Biology
First Destinations
First Destinations
This graph illustrates the first destinations of recent alumni from the last four graduating classes. Details for each of these categories can be found below.
- 61% Employment
- 25% Graduate School
- 4% Post-Graduate Service
- 4% Fellowships
- 0% Continuing Education
- 6% Other
Top Locations
Top Locations
These are among the top locations of graduates in this major. Whether working, studying, or volunteering, you'll find Grinnellians all over the world.
- Chicago, IL
- Iowa City, IA
- Madison, WI
- New York, NY
- Seattle, WA
Employment
Employment
There is no typical path of a Grinnell graduate. As this list illustrates, Grinnellians work across all types of industries working with a rich array of employers.
| Employer | Position |
|---|---|
| Clean Water Action | environmental organizer |
| Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | research technician |
| Donald Danforth Plant Science Center | lab technician |
| Forest Service | natural resource specialist/social scientist |
| Idaho Fish & Game | fishery technician |
| Mayo Clinic | patient care assistant |
| National Institutes of Health | aquarist II |
| Reefgen, Inc. | staff biologist |
| University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics | certified nursing assistant |
Biology
Employment Data
| Employer | Position | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Actalent | recruiter | Cedar Rapids, IA |
| Advocate Aurora Condell Hospital | sterile processing technician | Libertyville, IL |
| All Pets Veterinary Hospital | veterinary assistant | Grinnell, IA |
| Antelope Valley Emergency Medical Associates | emergency department scribe | Lancaster, CA |
| Atalan | data analyst | remote |
| Bloomberg | customer service representative | Tokyo, Japan |
| Boston Children's Hospital | research assistant | Boston, MA |
| Boyce Thompson Institute | postgraduate intern | Ithaca, NY |
| Boyce Thompson Institute | translational research assistant | Ithaca, NY |
| Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve | plant ecology intern | East Bethel, MN |
| Certified Group | microbiology lab tech | Plymouth, MN |
| Chicago Botanic Garden | Rocky Mountain Research Station intern | Rapid City, SD |
| CIEE | language & culture assistant | San Martin de Valdeiglesias, Spain |
| Clean Water Action | environmental organizer | Northampton, MA |
| Conservation & Land Management Program | botany intern | Hamilton, MT |
| Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | research technician | Brookline, MA |
| Des Plaines Park District | horticulturalist | Chicago, IL |
| Donald Danforth Plant Science Center | lab technician | St. Louis, MO |
| The Ecosystems Center | research assistant | Woods Hole, MA |
| Emily Oaks Nature Center | assistant teacher | Skokie, IL |
| Epic | project manager | Madison, WI |
| Forest Service | natural resource specialist/social scientist | Fort Jones, CA |
| Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center | research technician | Seattle, WA |
| Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance | advocacy program coordinator | remote |
| GO PT | patient care coordinator | Seattle, WA |
| Grinnell College | content specialist - science fellow | Grinnell, IA |
| Grossman Solutions | canvasser | New York, NY |
| Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies | Baffin Bay watershed restoration coordinator | Corpus Christi, TX |
| Idaho Fish & Game | fishery technician | Lewiston, ID |
| Illinois Retina Associates | ophthalmic assistant | Chicago, IL |
| Institute for Marine Mammal Studies | research intern | Gulfport, MS |
| Iowa State University | research scientist | Ames, IA |
| Iowa State University | wildlife field biologist | Ames, IA |
| The Jackson Laboratory | research assistant | Bar Harbor, ME |
| Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute | research assistant | Seattle, WA |
| Kentucky State University | insect ecology research assistant | Frankfort, KY |
| Kubrick Group | data management consultant | New York, NY |
| Kush Art Gallery | assistant curator | Dallas, TX |
| Lankenau Institute of Medical Research | biomedical research assistant | Philadelphia, PA |
| M Health Fairview | emergency department technician | Maplewood, MN |
| MacNeal Hospital | patient care technician | Berwyn, IL |
| Mandala South Asian Performing Arts | assistant teacher | Chicago, IL |
| Martis Camp Club & Community Association | family barn ambassador | Truckee, CA |
| Maui Girl LLC | marketing & strategy partner | Paia, HI |
| Mayflower Community | certified nursing assistant | Grinnell, IA |
| Mayo Clinic | patient care assistant | Rochester, MN |
| Meta | software engineer | Menlo Park, CA |
| Ministry of Education in Spain | cultural teaching assistant | Madrid, Spain |
| Mount Sinai Resale | sales associate | Chicago, IL |
| National Ecological Observatory Network | field research technician | Land O' Lakes, WI |
| National Institutes of Health | aquarist II | Bethesda, MD |
| The Nature Conservancy | wildland fire fighter | Lineville, AL |
| Neelyx Labs | laboratory technician | Wood Dale, IL |
| Norton Klein Hug Sabin Maddens | medical assistant | Troy, MI |
| Oregon Health & Science University | clinical research assistant | Portland, OR |
| Park Nicollet | nurse aide | Minneapolis, MN |
| Pillar Clinical Research | mental health patient tech | Bentonville, AR |
| Reefgen, Inc. | staff biologist | San Francisco, CA |
| Ruffed Grouse Society | forest wildlife technician | Abingdon, VA |
| Rural Area Veterinary Services | vet tech | Fargo, ND |
| Sierra Business Council | CivicSpark fellow | Truckee, CA |
| Southview Animal Hospital & Urgent Care | veterinary assistant | West St. Paul, MN |
| Southwest Pediatrics | certified nursing assistant | Chicago, IL |
| Stanford University | research technician/assistant | Stanford, CA |
| Tracy Aviary | aviculture intern | Salt Lake City, UT |
| T-Up | site liaison & coordinator | Grinnell, IA |
| UCLA Health | staff research associate | Los Angeles, CA |
| UnityPoint Health | certified medical assistant | Des Moines, IA |
| UnityPoint Health | certified nursing assistant | Grinnell, IA |
| UnityPoint Health | ER patient care technician | Grinnell, IA |
| University of Chicago | clinical research assistant | Chicago, IL |
| University of Chicago | research technical assistant | Chicago, IL |
| University of Idaho | lab technician | Moscow, ID |
| University of Iowa | postbaccalaureate research fellow | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Iowa | research assistant | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Iowa | research intern | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics | certified nursing assistant | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Southern California | research lab technician | Los Angeles, CA |
| Urban Scholars | urban scholar | Minneapolis, MN |
| Waltz Health | associate product manger | Chicago, IL |
| Washington University School of Medicine | clinical research coordinator | St. Louis, MO |
| Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center | naturalist | Finland, MN |
Positions Related to Career Goals
Positions Related to Career Goals
This graph illustrates the extent to which our graduates' first job is aligned with their career goals. It's one thing to find a job; it's an entirely different thing to land the job you want!
- 29% Completely
- 59% Moderately
- 8% Slightly
- 4% Not at All
Graduate Schools
Graduate Schools
Grinnell graduates are particularly well prepared for graduate study. You'll find Grinnellians attend the best graduate and professional school programs around the world.
| Institution | Degree | Field of Study |
|---|---|---|
| Cornell University | PhD | computational biology |
| Tufts University | DVM | veterinary medicine |
| University College London | MSc | aquatic conservation, ecology & restoration |
| University of Iowa | MPH | epidemiology |
| University of Michigan | PhD | biomedical sciences |
| University of Rhode Island | PhD | marine biology |
| University of Wisconsin | PhD | endocrinology & reproductive physiology |
| Washington University in St. Louis | DOT | occupational therapy |
| Yale University | MS | biostatistics |
Biology
Graduate Schools Data
| Institution | Degree | Field of Study | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown University | MS | biotechnology | Providence, RI |
| Cornell University | PhD | computational biology | Ithaca, NY |
| Cumberland University | MBA | business administration | Lebanon, TN |
| Imperial College London | MRes | biosystematics | London, UK |
| Iowa State University | MS | wildlife ecology | Ames, IA |
| Johns Hopkins University | MS | chemical & biomolecular engineering | Baltimore, MD |
| Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine | PharmD | pharmacy | Erie, PA |
| New York University | MPH | community health, science & practice | New York, NY |
| Northwestern University | DPT | physical therapy | Evanston, IL |
| South Dakota State University | MS | biology & natural resource management | Brookings, SD |
| Texas A&M University | MMRM | marine resources & management | Galveston, TX |
| Tufts University | DVM | veterinary medicine | North Grafton, MA |
| University College Cork | MSc | marine biology | Cork City, Ireland |
| University College London | MSc | aquatic conservation, ecology & restoration | London, UK |
| University of Bristol | BVSc | veterinary medicine | Bristol, UK |
| University of California | MTM | translational medicine | San Francisco, CA |
| University of Iowa | MPH | biostatistics | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Iowa | MPH | community & behavioral health | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Iowa | MPH | epidemiology | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Iowa | MPH | occupational & environmental health | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Iowa | PhD | genetics | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Michigan | PhD | biomedical sciences | Ann Arbor, MI |
| University of Rhode Island | PhD | marine biology | Kingston, RI |
| University of Washington | PhD | molecular & cellular biology | Seattle, WA |
| University of Wisconsin | MA | library & information studies | Madison, WI |
| University of Wisconsin | PhD | endocrinology & reproductive physiology | Madison, WI |
| Washington University in St. Louis | DOT | occupational therapy | St. Louis, MO |
| Yale University | MS | biostatistics | New Haven, CT |
Graduate School Acceptance Info
Of those who applied to and were accepted to at least one program, this chart illustrates the percentage of admitted students who were accepted to either their first or second choice program and institution.
78%
78% of students are accepted to their first or second choice graduate institution and program
Service
Service
Each year, Grinnellians advance causes and serve communities around the world as full-time volunteers.
Organization
- AmeriCorps
- Conservation Corps
- Peace Corps
Biology
Service Data
| Organization | Location |
|---|---|
| AmeriCorps | Brecksville, OH |
| AmeriCorps | Los Alamos, NM |
| Chicago HOPES for Kids | Chicago, IL |
| City Year | Seattle, WA |
| Conservation Corps | St. Croix, MN |
| Peace Corps | Asunción, Paraguay |
Fellowships
Fellowships
Grinnell has a rich history of producing recipients of some of the most prestigious post-graduate fellowships and awards.
Organization
- Aldo Leopold Foundation
- National Institutes of Health
- Thomas J. Watson Foundation
Biology
Fellowships Data
| Organization | Location |
|---|---|
| Aldo Leopold Foundation | Baraboo, WI |
| National Institutes of Health | Bethesda, MD |
| Thomas J. Watson Foundation | Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Denmark, Iceland, Namibia, South Africa |
| Thomas J. Watson Fellowship | Canada, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Thailand |
Experiential Learning
Experiential Learning
Participation in high-impact experiences is a hallmark of a Grinnell education. The following graphs illustrate the percentage of graduates who completed internships, research experiences (both on- and off-campus), service, and/or off-campus study prior to graduating from Grinnell.
Internships
48%
Biology
Internships Data
| Organization | Field | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Advocate Aurora Health | healthcare | Libertyville, IL |
| All Pets Veterinary Hospital | healthcare | Grinnell, IA |
| Alliance for Citizen Engagement | government/public policy | remote |
| AmeriCorps | education | Grinnell, IA |
| AmeriCorps | environment/sustainability | Corpus Christi, TX |
| Armen Hansen Research Institute | research/science | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
| AT&T | communications/media | remote |
| Beacon Building Products | environment/sustainability | remote |
| Bellevue Hospital | healthcare | New York, NY |
| Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation | research/science | Portsmouth, NH |
| Boston Scientific | computing/technology | Maple Grove , MN |
| Cedar Lodge Stables | education | Lawrence, MI |
| Center for Prairie Studies Prairie | environment/sustainability | Grinnell, IA |
| Children's Healing Art Project | healthcare | Portland, OR |
| Christian Institute of Health Sciences & Research | healthcare | Dimapur, India |
| COCOA Corp. | environment/sustainability | Holland, MI |
| Columbia University | research/science | New York, NY |
| Conard Environmental Research Area | environment/sustainability | Kellogg, IA |
| Connecticut Department of Public Health | healthcare | Hartford, CT |
| Dow Chemical | research/science | Suzhou, China |
| DuPage County Forest Preserve | environment/sustainability | Wheaton, IL |
| Families USA | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
| FishAngler | environment/sustainability | remote |
| Forest Preserves District of Cook County | environment/sustainability | Chicago, IL |
| Global Nomads Group | communications/media | remote |
| GlobalEd | healthcare | Sevilla, Spain |
| Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation | social services | Grinnell, IA |
| Green Iowa AmeriCorps | environment/sustainability | Des Moines, IA |
| Grinnell College Center for Prairie Studies | environment/sustainability | Grinnell, IA |
| Guangdong Low-Carbon Enterprise Association | business administration/management | remote |
| Humanist Global Charity | environment/sustainability | Oakland, CA |
| IES Abroad | healthcare | Santiago, Chile |
| Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Science | research/science | Beijing, China |
| International Rescue Committee | communications/media | Oakland, CA |
| International Rescue Committee | social services | Silver Spring, MD |
| Iowa Civil Rights Commission | government/public policy | Des Moines, IA |
| Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation | environment/sustainability | Des Moines, IA |
| Kenya Medical Research Institute | research/science | Kisumu, Kenya |
| Library of Congress | communications/media | Washington, DC |
| Lincoln Park Conservancy | environment/sustainability | Chicago, IL |
| Litzsinger Road Ecology Center | environment/sustainability | St. Louis , MO |
| Local Foods Connection | social services | Grinnell, IA |
| Michigan Neuroscience Institute | research/science | remote |
| Microsoft | computing/technology | Beijing, China |
| Middle Way Farm | environment/sustainability | Grinnell, IA |
| Moksha Foundation | healthcare | Chennai, India |
| Montana Conservation Corps | environment/sustainability | Cavalier, ND |
| National Patient Advocate Foundation | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
| The Nature Conservancy | environment/sustainability | Letts, IA |
| The Nature Conservancy | environment/sustainability | Muscatine, IA |
| Nepal Hemophilia Society | healthcare | Kathmandu, Nepal |
| New York Genome Center | research/science | New York, NY |
| Newton Arboretum and Botanical Gardens | environment/sustainability | Newton, IA |
| North American Bear Center | environment/sustainability | Ely, MN |
| Possumwood Acres Wildlife Sanctuary | environment/sustainability | Hubert, NC |
| Reefgen, Inc. | environment/sustainability | San Francisco, CA |
| Sarasota Dolphin Research Program | research/science | Sarasota, FL |
| Seaver Autism Center | data science/analytics | New York, NY |
| Sierra Nevada Alliance | environment/sustainability | South Lake Tahoe, CA |
| Spanish Institute for Global Education | healthcare | Seville , Spain |
| Special Services for Groups | social services | remote |
| Speechless | communications/media | San Francisco, CA |
| Student Conservation Association | environment/sustainability | Easthampton, MA |
| Student Conservation Society | environment/sustainability | Chicago, IL |
| Summer Health Professions Education Program | healthcare | Omaha, NE |
| T.E.A.L. | social services | remote |
| U.S. Forest Service | environment/sustainability | Grand Marais, MN |
| United States of Care | government/public policy | remote |
| University of Alabama | research/science | Tuscaloosa, AL |
| University of California | healthcare | Los Angeles, CA |
| University of Iowa | healthcare | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Iowa | research/science | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Michigan | research/science | Ann Arbor, MI |
| University of North Carolina | research/science | Chapel Hill, NC |
| University of Pittsburgh | research/science | Pittsburgh, PA |
| USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service | environment/sustainability | Malcom, IA |
| VenYoeu | business administration/management | Chicago, IL |
| Virginia State Parks | environment/sustainability | Lorton, VA |
| The White House | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
| Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota | environment/sustainability | Roseville, MN |
| Yellowstone National Park | environment/sustainability | Yellowstone National Park, WY |
Research
64%
Biology
Research Data
| Organization | Field | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Academia Sinica | antibody affinity | Taipei, Taiwan |
| Boyce Thompson Institute | plant biology | Ithaca, NY |
| Brooklyn College, City University of New York | microplastics & biofilms | New York, NY |
| Center for Field Sciences | archaeology | Pisticci, Italy |
| Center for Human-Environmental Research | climate ethnography | New Orleans, LA |
| Childhood Arthritis & Rheumatology Research Alliance | juvenile arthritis | remote |
| Children's Hospital of Philadelphia | juvenile spondyloarthritis | Philadelphia, PA |
| Coe College | aquatic biology | Ely, MN |
| Cornell University | molecular plant biology | Ithaca, NY |
| Cornell University | neuroscience | Ithaca, NY |
| Danforth Plant Science Center | bioinformatic plant research | remote |
| Donald Danforth Plant Science Center | plant biology | St. Louis, MO |
| Fermilab | physics | Batavia, IL |
| Fulbright University Vietnam | relationship perception | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | biophysics of cell adhesion | Atlanta, GA |
| GVI | marine observation & conservation | Tenerife, Spain |
| Harvard University | glioblastoma chemoresistance | Cambridge, MA |
| Harvard University | regeneration biology | Boston, MA |
| Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia | microfluidic blood-brain barrier | Barcelona, Spain |
| Institute for Central American Development Studies | avian biology | Comadre, Costa Rica |
| Institute for Human Neuroscience | effects of sleep deprivation | Omaha, NE |
| Koobi Fora Field School | paleoanthropology & archaeology | Ileret, Kenya |
| Mayo Clinic | biomedical science | Rochester, MN |
| Michigan State University | Savannah River site corridor ecology | New Ellenton, SC |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | post construction prairie restoration | St. Louis, MO |
| Missouri Botanical Gardens | plant genetics and conservation | St. Louis, MO |
| Montana State University | pivot wheel usage in farms | Bozeman, MT |
| Morton Arboretum | soil respiration | Lisle, IL |
| National Jewish Health | biology | Denver, CO |
| North Carolina State University | endophytic fungi stress response | Raleigh, NC |
| North Carolina State University | plant pathology | Waynesville, NC |
| Northwestern University | endocrinology | Evanston, IL |
| Northwestern University | regenerative stem cells | Evanston, IL |
| Ohio State University | bumblebee husbandry & population genetics | Columbus, OH |
| Oregon Health & Science University | effects of fetal infection | Portland, OR |
| Organization for Tropical Studies | tropical biology | San Jose, Costa Rica |
| PANDA Collaboration | particle physics | remote |
| Pontifica University | oncology | Santiago, Chile |
| Purdue University | biomedical engineering | West Lafayette, IN |
| Sanford Research | biomedical science | Sioux Falls, SD |
| School for Field Studies | biodiversity in response to human activity | Paro, Bhutan |
| School for Field Studies | conservation | Paro, Bhutan |
| School for Field Studies | marine conservation | Cockburn Harbor, Turks and Caicos |
| Sea Education Association | marine biodiversity & conservation | Woods Hole, MA |
| Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge | dispersal of creosote seeds by harvester ants | La Joya, NM |
| Stanford Univeristy | biostatistics | Stanford, CA |
| University of California | cancer | San Diego, CA |
| University of California | cancer biology | San Diego, CA |
| University of California | public health equity | Los Angeles, CA |
| University of Delaware | neuroscience | Newark, DE |
| University of Hohenheim | plant ecology | Stuttgart, Germany |
| University of Iowa | biological chemistry | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Iowa | dopamine neuron morphology | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Iowa | internal medicine/neuroscience | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Iowa | microbiology and immunology | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Iowa | non-small cell lung cancer targeted therapy | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Michigan | effects of sleep deprivation | Ann Arbor, MI |
| University of Michigan | neuroscience | remote |
| University of Minnesota | racial school segregation | Minneapolis, MN |
| University of Missouri | neuroscience | Columbia, MO |
| University of Missouri | tarantula population survey | St. Louis, MO |
| University of Nebraska | resting state magnetoencephalography | Omaha, NE |
| University of New Mexico | invasion genomics | Albuquerque, NM |
| University of Notre Dame | breast cancer genetics | Notre Dame, IN |
| University of Texas | cryptic speciation in rotifers | El Paso, TX |
| Washington University in St. Louis | lung cancer | St. Louis, MO |
| Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies | coral growth & morphology | remote |
Service
78%
Off-Campus Study
43%