Grinnell’s diverse and inclusive community isn’t just a warm and welcoming place to spend four years — it’s also an essential part of your education here. That’s because we all benefit when we seek to understand different viewpoints. Doing so requires us to examine, expand, and sometimes even challenge our own beliefs.
Finding your Place
Grinnellians are an eclectic bunch:
- Approximately 18 percent of those who study here are international students from more than 50 countries;
- The rest are from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
- About 26 percent are domestic students of color.
No matter where you’re from or what your background, this intentionally diverse, close-knit community creates friendships that will expand your horizons — and could change your life.
Explore how campus offices such as the Office of International Student Affairs, the Office of Intercultural Affairs, and the Office for Diversity and Inclusion facilitate interactions. While you’re at it, check out the Black Cultural Center and Stonewall Resource Center — student-staffed sites that also offer programming and events. Beyond that, dozens of student-run organizations focus on diversity and cultural issues.
All of these organizations are open to everyone. You don’t need to be a member of an organization to participate in most of its events, from movie nights to dance performances to dinners. These events are fun, they’re eye-opening, and they just might change your view of the world— because they show us not only how we differ, but also all that we have in common.