Ripon College vs Grinnell College

Ripon College and Grinnell College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions in the Midwest, offer distinct educational experiences. Ripon, with an acceptance rate of 75%, is slightly more accessible than Grinnell, which admits around 25% of applicants. While Ripon's student body is predominantly White (78%), Grinnell boasts a more diverse student population, with 53% identifying as White, 13% as Asian, 11% as Hispanic, and 8% as Black. Both colleges excel in academics, with Grinnell ranking slightly higher in national liberal arts college rankings. However, Ripon's smaller size (1,000 undergraduates vs. 1,700 at Grinnell) may appeal to students seeking a more intimate learning environment. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences between these two exceptional institutions and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Grinnell College	Ripon College
Overview
Location	Grinnell, Iowa	Ripon, Wisconsin
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	93.0%	72.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	10.5%	79.8%
Application fees		$30
SAT range	1370 - 1530	940 - 1160
ACT range	30 - 34	20 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	29.0%	10.0%
Students submitting ACT score	33.0%	62.0%
Total number of applicants	10,513	2,486
Total number of admissions given out	1,108	1,983
Admitted students who chose to enroll	471	247
Yield rate	42.5%	12.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$76,098	$57,200
Average net price	$37,423	$21,734
Tuition	$58,156	$47,800
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,779 Meal plan: $7,572	Room/dormitory: $4,530 Meal plan: $4,560
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $35,821	100.0% Average amount $36,789
Students receiving federal student loan	36.0% Average amount $3,952	79.0% Average amount $5,232
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $5,903	16.0% Average amount $13,915

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,748 Men 47.5% Women 52.5%	810 Men 50.2% Women 49.8%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	91.5%	N/A
International students	19.4%	1.6%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,450	952
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Illinois Iowa Minnesota Texas	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Physical Science Visual & Performing Arts Computer and Information Science	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Physical Science Social Sciences Education Psychology
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	86.9%	62.0%
Dropout rate	12.9%	38.0%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,869 Year 2: $34,704 Year 3: $44,323 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: $42,581 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,399 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: $32,733 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,523 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,277 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,328 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,366 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: N/A History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: N/A

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