The student population at Grinnell College is 1,788 (all undergraduate). The number of students has increased by 83 (4.87%) over the past decade.
The average student population over the last 11 years is 1,713 where 1,788 students are attending the school for the academic year 2024-2025.
Total enrollment fluctuated between 2016 and 2025, with 7 year-over-year increases and 2 decreases. It peaked at 1,788 students in 2025 and was lowest at 1,493 in 2021. Overall, enrollment rose from 1,705 to 1,788 students, a net gain of 83 (4.9%).
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in student population by gender at Grinnell College since 2015.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 1,705 | 771 | 934 |
| 2016-17 | 1,699 -6 | 770 -1 | 929 -5 |
| 2017-18 | 1,712 13 | 802 32 | 910 -19 |
| 2018-19 | 1,716 4 | 788 -14 | 928 18 |
| 2019-20 | 1,733 17 | 817 29 | 916 -12 |
| 2020-21 | 1,493 -240 | 697 -120 | 796 -120 |
| 2021-22 | 1,748 255 | 831 134 | 917 121 |
| 2022-23 | 1,759 11 | 835 4 | 924 7 |
| 2023-24 | 1,775 16 | 814 -21 | 961 37 |
| 2024-25 | 1,788 13 | 819 5 | 969 8 |
| Average | 1,713 | 794 | 918 |
The percentage of white students is 47.99% and the percentage of black students is 4.75% at Grinnell College. 9.45% of enrolled students is Asian. Hispanic students comprise 8.50% of the student body.
Over the past 10 years, the racial composition has shifted. The percentage of white students decreased from 56.36% to 47.99%. Asian enrollment grew from 7.33% to 9.45%. Black student enrollment decreased from 5.63% to 4.75%. Hispanic student representation expanded from 7.33% to 8.50%.
The overall racial diversity, measured by the Census Bureau Diversity Index, is 0.7471 which indicates that quite diverse. This increased from 0.6661 a decade ago, suggesting that racial diversity has improved.
The following table and chart illustrate the student population trends by race/ethnicity at Grinnell College over the past 11 years (2015-2025).
| Year | American Indian or Native American | Asian | Black | Hispanic | Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | White | Two or More Races |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 2 | 125 | 96 | 125 | 0 | 961 | 82 |
| 2016-17 | 1 | 130 | 98 | 127 | 0 | 876 | 77 |
| 2017-18 | 0 | 129 | 100 | 119 | 0 | 870 | 75 |
| 2018-19 | 0 | 132 | 89 | 128 | 0 | 860 | 87 |
| 2019-20 | 0 | 131 | 78 | 136 | 0 | 869 | 76 |
| 2020-21 | 0 | 116 | 70 | 135 | 0 | 759 | 69 |
| 2021-22 | 0 | 133 | 73 | 133 | 0 | 901 | 86 |
| 2022-23 | 2 | 129 | 78 | 145 | 0 | 928 | 84 |
| 2023-24 | 3 | 147 | 91 | 145 | 0 | 920 | 100 |
| 2024-25 | 1 | 169 | 85 | 152 | 1 | 858 | 116 |
| Average | 1 | 134 | 86 | 135 | 0 | 880 | 85 |
Grinnell College does not offer online degree/certificate programs. All Students have enrolled in on-campus programs.
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