Quad

Head-to-head

Pitzer
Grinnell

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Grinnell costs about $28.8K less per year on average than Pitzer ($37,528 vs. $66,360, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  2. 2

    Grinnell's grants cover 55% of its full price on average, vs. 23% at Pitzer

    Aid generosity
  3. 3

    Grinnell is 2.3× more selective than Pitzer

    Acceptance rate
  4. 4

    Grinnell has 7 pts more Pell recipients than Pitzer (18% vs. 11%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  5. 5

    Pitzer grads earn $6.7K more ten years out than Grinnell's ($69,512 vs. $62,830)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  6. 6

    Pitzer has 5 pts more first-gen students than Grinnell (23% vs. 18%)

    First-generation students

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Grinnell admits 15%, Pitzer 34%; Pitzer's yield is higher, at 36%.

Acceptance rate
Pitzer34%
Grinnell15%
Quad's selectivity
  • PitzerVery selective
  • GrinnellHighly selective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1300–1600
PitzerTest-blind
Grinnell
1410–1540
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • PitzerGPA and school record required
  • GrinnellSchool record required

Who's on each campus

Grinnell is a bit larger than Pitzer (1,729 vs. 1,227 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Pitzer1.2K
Grinnell1.7K
Pell Grant share
Pitzer11%
Grinnell18%

Majors and faculty

Environmental Science leads at Pitzer, and Computer Science at Grinnell; Grinnell has 9 students per faculty member to Pitzer's 10.

Students per faculty member
Pitzer10 to 1
Grinnell9 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • PitzerEnvironmental Science11%
  • GrinnellComputer Science13%

What each costs

Grinnell costs about $28.8K less a year than Pitzer on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Pitzer$66.4K
Grinnell$37.5K
Aid generosity
Pitzer23%
Grinnell55%

What each pays off

Pitzer's former students earn more, a median $69.5K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 80% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Pitzer$69.5K
Grinnell$62.8K
Graduation rate
Pitzer87%
Grinnell88%

How each has changed

Applications grew at Grinnell but fell at Pitzer; Grinnell got more selective while Pitzer got less.

Applications, 10-year change
  • PitzerShrinking−20%
  • GrinnellGrowing+61%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:Pitzer College (Fall 2026), Fall 2026;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About 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