Quad

Head-to-head

Bryn Mawr
Grinnell

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Grinnell costs about $9.8K less per year on average than Bryn Mawr ($37,528 vs. $47,356, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  2. 2

    Bryn Mawr grads earn $12.4K more ten years out than Grinnell's ($75,217 vs. $62,830)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  3. 3

    Grinnell's grants cover 55% of its full price on average, vs. 43% at Bryn Mawr

    Aid generosity
  4. 4

    Grinnell is 2.0× more selective than Bryn Mawr

    Acceptance rate
  5. 5

    Grinnell's SAT midpoint is 80 points higher than Bryn Mawr's

    SAT midpoint
  6. 6

    Grinnell is a bit larger (1,729 vs. 1,359)

    Undergrads

The shape of each school

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

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Grinnell admits 15%, Bryn Mawr 29%; Bryn Mawr's yield is higher, at 32%.

Acceptance rate
Bryn Mawr29%
Grinnell15%
Quad's selectivity
  • Bryn MawrVery selective
  • GrinnellHighly selective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1200–1600
Bryn Mawr
1280–1510
Grinnell
1410–1540
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Bryn MawrGPA and school record required
  • GrinnellSchool record required

Who's on each campus

Grinnell is a bit larger than Bryn Mawr (1,729 vs. 1,359 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Bryn Mawr1.4K
Grinnell1.7K
Pell Grant share
Bryn Mawr15%
Grinnell18%

Majors and faculty

Psychology leads at Bryn Mawr, and Computer Science at Grinnell; Bryn Mawr has 8 students per faculty member to Grinnell's 9.

Students per faculty member
Bryn Mawr8 to 1
Grinnell9 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Bryn MawrPsychology, General10%
  • GrinnellComputer Science13%

What each costs

Grinnell costs about $9.8K less a year than Bryn Mawr on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Bryn Mawr$47.4K
Grinnell$37.5K
Aid generosity
Bryn Mawr43%
Grinnell55%

What each pays off

Bryn Mawr's former students earn more, a median $75.2K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 80% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Bryn Mawr$75.2K
Grinnell$62.8K
Graduation rate
Bryn Mawr86%
Grinnell88%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got more selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Bryn MawrGrowing+51%
  • 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: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