Financial Aid

Grinnell College Merit Scholarships and Financial Aid

Grinnell College gave merit aid averaging $26,154 to 102 first-year students who had no financial need, about 73% of the freshmen without need.

Merit aid

Scholarships Grinnell College gave to first-year students who had no financial need.

Average merit award

$26,154

Freshmen who got one

102

of 438 in the class

Share of those without need

73%

who received merit aid

Need-based aid

For first-year students the college found to have financial need.

Average need-based grant

$64,543

Average percent of need met

100%

Freshmen with need

68%

298 students

The average total aid package, which can include loans and work-study, was $67,476.

How to read these numbers

Merit aid is awarded for grades, scores, or talent. Need-based aid is awarded for family finances. A student can receive both.
The merit figures count only students with no financial need, so they show what a family that will not qualify for need-based aid can expect.
A grant does not have to be repaid. A package can include loans, which do.

Email me Grinnell College's aid numbers

A link to this page, plus the merit aid comparison for every college we track.

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Frequently asked questions

Does Grinnell College give merit scholarships?

Grinnell College gave merit aid averaging $26,154 to 102 first-year students who had no financial need, about 73% of the freshmen without need.

How much is the average merit scholarship at Grinnell College?

$26,154 for first-year students without financial need, according to Grinnell College's 2024-25 Common Data Set. That is an average across everyone who got an award, so individual offers run higher and lower.

Does Grinnell College meet full financial need?

Grinnell College reports meeting 100% of need on average for first-year students who were awarded need-based aid.

What share of Grinnell College freshmen have financial need?

298 of 438 first-time, full-time freshmen, or 68%, were found to have financial need.

Source: Grinnell College’s own Common Data Set 2024-25, Section H, for first-time, full-time freshmen. Last checked 2026-10-08. These are averages for one entering class, and some colleges report the prior year’s class in this section. Your own offer depends on your family’s finances and your application.