Grinnell is a powerhouse on the national scene. Ever progressive, it was the first college west of the Mississippi to admit African Americans and women, and the first in the country to establish an undergraduate department of political science. It was once a stop on the Underground Railroad, and its graduates include Harry Hopkins, architect of the New Deal, and Robert Noyce, inventor of the integrated circuit, two people who did as much as anyone to change the face of American society in the 20th century.

–Fiske's Guide to Colleges

• Grinnell students are mature, responsible people who want to learn. The curriculum is rigorous, and students work hard—but they also find time to play. Most students are involved in extracurricular groups devoted to social causes, athletics, or just plain fun.

• Individually advised curriculum; only a handful of colleges in the country give you the freedom to design your own academic program. Each student is responsible for making the most of what the College offers.
  
  
• Self-Governance; the system that enables students to provide input and make changes in almost every area of college life. This also means that no student is assigned the duty of policing other residents. Students are responsible for structuring their lives according to the tastes and desires of the campus community.
  
  
• Resources; Grinnell professors have had great success obtaining external funding for valuable academic programs and research. Plus, the $1.4 billion endowment (7th largest per student among all public and private U.S. colleges and universities, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2006) allows seniors to conduct research through the Mentored Advanced Projects (MAPs).
  
  
• What else will the large endowment get you? Technology; there are hundreds of computers, outfitted with top-of-the-line software, available for student use.
  
  
• Grinnell is one of the few remaining colleges that has a need-blind admission policy and offers generous financial aid to all admitted U.S. students.
  
  
• Clean air, no traffic, a great view of the stars, and virtually no crime; there aren't too many places in the world that can offer that.