Cost & financial aid brief
Grinnell College Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Grinnell College cost after financial aid?
Grants and scholarships reduce the published cost by $65,792 for the average aid recipient, covering about 79% of the sticker price. The average net price is $17,648, $4,699 below the $22,347 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Aid recipients under $30,000 average $9,970, the $30,001–$48,000 band averages $7,789, the $48,001–$75,000 band averages $9,669, the $75,001–$110,000 band averages $19,348, and those over $110,000 average $37,725. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $27,755. That pattern concentrates lower net prices at the bottom of the income scale.
The published cost of attendance at Grinnell College is $83,440 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #413 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $9,970, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $9,669, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $37,725. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $27,755.
Aid covers about 79% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The across all aid recipients is $17,648, which is $4,699 below the $22,347 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $17,500 in federal student loans. That is $7,500 below the $25,000 median for comparable institutions.
Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $36,324 in Parent PLUS loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $199 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Borrowers who complete a degree at Grinnell College leave with a median of $17,500 in federal student loans. That is $7,500 below the $25,000 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
If repaid over ten years, that median debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $199 a month. Federal borrowing is widespread, with 89.8% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans.
Parents who borrow through the separate Parent PLUS program hold a median of $36,324.
The earnings picture at Grinnell College starts with a median of $58,955 four years after completion, at the 47th percentile. That figure is $3,040 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Estimated from the program mix, earnings scenarios range from $45,413 on the downside to $104,917 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $58,955. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $17,500 in federal loans, $7,500 below the peer median.
If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $199 a month.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $36,324. For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $199 a month if repaid over ten years.
Repayment figures are in the Financial GPS card below. Borrowing populations and model assumptions.
Parent loans: what can the family afford?
How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families
- Median Parent PLUS debt
- $36,324
- Estimated parent payment
- $462/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | High pressure |
| $150,000 | Safe |
| $200,000 | Safe |
The model holds the parent balance fixed and varies parent income. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $17,500
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $36,324
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $199/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $462/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $661/mo
Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.
Student payment as a share of available income
At median graduate earnings of $58,955, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
6.6% of income above the allowance · Excellent
- Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
- Good 8–under 12%
- Concerning 12–20%
- High risk Over 20%
How this estimate works
These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $22,590, uses the published framework’s 2024 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.
Payment assumptions
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.
Net price and borrowing. The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. College Scorecard data and documentation.
A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.