Grinnell College vs Colby College

Grinnell College and Colby College, both highly regarded liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Grinnell, located in rural Iowa, boasts a smaller student body and a more diverse student population, with a higher acceptance rate and a greater emphasis on social justice. Colby, situated in central Maine, has a larger student body, a more traditional campus, and a stronger focus on the sciences, with a lower acceptance rate and a higher graduation rate. While both colleges offer a rigorous academic curriculum and a vibrant campus life, their unique characteristics may appeal to different types of students. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which college better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Colby College	Grinnell College
Overview
Location	Waterville, Maine	Grinnell, Iowa
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	95.0%	93.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	8.9%	10.5%
Application fees
SAT range	1400 - 1530	1370 - 1530
ACT range	32 - 34	30 - 34
Students submitting SAT score	40.0%	29.0%
Students submitting ACT score	28.0%	33.0%
Total number of applicants	15,857	10,513
Total number of admissions given out	1,407	1,108
Admitted students who chose to enroll	667	471
Yield rate	47.4%	42.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$68,825	$76,098
Average net price	$17,912	$37,423
Tuition	$58,640	$58,156
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,150 Meal plan: $7,595	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)	39.0% Average amount $58,513	100.0% Average amount $35,821
Students receiving federal student loan	8.0% Average amount $5,140	36.0% Average amount $3,952
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $18,242	12.0% Average amount $5,903

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,262 Men 47.1% Women 52.9%	1,748 Men 47.5% Women 52.5%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	91.5%
International students	9.5%	19.4%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	2,242	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	Social Sciences Psychology Multidisciplinary Studies Mathematics and Statistics Natural Resources and Conservation	Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Physical Science Visual & Performing Arts Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	86.6%	86.9%
Dropout rate	5.7%	12.9%
Transferred out	7.5%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,540 Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $83,980 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,972 Year 2: $47,118 Year 3: $55,529 International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,350 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $53,638 Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $42,883 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,156 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $40,423 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,612 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $41,193 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: N/A Anthropology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,971 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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