Editing Grinnell College (section)

== Academics ==
Grinnell's [[Curriculum#Open curriculum|open curriculum]] encourages students to take initiative and to assume responsibility for choosing their own courses of study. The sole [[Core curriculum|core, or general education, requirement]] is the completion of the First-Year Tutorial, a one-semester, [[Course credit|four-credit]] special topics [[seminar]] that stresses methods of inquiry, [[critical analysis]], and writing skills.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} All other classes are chosen, with the direct guidance of a faculty member in the student's major department, by the student.<ref>{{cite web |title=Individually Advised Curriculum |url=https://www.grinnell.edu/admission/why-grinnell/academics/individually-advised |access-date=21 June 2021 |publisher=Grinnell College}}</ref>

Grinnell's three most popular majors among 2021 graduates were Computer Science, Biology/Biological Sciences, and Research & Experimental Psychology.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=grinnell&s=all&id=153384#programs |website=nces.ed.gov |publisher=U.S. Dept of Education |title=Grinnell College |access-date=February 8, 2023}}</ref>

===Graduate programs===
Although the college does not offer any graduate degrees, it does have dual degree programs with several universities that let Grinnell students move directly into graduate programs. Grinnell participates in a 3–2 engineering dual degree program with [[Columbia University]], [[Washington University in St. Louis]], [[Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute]], and [[California Institute of Technology]]. It also has a 2–1–1–1 engineering program with [[Dartmouth College]] and a Master of Public Health cooperative degree program with [[University of Iowa]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.grinnell.edu/academics/majors-concentrations/physics-astronomy/3-2-engineering|title=3–2 Engineering Program {{!}} Grinnell College|website=www.grinnell.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-09-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180905104720/https://www.grinnell.edu/academics/majors-concentrations/physics-astronomy/3-2-engineering|archive-date=2018-09-05|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://engineering.dartmouth.edu/academics/undergraduate/dual/|title=Dual-Degree Program {{!}} Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth|last=Engineering|first=Thayer School of|website=engineering.dartmouth.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-09-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013014539/https://engineering.dartmouth.edu/academics/undergraduate/dual/|archive-date=2018-10-13|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Reputation ===
{{Infobox US university ranking
<!-- U.S. rankings -->| ARWU_NU = 
| Forbes = 81
| THE_WSJ = 266
| USNWR_LA = 19 <small>(tie)</small>
| Wamo_LA = 26
}}

Grinnell College has been listed in each edition of Howard & Matthew Greene's guides [[The Hidden Ivies]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Greene |first1=Howard |title=Hidden Ivies: 63 of America's Top Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities |last2=Greene |first2=Matthew W. |date=2016-08-17 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=978-0-06-264459-6 |edition=3rd |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Grinnell 002.JPG|thumb|left|John H. T. Main Residence Hall]]
The 2025 annual ranking of ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' rates it tied for the 19th best liberal arts college overall in the U.S., tied for 9th for "Best Undergraduate Teaching, 9th for "Best Value", and tied for 33rd for "Most Innovative"<ref>{{Cite news |title=U.S. News and World Report 2024 College Rankings |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/grinnell-college-1868/overall-rankings}}</ref>.[[The Princeton Review]] ranks Grinnell as 10th in Best Classroom Experience. Grinnell is ranked 5th in the 2021 ''[[Washington Monthly]]'' rankings for liberal arts colleges,<ref>{{Cite web |title=2021 Liberal Arts Colleges Ranking |url=http://washingtonmonthly.com/2021college-guide/liberalarts/ |access-date=2022-04-23 |website=Washington Monthly |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-04-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220422150644/https://washingtonmonthly.com/2021college-guide/liberalarts/ |url-status=live }}</ref> which focus on key outputs such as research, dollar value of scientific grants won, the number of graduates going on to earn Ph.D. degrees, and certain types of public service. ''[[Kiplinger's Personal Finance]]'' ranked Grinnell 14th in its 2019 ranking of "best value" liberal arts colleges in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |title=Best Values in Liberal Arts Colleges |url=https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-best-college-values-college-finder/type/liberal-arts#Table |website=www.kiplinger.com |publisher=Kiplinger |access-date=21 June 2021 |archive-date=8 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808193938/https://www.kiplinger.com/article/college/t014-c000-s002-best-college-values-2019.html#Table |url-status=live }}</ref>  In ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine's 2015 rankings of academic institutions, "America's Top Colleges" (which uses a non-traditional ranking system based on [[RateMyProfessors.com]] evaluations, notable alumni, student debt, percentage of students graduating in four years, and the number of students or faculty receiving prestigious awards), Grinnell College was ranked 81st among all colleges and universities, 21st among liberal arts colleges, and 10th in the Midwest.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Grinnell College |url=https://www.forbes.com/colleges/grinnell-college/?list=top-colleges |access-date=2025-02-20 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>

=== Faculty ===
Grinnell had 173 full-time faculty in fall 2020, all of whom possess a doctorate or the [[terminal degree]] in their field.<ref>{{cite book |title=Grinnell College Common Data Set for 2020–21 |publisher=Grinnell College |pages=26 |access-date=}}</ref> In 2024, ''U.S. News & World Report'' ranked Grinnell #9 in Best Undergraduate Teaching.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges: Grinnell College |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/grinnell-college-1868 |website=U.S. News and World Report}}</ref>

===Admission===
{{Infobox U.S. college admissions
|year              = 2022
|ref               = <ref name=CDS2022>{{cite web |url=https://www.grinnell.edu/sites/default/files/docs/2023-07/Common%20Data%20Set%202023%20final%20acc%207-18.pdf |title=Common Data Set for 2022-23 |date=July 18, 2023 |publisher=Grinnell College |access-date=February 26, 2024 }}</ref>
|change ref        = <ref name=CDS2017>{{cite web |url=https://www.grinnell.edu/sites/default/files/docs/2022-11/CDS%202017-18.pdf |title=Common Data Set for 2017-18 |date=November 16, 2022 |publisher=Grinnell College |access-date=February 26, 2024 }}</ref>
|admit rate        = 10.76%
|admit rate change = -18.11
|yield rate        = 40.61%
|yield rate change = 14.15

|test optional          = recent
|SAT Total              = 1410–1520<br />(among 28% of [[freshman|FTFs]])
|SAT Total change       = 
|SAT EBRW               =
|SAT EBRW change        = 
|SAT Math               =
|SAT Math change        = 
|ACT Composite          = 31–34<br />(among 27% of [[freshman|FTFs]])
|ACT Composite change   = 

|top decile             = 66%
|top decile change      = -3
|top quarter            = 90%
|top quarter change     = -1
|top half               = 98%
|top half change        = -1
|GPA                    = 
|GPA change             = 
}}
In 2019, ''U.S. News & World Report'' classified Grinnell's selectivity as "most selective".<ref name="USNWR">{{cite web |year=2021 |title=Grinnell College Rankings |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/grinnell-college-1868/overall-rankings |access-date=October 2, 2020 |magazine=U.S. News & World Report |archive-date=August 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190807163917/https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/grinnell-college-1868/overall-rankings |url-status=live }}</ref>  For Fall 2022, Grinnell received 9,997 freshmen applications; 1,076 were admitted (10.76%).<ref name=CDS2022 /> During the 2020-2021 application season, Grinnell offered a standardized test-optional application, due to limited testing access caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Grinnell College application rates spike after pandemic-related changes |url=http://www.thesandb.com/article/grinnell-college-application-rates-spike-after-pandemic-related-changes.html |access-date=2021-08-10 |website=The Scarlet and Black |language=en-US |archive-date=2021-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810074818/http://www.thesandb.com/article/grinnell-college-application-rates-spike-after-pandemic-related-changes.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Grinnell College's admission selectivity rating, according to [[The Princeton Review]] in 2018, is a 95 out of 99.<ref>[[The Princeton Review]]. [https://www.princetonreview.com/college/grinnell-college-1023453 Grinnell College] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180502140745/https://www.princetonreview.com/college/grinnell-college-1023453 |date=2018-05-02 }}. Retrieved 23 November 2008.</ref> This rating is determined by several institutionally reported factors, including: the class rank, average standardized test scores, and average high school GPA of entering freshmen; the percentage of students who hail from out-of-state; and the percentage of applicants accepted.<ref>[[The Princeton Review]]. [http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/articles/find/ratings.asp#selectivity About College] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604062423/http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/articles/find/ratings.asp#selectivity |date=2008-06-04 }}</ref>

=== Graduation rates ===
Grinnell College is oriented towards students being enrolled full-time in exactly eight consecutive semesters at the college, although exceptions are available for medical issues and other emergencies.<ref>Grinnell College. [http://www.grinnell.edu/academic/catalog/acadreg/courseloads/ "Academic Catalog: Academic Regulations"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527163336/http://www.grinnell.edu/academic/catalog/acadreg/courseloads |date=2010-05-27 }}</ref> To avoid being suspended from the college, students must make "normal progress towards graduation". This generally means that the student must pass at least 12 credits of classes in each individual semester, with grades C or higher, and have accumulated enough credits to make graduation possible at the end of four years, which requires an average of 15.5 credits each semester. A student who is not making normal progress towards graduation is placed on academic probation and may be dismissed from the college.<ref>Grinnell College. [http://www.grinnell.edu/academic/catalog/acadreg/probation/ "Academic Catalog: Academic Regulations"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527163258/http://www.grinnell.edu/academic/catalog/acadreg/probation |date=2010-05-27 }}</ref>

Nationwide, only 20% of college students complete a four-year undergraduate degree within four years, and only 57% of college students graduate within six years.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/19/well/family/when-a-college-student-comes-home-to-stay.html|title=When a College Student Comes Home to Stay|last1=Stixrud|first1=William|date=2018-11-19|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-12-06|last2=Johnson|first2=Ned|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206102507/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/19/well/family/when-a-college-student-comes-home-to-stay.html|archive-date=2018-12-06|url-status=live}}</ref>  However, at Grinnell College, 84% of students graduate within four years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/grinnell-college-1868|title=Best Colleges: Grinnell College|date=2018|website=U.S. News & World Report|access-date=2018-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227040601/https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/grinnell-college-1868|archive-date=2017-02-27|url-status=live}}</ref> This is the highest graduation rate of any college in Iowa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2018/10/22/ranking-iowa-college-university-grinnell-drake-luther-central-northwestern-tuition-student-loan-debt/1725994002/|title=Grinnell named best college in Iowa, but not for its tuition. Where does your school rank?|last=Fleig|first=Shelby|date=22 October 2018|website=Des Moines Register|language=en|access-date=2018-12-06|archive-date=2022-08-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808193934/https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2018/10/22/ranking-iowa-college-university-grinnell-drake-luther-central-northwestern-tuition-student-loan-debt/1725994002/|url-status=live}}</ref>