Graduate Outcomes

Physics

First Destinations

First Destinations

This graph illustrates the first destinations of recent alumni from the last four graduating classes (2015-2017). Details for each of these categories can be found below.
  • 41% Employment
  • 39% Graduate School
  • 7% Post-Graduate Service
  • 7% 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.
Map of the world
  • Chicago, IL
  • Heidelberg, Germany
  • New York, NY
  • Pasadena, CA
  • San Francisco, CA

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
Deutsche Bank analyst
Epic Systems technical problem solver
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Advanced Biofuels Process Demonstration Unit postbaccalaureate researcher
Lidar Guys light art technician
Thorlabs applications engineer
TMC Transportation software developer
Physics

Employment Data

Employer Position Location
Brighter Minds SF math, science, writing, and SAT tutor San Francisco, CA
Deutsche Bank analyst New York, NY
Epic Systems technical problem solver Verona, WI
Epic Systems client systems team member Verona, WI
Fitchburg Public Library library shelver Fitchburg, WI
Gleeson Asphalt Inc. grade checker Belleville, IL
Goldman Sachs technology analyst New York, NY
Johnson Health Tech North America software developer Cottage Grove, WI
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Advanced Biofuels Process Demonstration Unit postbaccalaureate researcher Emeryville, CA
Lidar Guys light art technician Albuquerque, NM
Mathnasium instructor Highland Park, IL
Salesforce data/research analyst San Francisco, CA
State of Maryland long-term substitute teacher Helfer County, MD
Sunflower Stables horse trainer Corvallis, OR
Thorlabs applications engineer Newton, NJ
TMC Transportation software developer Ames, IA
Victory Gardens Theatre Company subscription sales Chicago, IL

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!
  • 0% Completely
  • 67% Moderately
  • 17% Slightly
  • 17% 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
California Institute of Technology PhD physics
Cornell University PhD applied physics
Iowa State University MS civil engineering
Northwestern University PhD mechanical engineering
The Ohio State University PhD astrophysics
Universität Heidelberg MSc physics
University of California PhD materials science
University of Chicago PhD astronomy
University of Massachusetts PhD medical physics
Physics

Graduate Schools Data

Institution Degree Field of Study Location
Brown University PhD computer science Providence, RI
California Institute of Technology PhD physics Pasadena, CA
Cornell University PhD applied physics Ithaca, NY
Iowa State University MS civil engineering Ames, IA
Missouri State University MS physics, astronomy, materials science Springfield, MO
Northwestern University PhD mechanical engineering Chicago, IL
The Ohio State University PhD astrophysics Columbus, OH
Universität Heidelberg MSc physics Heidelberg, Germany
University of California PhD materials science Santa Barbara, CA
University of California PhD physics Davis, CA
University of Chicago PhD astronomy Chicago, IL
University of Chicago PhD astrophysics Chicago, IL
University of Colorado PhD physics Boulder, CO
University of Massachusetts PhD medical physics Lowell, MA
University of Minnesota PhD computer science Minneapolis, MN
University of Texas PhD electrical and computer engineering Austin, TX
Wayne State University PhD medical physics Detroit, MI

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.
91%
91% 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

  • City Year
  • Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights
Physics

Service Data

Organization Location
City Year Boston, MA
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights San Francisco, CA
Noel Community Arts School Denver, CO

Fellowships

Fellowships

Grinnell has a rich history of producing recipients of some of the most prestigious post-graduate fellowships and awards.

Organization

  • New York University in Shanghai
  • Thomas J. Watson Foundation
Physics

Fellowships Data

Organization Location
Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
New York University in Shanghai Shanghai, China
Thomas J. Watson Foundation Bosnia, India, Peru, 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
36%
Physics

Internships Data

Organization Field Location
Apruve computing/information systems Minneapolis, MN
Cardiff University research/development/science Cardiff, UK
Community Boards social services San Francisco, CA
Community Power Network government/public service Washington, DC
DCS corp (contractor for NRL) research/development/science Washington, DC
Goldman Sachs computing/information systems Jersey City, NJ
Higher Logic computing/information systems Washington, DC
IMAP (Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute) research/development/science Solola, Guatemala
Iowa Learning Farms agriculture Ames, IA
Katherine W. Davis Foundation social services Pachitulul, Guatemala
New Mexico Tech research/development/science Socorro, NM
Papageorgiou General Hospital healthcare Thessaloniki, Greece
PermaCity Solar Construction research/development/science Santa Monica, CA
Underscore Theatre Company communications Chicago, IL
Universal Building Systems business administration/management Golden Valley, MN
Washington State Department of Enterprise Services research/development/science Olympia, WA
Research
82%
Physics

Research Data

Organization Field Location
Aachen University thermal stability of glass fibers Aachen, Germany
Argonne National Laboratory wear and friction properties of novel hydrocarbon lubricants Lemont, IL
Brookhaven National Laboratory quantum yield of novel scintillating fluids Upton, NY
Califorinia Institute of Technology gravitational wave physics Pasadena, CA
Cardiff University physics Cardiff, UK
CERN particle physics Geneva, Switzerland
Clemson University mathematics Clemson, SC
Cornell University Theoretical astrophysics Ithaca, NY
Georgia Institute of Technology seismology Atlanta, GA
Iowa State University microfluidics Ames, IA
MD Anderson Cancer Center biomedical imaging Houston, TX
New Jersey Institute of Technology biomedical engineering & tissue modeling Newark, NJ
Northwestern University materials science Evanston, IL
Purdue University geophysics West Lafayette, IN
Southern Illinois University electronic properties of two-dimensional solids Carbondale, IL
Stanford University materials science Menlo Park, CA
The University of Iowa optics and EE Iowa City, IA
Universität Koblenz-Landau physics Landau in der Pfalz, Germany
Université Pierre et Marie Curie chemistry Paris, France
University of Chicago quantum physics Chicago, IL
University of Iowa physics Iowa City, IA
University of Iowa gamma ray astronomy Iowa City, IA
University of Kansas physics Lawrence, KS
University of Minnesota novel machine learning algorithms for pattern recognition Minneapolis, MN
University of Notre Dame group theoretic methods in nuclear physics South Bend, IN
University of Pennsylvania computer vision Philadelphia, PA
University of Wyoming high redshift quasars Laramie, WY
US Naval Research Laboratory medical physics Haiku, HI
Service
32%
Off-Campus Study
25%

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