Grinnell College: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Jackson, Iowa · Public · Open access · CDS 2024-2025
Grinnell College is a public university in Jackson, Iowa that admits about 91% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $20,191 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Biology, General, Criminal Justice and Corrections and Social Work, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 5.4 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Grinnell College is a public institution located in Jackson, Iowa. For the most recent reporting cycle, Grinnell College admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 91%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 974 and an ACT composite around 18. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $20,191 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Grinnell College is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Grinnell College?
Grinnell College has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
SAT and ACT scores Grinnell College typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 410–530, with an EBRW midpoint near 430. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 15–20. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | — |
| 50th percentile | 974 |
| 75th percentile | — |
| 25th percentile | 15 |
| 50th percentile | 18 |
| 75th percentile | 20 |
How much does Grinnell College actually cost?
Published tuition is $9,090 for in-state students and $10,110 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $11,782 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $20,191 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 68% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| Average net price (after aid) | $20,191 |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Grinnell College
Most popular majors at Grinnell College
The most popular undergraduate programs at Grinnell College, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Biology, General, Criminal Justice and Corrections and Social Work. Across all programs, Grinnell College confers roughly 634 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Biology, General program report a median income of about $45,403 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Biology, General | 137 | $45,403 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 93 | $44,313 |
| Social Work | 75 | $37,885 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 75 | $45,456 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 72 | — |
| Education, Other | 67 | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 60 | $39,466 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 55 | $42,332 |
Is Grinnell College safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Grinnell College disclosed 25 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 5.4 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 2 violent offenses and 8 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
Other colleges in Iowa parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Grinnell College
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Grinnell College recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Grinnell College
What GPA do I need for Grinnell College?
Grinnell College has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does Grinnell College typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 410–530, with an EBRW midpoint near 430. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 15–20.
How much does Grinnell College actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Grinnell College after grants and scholarships is $20,191 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Grinnell College realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Grinnell College is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Grinnell College?
Grinnell College accepts about 91% of applicants. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is Grinnell College a public or private school, and where is it located?
Grinnell College is a public institution located in Jackson, Iowa.
What are the most popular majors at Grinnell College?
The largest undergraduate majors at Grinnell College by annual graduates are Biology, General, Criminal Justice and Corrections and Social Work. The school awards about 634 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Grinnell College safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Grinnell College reported 25 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 5.4 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Grinnell College, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.