Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa · Private · 1,729 undergraduates · grinnell.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
15%
of 9,758 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1430 to 1520
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$99,880Est.Estimate
before aid
Your chances and merit aid at Grinnell College
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
15% of applicants admitted
Reach
It admits only 15% of applicants, so it's a reach for everyone.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$99,880
a year in 2027-28, from a $99,880 sticker price
What to do with your 1490
Send your score
About 55% of freshmen here didn't send a score. We estimate their typical SAT at about 1380, and yours is above it.
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
- Superscores: it combines your best section scores from different test dates.
- You can type your scores into the application; official reports come later.
Source: Requirements and Deadlines - Grinnell College · Checked October 16, 2026
Application deadlines
- Nov15Early Decision · November 15, 2026Binding: if admitted, you commit to enroll.
- Jan5Early Decision II · January 5, 2027A second binding round, after Early Decision.
- Jan15Regular Decision · January 15, 2027The standard deadline.
Who gets in
15%
of applicants were admitted: 1,416 of 9,758 for fall 2024.
Early Decision
Binding. 34% of early applicants were admitted.
Wait list
2,021 students were offered a spot; 36 were later admitted.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2024)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 29% of them sent SAT scores and 21% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1430 to 1520
Reading and Writing 700 to 750
Math 710 to 790
ACT composite 31 to 34
Source: Common Data Set 2024-25
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$99,880
a year
- Tuition$77,650
- Fees$600
- Food and housing$18,760
- Books and supplies$870
- Transportation and other$2,000
Grinnell College published $92,344 for 2025-26. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2024-25
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24, by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$8,161
- $30,001 to $48,000$10,181
- $48,001 to $75,000$8,994
- $75,001 to $110,000$14,345
- Over $110,000$41,634
Financial aid
100%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$64,543
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
23%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $26,154 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Required. It's a second, more detailed aid form some colleges use for their own grants.
- Aid priority date: 1/15
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
- Aid deadline: 1/15
- The last day to send aid forms.
Source: Common Data Set 2024-25
Merit scholarships
Awards for grades and scores, on top of need-based aid. You don't repay them.
Grinnell-sponsored National Merit Scholarship
$2,000 a year
National Merit
Deadline: Name this college your first choice with NMSC. To keep it: keep meeting the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's eligibility rules.
DetailsPioneer Grant (supplement for non-renewable NMSC/corporate National Merit Scholarship recipients)
National Merit
Details
Compare awards across colleges with the merit aid calculator.
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
36 of 36
Earn credit with a score of 3
1 exams
A 3-credit course is worth
about $7,770Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 4 | 4 | Humanities Division |
| 3-D Art and Design | 4 | 4 | Humanities Division |
| African American Studies | 4 | 4 | Interdisciplinary Division |
| Art History | 4 | 4 | Humanities Division |
| Biology | 4 | 4 | Science Division |
| Calculus AB | 4 | 4 | MAT-124, 131 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 4 | MAT 124, 131 |
| Chemistry | 4 | 4 | CHM-129 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | 4 | CHI 101 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 4 | 4 | Social Studies Division |
| Computer Science A | 4 | 4 | Science Division |
| Computer Science Principles | 4 | 4 | Science Division |
| Drawing | 4 | 4 | Humanities Division |
| English Language and Composition | 4 | 4 | Humanities Division |
| English Literature and Composition | 4 | 4 | Humanities Division |
| Environmental Science | 4 | 4 | Interdisciplinary Division |
| European History | 4 | 4 | Social Studies Division |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 4 | FRN-101 |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | 4 | GRM-101 |
| Human Geography | 4 | 4 | Social Studies Division |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | 4 | JPN 101 |
| Latin | 4 | 4 | Humanities Division |
| Macroeconomics | 4 | 4 | ECN-111 if both Macro and Micro are taken with a score of 4 or higher. |
| Microeconomics | 4 | 4 | ECN-111 if both Macro and Micro are taken with a score of 4 or higher. |
| Music Theory | 4 | 4 | Humanities Division |
| Physics 1 | 4 | 4 | Science Division |
| Physics 2 | 4 | 4 | Science Division |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 | 4 | PHY-132 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 4 | 4 | PHY-131 |
| Psychology | 4 | 4 | PSY-113 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 4 | Humanities Division |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 4 | Humanities Division |
| Statistics | 4 | 4 | SST-115 |
| United States Government and Politics | 4 | 4 | Social Studies Division |
| United States History | 4 | 4 | Social Studies Division |
| World History: Modern | 4 | 4 | Social Studies Division |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
86%
Come back for a second year
93%
Typical earnings
$72,106
a year, 10 years after starting here
- Grinnell College$68,233
- All colleges$55,386
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 8 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with Grinnell College. The Grinnell College logo is a trademark of the college.