Cornell College vs Grinnell College

Cornell College and Grinnell College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions in the Midwest, offer distinct educational experiences. Cornell, nestled in Mount Vernon, Iowa, boasts a higher acceptance rate (69%) compared to Grinnell's selective admissions (24%). While Grinnell's student body is slightly larger, both colleges share a commitment to small class sizes, fostering close interactions between students and professors. Cornell's popular majors include biology, business, and psychology, while Grinnell excels in anthropology, economics, and political science. With comparable graduation rates, both colleges ensure their students are well-prepared for their chosen career paths. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' unique strengths and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Cornell College	Grinnell College
Overview
Location	Mount Vernon, Iowa	Grinnell, Iowa
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	78.0%	93.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	81.1%	10.5%
Application fees	$30
SAT range	1155 - 1405	1370 - 1530
ACT range	24 - 30	30 - 34
Students submitting SAT score	28.0%	29.0%
Students submitting ACT score	58.0%	33.0%
Total number of applicants	2,836	10,513
Total number of admissions given out	2,300	1,108
Admitted students who chose to enroll	366	471
Yield rate	15.9%	42.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$62,735	$76,098
Average net price	$22,667	$37,423
Tuition	$47,100	$58,156
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,868 Meal plan: $5,688	Room/dormitory: $6,779 Meal plan: $7,572
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $37,745	100.0% Average amount $35,821
Students receiving federal student loan	57.0% Average amount $5,607	36.0% Average amount $3,952
Students taking out private loans	16.0% Average amount $9,357	12.0% Average amount $5,903

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,046 Men 52.5% Women 47.5%	1,748 Men 47.5% Women 52.5%
Graduate students	9 Men 33.3% Women 66.7%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	91.5%
International students	3.0%	19.4%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	1,060	1,450
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	California Illinois Iowa Minnesota Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Visual & Performing Arts Foreign Languages and Literatures Social Sciences Philosophy and Religious Studies	Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Physical Science Visual & Performing Arts Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	63.8%	86.9%
Dropout rate	10.9%	12.9%
Transferred out	25.4%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,721 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $40,862 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,040 Year 2: $24,035 Year 3: $38,658 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,951 Year 2: $23,340 Year 3: N/A Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,103 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,478 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,731 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,661 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $55,487 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,893 Year 2: $34,704 Year 3: $49,481 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,499 Year 2: $29,141 Year 3: $41,882 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,517 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $40,572 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: $37,882 Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: $37,613 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,718 Year 2: $19,227 Year 3: $29,237 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $28,680 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,658 Year 2: $91,744 Year 3: N/A Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,239 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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Cornell College vs Grinnell College

Cornell College

Grinnell College

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Academics

Outcome

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