Grinnell

grinnell.md

Type: Private liberal arts college (NCAA D-III, Midwest Conference)
Location: Grinnell, IA
Overall acceptance rate: 14.5% (Class of 2028 cycle, 9,758 applicants)
ED acceptance rate: ~41% ED1 (728 ED applicants total, 297 admitted); ED1 rate was 48% for Class of 2029
SAT middle 50: 1430-1520 (EBRW 720-770, Math 730-790)
ACT middle 50: 32-35
Yield: 36% (438 enrolled of ~1,416 admitted)
Class size: 450 (Class of 2028)
Total undergrad enrollment: 1,788
Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)
GPA: Average ~3.89 unweighted; 68% in top 10% of high school class
Self-governance: Student-run governing body since 1871; open curriculum with no distribution requirements

Demographics (2024-2025)

White: 48.0%, Asian: 9.5%, Black: 5.1%, Hispanic: 8.2%, International: 19.5%, Multiracial: 5.6%
Women: 54%
First-generation: 17%
20% international students from 42 countries
57% of incoming class identify as people of color or international students

No-loan policy: one of fewer than 10 US colleges that are need-blind, meet 100% of need, and replace all loans with grants
Average financial aid package: $67,476
Net price by income (IPEDS, Title IV recipients):
$0-30K: $11,945
$30K-48K: $14,818
$48K-75K: $12,486
$75K-110K: $22,085
$110K+: $35,934
$2.2B endowment (~$1.2M per student) supports generous aid

Category: top_lac -- more selective than Carleton (14.5% vs 20.4%)
Very high international enrollment (19.5%) -- notable for simulation diversity modeling
No-loan policy is a strong yield driver for lower-income students
ED rate (~41-48%) is ~3x the overall rate -- strong ED boost
$48K-75K net cost is anomalously low ($12,486 < $14,818 for $30K-48K bracket) -- likely a data quirk in IPEDS reporting
Open curriculum (no distribution requirements) similar to Brown and Amherst
Rural Iowa location similar to Carleton's rural Minnesota -- both face yield challenges from location