Grinnell vs. Wellesley

Should I go to Grinnell College or Wellesley College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Grinnell or Wellesley is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Grinnell College vs. Wellesley College comparison
Grinnell College Wellesley College College 3 College 4
Grinnell College Wellesley College
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Overview

 Grinnell Wellesley
Location Grinnell, IA Wellesley, MA
Setting Remote Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,775 2,418
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #55 #18
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website grinnell.edu wellesley.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Grinnell Wellesley
Tuition (In State) $64,342 $64,000
Tuition (Out of State) $64,342 $64,000
Room & Board $15,878 $19,920
Avg Net Price $33,446 $21,501
Avg Grant Aid $45,782 $61,549
% Receiving Grant Aid 92% 52%

Admission

 Grinnell Wellesley
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,988 8,184
Admitted 1,266 1,138
Acceptance Rate 12.7% 13.9%
Enrolled % 36.1% 50.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.89 3.86
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Very High
ACT Range 31/34 33/35
SAT Range 1418/1550 1440/1550
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2026 Jan 8, 2026

Academics

 Grinnell Wellesley
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Foreign Languages (12%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • History (8%)
  • Physical Sciences (8%)
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)

Outcomes

 Grinnell Wellesley
Graduation Rate 88% 92%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,500 $68,100
Making Student Loan Payments 87% 86%
Median Student Loan Debt $13,170 $8,900
Median Loan Payment $136 $92

Diversity

 Grinnell Wellesley
% Men 2% 1%
% Women 2% 3%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 56% 40%
% Black 6% 6%
% Hispanic 7% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 16% 12%
% Unknown Race 3% 4%

Students

 Grinnell Wellesley
% In-State 8% 11%
% Out-of-State 69% 73%

Campus

 Grinnell Wellesley
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Wellesley College is larger than than Grinnell based on total student enrollment (2,418 students vs. 1,775 students)

Grinnell vs. Wellesley Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Grinnell or Wellesley?

  • Grinnell College is 0.5% more expensive to attend than Wellesley for in-state tuition ($64,342.00 vs. $64,000.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.5% higher at Grinnell than Wellesley College ($64,342.00 vs. $64,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wellesley College than Grinnell ($21,501 vs. $33,446)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Grinnell College are 25.5% lower than costs at Wellesley College ($15,878 vs. $19,920)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Grinnell College than Wellesley College (92% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wellesley College students is 34.4% larger than aid received Grinnell College ($61,549 vs. $45,782)

Grinnell vs. Wellesley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Grinnell or Wellesley? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Wellesley or Grinnell .

  • The average SAT score at Grinnell College (1402) is 33 points higher than at Wellesley (1369)
  • Incoming Grinnell students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Wellesley (30)
  • Accepted freshman Grinnell students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.89) than students at Wellesley (3.86)
  • Wellesley has a higher acceptance rate (13.9%) than Grinnell (12.7%)

Grinnell vs. Wellesley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Grinnell or Wellesley? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Wellesley and Grinnell.

  • The graduation rate at Wellesley is higher than Grinnell College (92% vs. 88%)
  • Graduates from Wellesley College earn on average $8,600 more per year than Grinnell graduates after ten years. ($68,100 vs. $59,500)
  • Wellesley College students graduate with a $4,270 lower median federal student loan debt than Grinnell graduates. ($8,900 vs. $13,170)
  • Wellesley graduates are paying $44 less per month on federal student loans than Grinnell graduates. ($92 vs. $136)
  • More Grinnell graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Wellesley students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 86%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/