Financial Aid and Cost of Attendance | Grinnell College
Source: https://grinnell.edu/admission/financial-aid
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:20
Financial Aid and Cost of Attendance | Grinnell College
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Financial Aid and Cost of Attendance
Making a Grinnell education possible
This is an investment in you.
You’re looking at Grinnell because you want to blaze your intellectual trail at an institution that brings together students from many backgrounds and gives you the support to create your own academic journey. We’ll do everything we can to make sure that the cost of a Grinnell education doesn’t get in your way —
and in partnership with your family and the College, you may be able to graduate without student debt
, which can be a burden that slows you down as you pursue your goals after graduation.
Our Commitment to You
Grinnell continues to live up to its values of academic excellence in a diverse community dedicated to social responsibility by investing even more in you — our students. Grinnell is one of fewer than 10 colleges and universities nationwide that are need blind, meet 100% of demonstrated need, offer no-loan financial aid, and that are test optional.
What does that mean for you? It means a Grinnell education is financially accessible. We will evaluate your application based on your academic potential and your qualifications, not on your ability to pay. We also commit to meet your demonstrated financial need without loans — Grinnell offers additional grants rather than loans.
It means you can graduate and take on the next stage of your life without the burdens of student loan debt.
92
%
of our students receive grant and scholarship aid to help pay for their years at Grinnell.
68
%
of Grinnell students receive need-based aid with an average grant/scholarship eligibility of $69,834.
$
86
million
total grants and scholarships provided to students this year.
You can afford a Grinnell education.
We value you for you, not how much your family can contribute to the cost of your education. So when you apply for admission, we don’t consider your ability to pay — that’s what we call
need-blind admission
*.
We also meet
100% of your demonstrated need without loans
— only a handful of colleges and universities among more than 4,000 in the United States can say that.
See for yourself with our
Net Price Calculator
.
* Domestic applicants only
We succeed when you succeed.
We are committed to college access, equity, and success from admission through commencement.
To apply
, you won’t have any application fees, supplements, or additional essays to worry about. You’ll decide whether to send us your standardized
test scores
. Your application will be evaluated holistically — with consideration for your background. Our intentional,
diverse community
welcomes students from around the world — and sends them to
global
study, research, and internship locations as well. Armed with a rich set of personally-designed intellectual, practical, and international experiences, Grinnellians are leaders in their communities wherever their passions lead them.
We invest in your future.
A Grinnell education is worth so much more than the cost of attendance. In concert with Grinnell’s distinctive
individually advised curriculum
— which you will design — you’ll connect with faculty and career
advisers
who will help you develop the knowledge and skills to help you meet your academic and career goals. You’ll put your theoretical knowledge to work through
hands-on learning experiences
, such as research, internships, externships, and service opportunities. You’ll gain practical experience and new perspectives to connect your ideas to action and make an impact in our globally-connected world.
Photo of Grinnell College sign
Take the Next Step
Estimate Your Net Price
Apply for Aid
Contact the Financial Aid Team
“Because Grinnell's comprehensive fee includes housing, food, books, and access to almost everything on campus, need-based financial aid has allowed me to focus on my academic interests without worrying about money or loans."
— Akram Safiyazov '28 (Astana,
Kazakhstan
)
"The staff at Grinnell are some of the kindest people I have ever met. Specifically in the financial aid office, I remember not knowing if my scholarship would allow me to study abroad. Despite my nerves, the staff members I met with never made me feel ashamed about my personal finances. In fact, they made the environment super welcoming and were eager to ensure I would be able to study abroad without financial drawbacks."
— Quinby Rainey '27 (Hammon, OK)
Admission and Financial Aid Voices
Meeting 100% of Financial Need
What does it mean to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need, and how does Grinnell do it?
No Loan
What does it mean for a college to be “no loan”?
International Students
Are international students eligible for financial aid?
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To accept the use of cookies and continue on to the site, click "I Agree." For more information about our use of cookies and how to opt out, please refer to our website privacy policy.
Skip to main content
Financial Aid and Cost of Attendance
Making a Grinnell education possible
This is an investment in you.
You’re looking at Grinnell because you want to blaze your intellectual trail at an institution that brings together students from many backgrounds and gives you the support to create your own academic journey. We’ll do everything we can to make sure that the cost of a Grinnell education doesn’t get in your way —
and in partnership with your family and the College, you may be able to graduate without student debt
, which can be a burden that slows you down as you pursue your goals after graduation.
Our Commitment to You
Grinnell continues to live up to its values of academic excellence in a diverse community dedicated to social responsibility by investing even more in you — our students. Grinnell is one of fewer than 10 colleges and universities nationwide that are need blind, meet 100% of demonstrated need, offer no-loan financial aid, and that are test optional.
What does that mean for you? It means a Grinnell education is financially accessible. We will evaluate your application based on your academic potential and your qualifications, not on your ability to pay. We also commit to meet your demonstrated financial need without loans — Grinnell offers additional grants rather than loans.
It means you can graduate and take on the next stage of your life without the burdens of student loan debt.
92
%
of our students receive grant and scholarship aid to help pay for their years at Grinnell.
68
%
of Grinnell students receive need-based aid with an average grant/scholarship eligibility of $69,834.
$
86
million
total grants and scholarships provided to students this year.
You can afford a Grinnell education.
We value you for you, not how much your family can contribute to the cost of your education. So when you apply for admission, we don’t consider your ability to pay — that’s what we call
need-blind admission
*.
We also meet
100% of your demonstrated need without loans
— only a handful of colleges and universities among more than 4,000 in the United States can say that.
See for yourself with our
Net Price Calculator
.
* Domestic applicants only
We succeed when you succeed.
We are committed to college access, equity, and success from admission through commencement.
To apply
, you won’t have any application fees, supplements, or additional essays to worry about. You’ll decide whether to send us your standardized
test scores
. Your application will be evaluated holistically — with consideration for your background. Our intentional,
diverse community
welcomes students from around the world — and sends them to
global
study, research, and internship locations as well. Armed with a rich set of personally-designed intellectual, practical, and international experiences, Grinnellians are leaders in their communities wherever their passions lead them.
We invest in your future.
A Grinnell education is worth so much more than the cost of attendance. In concert with Grinnell’s distinctive
individually advised curriculum
— which you will design — you’ll connect with faculty and career
advisers
who will help you develop the knowledge and skills to help you meet your academic and career goals. You’ll put your theoretical knowledge to work through
hands-on learning experiences
, such as research, internships, externships, and service opportunities. You’ll gain practical experience and new perspectives to connect your ideas to action and make an impact in our globally-connected world.
Photo of Grinnell College sign
Take the Next Step
Estimate Your Net Price
Apply for Aid
Contact the Financial Aid Team
“Because Grinnell's comprehensive fee includes housing, food, books, and access to almost everything on campus, need-based financial aid has allowed me to focus on my academic interests without worrying about money or loans."
— Akram Safiyazov '28 (Astana,
Kazakhstan
)
"The staff at Grinnell are some of the kindest people I have ever met. Specifically in the financial aid office, I remember not knowing if my scholarship would allow me to study abroad. Despite my nerves, the staff members I met with never made me feel ashamed about my personal finances. In fact, they made the environment super welcoming and were eager to ensure I would be able to study abroad without financial drawbacks."
— Quinby Rainey '27 (Hammon, OK)
Admission and Financial Aid Voices
Meeting 100% of Financial Need
What does it mean to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need, and how does Grinnell do it?
No Loan
What does it mean for a college to be “no loan”?
International Students
Are international students eligible for financial aid?
We use cookies to enable essential services and functionality on our site, enhance your user experience, provide better service through personalized content, collect data on how visitors interact with our site, and enable advertising services.
To accept the use of cookies and continue on to the site, click "I Agree." For more information about our use of cookies and how to opt out, please refer to our website privacy policy.