Quad

Key differences on Getting in

  1. 1

    Williams's yield is 12 pts higher than Grinnell's

    Yield rate
  2. 2

    Williams is 1.8× more selective than Grinnell

    Acceptance rate
  3. 3

    Williams's SAT midpoint is 55 points higher than Grinnell's

    SAT midpoint

Admissions

Getting in, fall 2024

Acceptance and yield, test score ranges, test policy, and what each college weighs.

The funnel

Acceptance rate
Williams8.3%
Grinnell15%
Applicants
Williams15.4K
Grinnell9.8K
Admitted
Williams1.3K
Grinnell1.4K
Yield rate
Williams43%
Grinnell31%

Quad's selectivity

  • WilliamsUltra selective
  • GrinnellHighly selective

Men and women

Acceptance rate for men and women who applied, where a college reports admissions by sex.

Women admitted
Williams8.8%
Grinnell16%
Men admitted
Williams8.0%
Grinnell13%

Test scores

SAT total,

Williams
1490–1570
Grinnell
1410–1540

Axis runs 1300–1600. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

ACT composite,

Williams
34–35
Grinnell
31–34

Axis runs 27–36. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

Submitted SAT
Williams35%
Grinnell29%
Submitted ACT
Williams17%
Grinnell21%

Test policy

  • WilliamsTest-optional
  • GrinnellTest-optional

How they read a record

  • Williams

    The high school record and a college-prep program are required; GPA and class rank are considered.

  • Grinnell

    The high school record is required; GPA, class rank, and a college-prep program are considered.

What they look at

FactorWilliamsGrinnell
High school GPA ConsideredConsidered
High school record RequiredRequired
Class rank ConsideredConsidered
College-prep program RequiredConsidered
Recommendations RequiredConsidered
Essay RequiredRequired
Legacy status ConsideredConsidered
Work experience ConsideredConsidered
Demonstration of competencies ConsideredConsidered
English proficiency test ConsideredRequired
Other tests ConsideredConsidered
All admissions numbers in the table

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;College Scorecard, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why