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Everything we have for Macalester and Grinnell, grouped like the topic pages. Differences only hides the rows where they match or only one reports.
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| Metric | Macalester | Grinnell |
|---|---|---|
| Getting in | ||
| Admissions data | Fall 2024 | Fall 2024 |
| Acceptance rate | 29% | 15% |
| Acceptance rate, men / women | 25% / 31% | 13% / 16% |
| Acceptance rate, in-state / other states / international | Not published | Not published |
| Yield, in-state / other states / international | Not published | Not published |
| Applicants | 8,968 | 9,758 |
| Admitted | 2,558 | 1,416 |
| Enrolled | 560 | 438 |
| Yield | 22% | 31% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1350–1510 | 1410–1540 |
| ACT middle 50% | 30–34 | 31–34 |
| Sent an SAT | – | – |
| Sent an ACT | – | – |
| Scored 1400+ on the SAT | – | – |
| Scored 30+ on the ACT | – | – |
| Admission: High school GPA | Considered | Considered |
| Admission: High school record | Required | Required |
| Admission: Class rank | Considered | Considered |
| Admission: College-prep program | Considered | Considered |
| Admission: Recommendations | Required | Considered |
| Admission: Essay | Considered | Required |
| Admission: Legacy status | Not considered | Considered |
| Admission: Work experience | Considered | Considered |
| Admission: Demonstration of competencies | Not considered | Considered |
| Admission: English proficiency test | Required | Required |
| Admission: Other tests | Not considered | Considered |
| Average high school GPA | – | – |
| First-years in the top tenth of their class | – | – |
| Early decision | – | – |
| Early action | – | – |
| Wait list | – | – |
| Admission: Rigor of high school record | – | – |
| Admission: Test scores | – | – |
| Admission: Interview | – | – |
| Admission: Extracurricular activities | – | – |
| Admission: Talent or ability | – | – |
| Admission: Character and personal qualities | – | – |
| Admission: First generation | – | – |
| Admission: Geographic residence | – | – |
| Admission: State residency | – | – |
| Admission: Religious affiliation | – | – |
| Admission: Volunteer work | – | – |
| Admission: Demonstrated interest | – | – |
| Test policy | Test-optional | Test-optional |
| Application fee | None | None |
| Credit for AP exams | Yes | Yes |
| Transfer acceptance rate | – | – |
| Students & campus | ||
| Setting | City: Large | Town: Remote |
| Carnegie class | Special Focus: Arts and Sciences | Special Focus: Arts and Sciences |
| Research activity | Not a research tier | Research college or university |
| Student access & earnings | Lower Access, Medium Earnings | Lower Access, Higher Earnings |
| HBCU, tribal, land-grant | None | None |
| Minority-serving, single-sex | None | None |
| Religious affiliation | Presbyterian Church (USA) | None |
| Athletics | Division III | Division III |
| Conference | Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Midwest Conference |
| ROTC | Not listed | Not listed |
| Study abroad | Offered | Offered |
| Undergraduate research program | Not listed | Not listed |
| Calendar | Semesters | Semesters |
| Undergrads | 2,131 | 1,729 |
| Beds in college housing | 1,304 | 1,450 |
| First-years must live on campus | Yes | Yes |
| Men in a fraternity | – | – |
| Women in a sorority | – | – |
| Fraternity/sorority housing | – | – |
| Greek councils present | – | – |
| Pell Grant | 17% | 18% |
| First-gen | 13% | 18% |
| Men / women | 43% / 57% | 46% / 54% |
| Part-time students | 2% | 0% |
| Students 25 and older | 0% | 0% |
| First-years from in state | 14% | 8% |
| First-years from other states | 63% | 68% |
| First-years from abroad | 23% | 21% |
| New transfer students this fall | 19 | 8 |
| Transfers, share of new undergraduates | 3% | 2% |
| Diversity index | 0.70 | 0.70 |
| Academics | ||
| Students per faculty member | 10 to 1 | 9 to 1 |
| Classes under 20 students | – | – |
| Full-time faculty share | 84% | 81% |
| Average faculty salary | $107,560 | $113,182 |
| Bachelor's degrees awarded | 524 | 453 |
| Most popular majors | Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 10% · Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 9% · Biology/Biological Sciences, General 8% | Computer Science 13% · Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 10% · Sociology, General 9% |
| Instruction spending per student | $25,033 (private nonprofit, FASB accounting) | $32,882 (private nonprofit, FASB accounting) |
| Endowment per student | $401,854 (private nonprofit, FASB accounting) | $1,543,843 (private nonprofit, FASB accounting) |
| Tuition share of core revenue | 33% | 11% |
| Cost & aid | ||
| Average cost, all students (est.) | $45,674 | $37,528 |
| Aid generosity (grants ÷ full price) | 45% | 55% |
| Net price, students with grants | $40,225 | $34,363 |
| Sticker price, in-state | $82,991 | $83,490 |
| Sticker price, out-of-state | $82,991 | $83,490 |
| Tuition guarantee | No | No |
| Promise program | No | No |
| Tuition & fees, in-state | $64,908 | $64,862 |
| Tuition & fees, out-of-state | $64,908 | $64,862 |
| First-years paying out-of-state rates | – | – |
| First-years with grants | 87% | 94% |
| Average grant | $42,766 | $49,077 |
| Aid from the college | 87% | 94% |
| Need-based aid up to | Published data end at $110K | Published data end at $110K |
| Merit for students without need | 54% got a grant without federal aid, averaging $37K (proxy) | 65% got a grant without federal aid, averaging $42K (proxy) |
| Published promise | – | – |
| Aid forms | – | – |
| Aid priority date or deadline | – | – |
| Need met, first-years | – | – |
| Average aid package, first-years | – | – |
| College grant dollars given as merit | – | – |
| Aid for international students | – | – |
| Outcomes | ||
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $63,878 | $62,830 |
| Graduation rate | 89% | 88% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Pell Grant recipients | 88% | 90% |
| Graduated in 6 years, neither Pell nor subsidized loan | 88% | 85% |
| Pell graduation gap | No gap | 5 pts higher |
| Finished within 4 years: Pell recipients | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 4 years: neither Pell nor subsidized loan | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 4 years: all first-time full-time | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 5 years: Pell recipients | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 5 years: neither Pell nor subsidized loan | Not published | Not published |
| Finished within 5 years: all first-time full-time | Not published | Not published |
| Graduated in 6 years, White students | 87% | 88% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Asian students | 91% | 93% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Hispanic/Latino students | 87% | 85% |
| Graduated in 6 years, Black students | Under 30 students | Under 30 students |
| Graduated in 6 years, students of two or more races | 83% | Under 30 students |
| Graduated in 6 years, international students | 88% | 92% |
| Retention rate | 92% | 93% |
| Credential within 4 years, all students | 83% | 84% |
| Credential within 8 years, all students | 88% | 89% |
| Enrolled at another college, 8 years on | 8% | 9% |
| Median debt | $23,000 | $17,500 |
| Undergrads with a federal loan | 36% | 13% |
| Median debt, Pell Grant recipients | $19,500 | $12,775 |
| Website | macalester.edu | grinnell.edu |
Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;National directories of campus chapters and groups, October 2026;College Scorecard, Fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students), Fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level), Fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Outcome Measures survey, Students entering fall 2016;College Scorecard, 2023–24;Common Data Set, most recent release;Grinnell College (2026–27), 2026–27About 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