Grinnell Acceptance Rate and SAT/ACT Scores

Grinnell College Admission Requirements and Statistics

[updated for 2024-2025 admission data]

How hard is Grinnell College to get into?

This page provides the latest information on Grinnell College (Grinnell)'s admission process, acceptance rate, and student profile. Grinnell's acceptance rate is 14.51% for 2024-2025 admission. A total of 9,758 students applied and 1,416 were admitted to the school. Its acceptance rate is low, making it difficult to get into Grinnell.

To apply to Grinnell, personal statement (or essay) is required to submit and recommendations is not required but considered. The SAT and ACT score is not required, but considered for admission. In addition, english proficiency test score is also considered (required).

Grinnell's acceptance rate places 1st out of 30 Iowa colleges with competitive admission.
The median SAT score is 1490 and the ACT score is 33 at Grinnell. Grinnell's SAT score ranks 1st out of 17 Iowa colleges that consider SAT score for admission.
Grinnell's yield rate is 30.93%, which is significantly lower by 18.24 percentage points (approximately 37.1% lower) compared to similar colleges with acceptance rates between 10% and 20% (average yield: 49.17%). You can compare colleges with similar acceptance rates to Grinnell at colleges with acceptance rates between 10% and 20%.

Admission Statistics

For the academic year 2024-25, Grinnell's acceptance rate is 14.51% and the yield (also known as enrollment rate) is 30.93%. 5,048 men and 4,421 women applied to Grinnell and 637 men and 725 women students were accepted.

289 applicants who has another gender applied and 54 were accepted.

Among them, 211 men and 211 women were enrolled in Grinnell. You can explore the Grinnell's admission rates and SAT score trends over the past decade, including year-by-year data and analysis, by visiting Admission Trends page.

Acceptance Rate and Admission Statistics at Grinnell
	Total	Men	Women	Another Gender	Gender Unknown
Applicants	9,758	5,048	4,421	289	0
Admitted	1,416	637	725	54	0
Enrolled	438	211	211	16	0
Acceptance Rate	14.51%	12.62%	16.40%	18.69%	-
Yield	30.93%	33.12%	29.10%	29.63%	-

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Grinnell College 2025 Acceptance Rate By Gender chart

Median SAT and ACT Score

For the academic year 2025, 129 students (29% of enrolled students) submitted SAT scores and 92 students (21% of enrolled students) submitted ACT scores as part of the admission process at Grinnell.

The median SAT score for admitted students is 1,490, including 730 in SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and 760 in SAT Math. The 75th percentile SAT EBRW score is 750 and the 25th percentile is 700. For SAT Math, the 75th percentile score is 790 and the 25th percentile is 710.

The median ACT composite score is 33, with a 75th percentile score of 34 and a 25th percentile score of 31 at Grinnell. The median ACT Math score is 31 and the median ACT English score is 34.

How competitive is Grinnell's score?

The SAT and ACT scores at Grinnell College are relatively high compared to similar colleges (SAT: 1,295, ACT: 29 - private (not-for-profit) baccalaureate college - arts & sciences).

2025 SAT and ACT Scores at Grinnell
	25^th Percentile	50^th Percentile (Median)	75^th Percentile
SAT Total	1,410	1,490	1,540
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing	700	730	750
SAT Math	710	760	790
ACT Composite	31	33	34
ACT Math	28	31	34
ACT English	31	34	35

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Grinnell College 2025 SAT and ACT Score Chart

Application Requirements

It requires to submit High School Record (or Transcript), English Proficiency Test, and Personal statement or essay to its applicants.

The SAT and ACT test score is not required, but considered in admission process at Grinnell. The english proficiency test is required .

The next table summarizes the application requirements to apply Grinnell College.

For more admission information such as minimum GPA and deadlines, see its online application page .

Grinnell Admission Requirements
High School GPA	Considered, if submitted
High School Rank	Considered, if submitted
High School Record (or Transcript)	Required
Completion of College Preparatory Program	Considered, if submitted
Recommendations	Considered, if submitted
Formal Demonstration of Competencies	Considered, if submitted
SAT / ACT	Considered, if submitted
English Proficiency Test	Required
Other Test (Wonderlic,WISC-III,etc)	Considered, if submitted
Work experience	Considered, if submitted
Personal statement or essay	Required
Legacy status	Considered, if submitted

General Admissions Information

The following provides general admission information for applying to Grinnell:

Open Admission Policy: No
Undergraduate Application Fees: -
Admission Information: www.grinnell.edu/admission
Online Application: www.grinnell.edu/admission/apply
Calendar System: Semester
Course for High School Students: Not Offered
Credits Accepted: Advanced placement (AP) Credits
Degree Offered: Bachelor

Get Admission Information

What is the acceptance rate at the Grinnell?

Grinnell is highly competitive, with an acceptance rate of 14.51%.

What SAT or ACT scores are required for admission to Grinnell?

Grinnell recommends submitting SAT or ACT scores, but they are not strictly required for admission. The average SAT score required for admission to Grinnell is 1,490, and the average ACT score is 33. Meeting or exceeding these scores will improve your chances of admission.

Does Grinnell require essays or personal statements?

Yes, Grinnell requires applicants to submit a personal essay or statement as part of the application.

Are recommendation letters required for Grinnell admission?

Grinnell recommends submitting a recommendation letter, but it is not strictly required.

Is there an application fee?

Grinnell does not require an application fee for undergraduate or graduate admission.

Do I need to submit my high school transcript?

Yes, Grinnell requires applicants to submit high school record or transcript as part of the admission process.

Are there any specific admission requirements for international students?

Yes, Grinnell requires international applicants to submit an English proficiency test (like TOEFL or IELTS) as part of the application.

What is SAT code and ACT code for Grinnell?

The institutional SAT code for Grinnell is 6252 and 4-digit ACT code is 1318.