College of the Atlantic vs Grinnell College

College of the Atlantic and Grinnell College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. College of the Atlantic, nestled in Bar Harbor, Maine, boasts a 75% acceptance rate, while Grinnell College, located in Grinnell, Iowa, has a more selective admissions process with a 22% acceptance rate. College of the Atlantic's focus on environmental studies and experiential learning attracts students passionate about sustainability, while Grinnell College's strong emphasis on the humanities and social sciences draws students seeking a well-rounded liberal arts education. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further differences, including popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates, to determine which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	College of the Atlantic	Grinnell College
Overview
Location	Bar Harbor, Maine	Grinnell, Iowa
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Trimester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	81.0%	93.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	61.1%	10.5%
Application fees
SAT range	N/A	1370 - 1530
ACT range	N/A	30 - 34
Students submitting SAT score		29.0%
Students submitting ACT score		33.0%
Total number of applicants	525	10,513
Total number of admissions given out	321	1,108
Admitted students who chose to enroll	93	471
Yield rate	29.0%	42.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$50,442	$76,098
Average net price	$19,142	$37,423
Tuition	$42,993	$58,156
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,210 Meal plan: $3,537	Room/dormitory: $6,779 Meal plan: $7,572
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $34,744	100.0% Average amount $35,821
Students receiving federal student loan	64.0% Average amount $4,759	36.0% Average amount $3,952
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $16,806	12.0% Average amount $5,903

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	374 Men 29.7% Women 70.3%	1,748 Men 47.5% Women 52.5%
Graduate students	2 Men 50.0% Women 50.0%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	91.5%
International students	23.1%	19.4%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	235	1,450
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	California Illinois Iowa Minnesota Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Multidisciplinary Studies	Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Physical Science Visual & Performing Arts Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	66.7%	86.9%
Dropout rate	32.1%	12.9%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,916 Year 2: $16,920 Year 3: $24,486	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,661 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $55,487 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,893 Year 2: $34,704 Year 3: $49,481 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,499 Year 2: $29,141 Year 3: $41,882 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,517 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $40,572 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: $37,882 Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: $37,613 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,718 Year 2: $19,227 Year 3: $29,237 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $28,680 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,658 Year 2: $91,744 Year 3: N/A Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,239 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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