Admissions Factors
What Grinnell College Looks For
Grinnell College rates 3 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, class rank and recommendations.
How Grinnell College rates each factor
Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.
Very important
Important
Considered
Not considered
The numbers behind the class
Overall admit rate
14.5%
1,416 of 9,758 applicants
Early decision admit rate
34.2%
Early decision admits equal 65% of the class
Admitted from the waitlist
3.1%
36 of 1,180 who stayed on it
56.2% of those who reported a class rank were in the top tenth of their class.
Frequently asked questions
What does Grinnell College look for in applicants?
Grinnell College rates 3 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, class rank and recommendations.
Does Grinnell College consider legacy status?
Grinnell College rates alumni relation as "considered" in its 2024-25 Common Data Set.
Does Grinnell College track demonstrated interest?
Grinnell College rates the level of an applicant's interest as "considered".
What is Grinnell College's waitlist acceptance rate?
1,180 students stayed on the waitlist and 36 were admitted, a rate of 3.1%. The number changes a lot from year to year because it depends on how many admitted students enroll.
What is Grinnell College's early decision acceptance rate?
Early decision: 283 of 828 applicants were admitted (34.2%), against 14.5% overall. Early pools include recruited athletes and other students with a strong tie to the college, so the gap overstates the boost for an ordinary applicant.
Source: Grinnell College’s own Common Data Set 2024-25, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.
