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.
  • 44% Employment
  • 39% Graduate School
  • 7% Post-Graduate Service
  • 5% Fellowships
  • 0% Continuing Education
  • 5% 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
Deloitte technology analyst
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
Deloitte technology analyst Arlington, VA
Deutsche Bank analyst New York, NY
Epic Systems technical problem solver Verona, WI
Epic Systems client systems team member Verona, WI
Federal Reserve Bank of New York research analyst New York, NY
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
Noble Network of Charter Schools engineering teacher Chicago, IL
NVIDIA solutions architect San Francisco, CA
Rush University Medical Center lab technician Chicago, IL
Salesforce data/research analyst San Francisco, CA
Sean Casten for Congress Campaign intern Chicago, IL
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
WuXi AppTec associate sample coordinator St. Paul, MN
YMCA Camp Widjiwagan Tripping Center staff Ely, 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!
  • 10% Completely
  • 50% Moderately
  • 30% Slightly
  • 10% 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 astronomy
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
University of Wisconsin MS electrical engineering
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 astronomy Evanston, IL
Northwestern University PhD materials science & engineering Evanston, IL
Northwestern University PhD mechanical engineering Chicago, IL
The Ohio State University PhD astrophysics Columbus, OH
Oregon State University PhD civil engineering Corvallis, OR
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 Hawaii MS civil engineering Honolulu, HI
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
University of Wisconsin MS electrical engineering Madison, WI
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.
76%
76% 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
AmeriCorps Waterloo, IA
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
37%
Physics

Internships Data

Organization Field Location
Apruve  computing/information systems Minneapolis, MN 
Cardiff University research/development/science Cardiff, UK 
College Kickstart computing/info systems Pleasanton, CA
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 
Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company Honolulu, HI
Higher Logic computing/information systems Washington, DC 
Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies business admin/management Chicago, IL
Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies education Prague, Czech Republic
IMAP (Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute) research/development/science  Solola, Guatemala 
Iowa Learning Farms agriculture Ames, IA 
Katherine W. Davis Foundation social services  Pachitulul, Guatemala  
Medical College of Wisconsin research/science Milwaukee, WI
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory research/science Pasadena, CA
New Mexico Tech research/development/science Socorro, NM 
Papageorgiou General Hospital healthcare Thessaloniki, Greece 
PermaCity Solar Construction research/development/science Santa Monica, CA 
TrustRadius business admin/management Grinnell, IA
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
81%
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 
California institute of Technology planetary physics Pasadena, CA
Cardiff University physics Cardiff, UK 
CERN particle physics Geneva, Switzerland 
Clemson University mathematics Clemson, SC 
Cornell University Theoretical astrophysics Ithaca, NY 
East Carolina University biomechanics Greenville, NC
Florida State University physics Tallahassee, FL
Georgia Institute of Technology seismology Atlanta, GA 
Iowa State University microfluidics Ames, IA 
MD Anderson Cancer Center biomedical imaging Houston, TX 
Montana State University solar physics Bozeman, MT
National Institute of Standards and Technology structural engineering Gaithersburg, MD
New Jersey Institute of Technology biomedical engineering & tissue modeling Newark, NJ 
North Carolina State University soil physics Raleigh, NC
Northwestern University materials science Evanston, IL 
Oak Ridge National Lab chemistry Oak Ridge, TN
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 Colorado solar physics Boulder, CO
University of Iowa gamma ray astronomy Iowa City, IA 
University of Iowa physics 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 South Carolina photolithography Columbia, SC
University of Wyoming high redshift quasars Laramie, WY 
US Naval Research Laboratory medical physics Haiku, HI 
Service
44%
Off-Campus Study
25%

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