Grinnell College enrolls exceptional students without consideration of their financial status. For the 2024 academic year, the College will award $70.7 million in institutional financial aid, meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need without loans. Among current Grinnell students, 66.5% receive need-based financial aid with an average aid package of $66,441. Approximately 14.5% of the scholarships awarded by Grinnell are supported by philanthropy from donors.
Overall, the Grinnell College endowment currently funds 60.9% of the College’s annual operating budget. This dependence means that no other college or university in the U.S. funds a higher percentage of the annual operating budget with the annual payout from the endowment. The College’s endowment dependence is more than twice as high as the average of peers that have endowments valued at more than $1 billion.