 | |
| Coe College | 64% | $18,745 | 66% | $57,125 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Grinnell College would cost you $4,462 more per year than Emmaus Bible College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Grinnell College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$47,306).
- Grinnell College gives aided families $48,007 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Iowa resident | Grinnell College | Emmaus Bible College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $68,106 | $20,800 | +$47,306 |
| Books & supplies | $800 | $600 | +$200 |
| Housing & meals | $15,878 | $9,250 | +$6,628 |
| Personal & travel | $1,950 | $1,650 | +$300 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,294 | −$1,329 | −$1,965 |
| Sticker price | $83,440 | $30,971 | +$52,469 |
| Average grants | −$65,792 | −$17,785 | −$48,007 |
| You pay | $17,648 | $13,186 | +$4,462 |
“+” means Grinnell College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Grinnell College
What is the Grinnell College acceptance rate?
Grinnell College accepts 15% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,266 of 9,988 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1410–1540 on the SAT or 31–34 on the ACT.
How much does Grinnell College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $83,440 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $17,648 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,970 and families earning $110k+ pay $37,725.
How much do Grinnell College graduates earn?
Former Grinnell College students earn a median $62,830 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Grinnell College graduation rate?
88% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 93% return for their second year.
How long does a Grinnell College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Grinnell College costs about $40,320 after grants ($9,669 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $62,830 ten years after starting, $26,169 more than high school graduates in Iowa ($36,661), so the cost is repaid in 1.5 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Grinnell College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/grinnell-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).