Sociology
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.
- 58% Employment
- 19% Graduate School
- 7% Post-Graduate Service
- 5% Fellowships
- 1% Continuing Education
- 10% 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
- St. Louis, MO
- Washington, DC
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 |
|---|---|
| AcademyHealth | research assistant |
| Deloitte | analyst |
| Forest Service | natural resource specialist/social scientist |
| Government Accountability Office | analyst |
| Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles | client intake paralegal |
| McLean Hospital | school counselor |
| Teach for America | elementary teacher |
| U.S. Committee for Refugees & Immigrants | case aide |
| YWCA Utah | lead advocate |
Sociology
Employment Data
| Employer | Position | Location |
|---|---|---|
| AcademyHealth | research assistant | Washington, DC |
| American Business Bank | human resources coordinator | Los Angeles, CA |
| BlackRock | software engineering analyst | Atlanta, GA |
| BlueDot Wellness | business developer | Los Angeles, CA |
| BlueTickSocial | digital marketing strategist | remote |
| Circle Logistics | sales development representative | Chicago, IL |
| Crowd Cow | head of local marketing | Chapel Hill, NC |
| CSL Plasma | plasma processing technician | Gilbert, AZ |
| Davidson College | admission counselor | Davidson, NC |
| Deloitte | analyst | Arlington, VA |
| Dovetail Partners | project director | Minneapolis, MN |
| Edna Brewer Middle School | teacher | Oakland, CA |
| Finsbury Glover Hering | associate | Washington, DC |
| Flourishing Lives Counseling | marketing coordinator | Naperville, IL |
| Forest Service | natural resource specialist/social scientist | Fort Jones, CA |
| Galena Public Library | clerk | Galena, IL |
| Government Accountability Office | analyst | Washington, DC |
| Grinnell College | admission counselor | Grinnell, IA |
| Grinnell College | counselor of admission marketing | Grinnell, IA |
| Grinnell College Museum of Art | outreach assistant | Grinnell, IA |
| The Handbuilt City | social innovation intern | Detroit, MI |
| Hy-Vee | barista | Marion, IA |
| Insight Global | recruiter | San Francisco, CA |
| International Business Initiatives (IBI) | business analyst associate | Arlington, VA |
| Iowa Legal Aid | intake paralegal | Iowa City, IA |
| JPMorgan Chase & Co. | software engineer | Chicago, IL |
| KOTRA | business consultant | Detroit, MI |
| Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles | client intake paralegal | Los Angeles, CA |
| LINK | program leader | Grinnell, IA |
| Maricé Morales for County Council | deputy campaign manager | Rockville, MD |
| Mayer Brown | litigation paralegal | New York, NY |
| McLean Hospital | school counselor | Arlington, MA |
| Mid Iowa Community Action | food insecurity & COVID-19 response leader | Grinnell, IA |
| Morningstar | Morningstar Development Program | Chicago, IL |
| North American Language & Culture Assistants Program | language & culture assistant | A Pontenova, Spain |
| Phenovista Biosciences | research associate | San Diego, CA |
| Rally Health | associate project manager | Chicago, IL |
| Rangoon Brooklyn | server/bartender | New York, NY |
| self-employed | music producer & recording engineer | Chicago, IL |
| SexEdVA, James Madison University | Disability-Inclusive Sexual Health Network strategic communications & dissemination coordinator | Harrisonburg, VA |
| Shanti Bhavan Children's Project | social media coordinator | remote |
| Street Roots | correspondent | Portland, OR |
| Sucia Island Marine State Parks | senior park aide | Eastsound, WA |
| SwimSwam | content creator | remote |
| Teach for America | elementary teacher | Boston, MA |
| Teaching Assistant Program in France | teaching assistant | Montbéliard, France |
| Teaching Assistant Program in France | teaching assistant | Nancy-Metz, France |
| Tuscany at Your Table | worker | Atlanta, GA |
| U.S. Committee for Refugees & Immigrants | case aide | Des Moines, IA |
| U.S. Department of Energy | grants management specialist | Chicago, IL |
| University of Colorado | admissions counselor | Colorado Springs, CO |
| University of Iowa | postbaccalaureate research intern | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Iowa Tippie College of Business | career & outcomes specialist | Iowa City, IA |
| Washington University in St. Louis | neuropathology research technician | St. Louis, MO |
| YWCA Utah | lead advocate | Salt Lake City, UT |
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!
- 31% Completely
- 65% Moderately
- 4% Slightly
- 0% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lewis & Clark College | MSL | environmental, natural resource & energy law |
| University of Chicago | MA | sociology |
| University of Michigan | JD | law |
| University of Oxford | MPhil | comparative social policy |
| Yale University | PhD | sociology |
Sociology
Graduate Schools Data
| Institution | Degree | Field of Study | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown University | MPP | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
| Lewis & Clark College | MSL | environmental, natural resource & energy law | Portland, OR |
| London School of Economics & Political Science | MSc | sociology | London, UK |
| Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso Paul Foster School of Medicine | MD | medicine | El Paso, TX |
| University of Chicago | MA | sociology | Chicago, IL |
| University of Illinois | JD | law | Chicago, IL |
| University of Illinois | MS | management | Urbana-Champaign, IL |
| University of Iowa | JD | law | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Iowa | MPH | epidemiology | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Iowa | PhD | sociology | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Michigan | JD | law | Ann Arbor, MI |
| University of Oxford | MPhil | comparative social policy | Oxford, UK |
| University of Oxford | MSc | sociology | Oxford, UK |
| University of Pennsylvania | JD | law | Philadelphia, PA |
| Washington University in St. Louis | PhD | sociology | St. Louis, MO |
| Yale University | PhD | sociology | 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.
75%
75% 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
- Avodah
- La Puente Home
- Peace Corps
- Samuel Huntington Fund
Sociology
Service Data
| Organization | Location |
|---|---|
| AmeriCorps | Grinnell, IA |
| Avodah | New York, NY |
| Conservation Corps | Minneapolis, MN |
| Conservation Corps Iowa | Des Moines, IA |
| La Puente Home | Alamosa, CO |
| Peace Corps | Rabat, Morocco |
| Samuel Huntington Fund | Tamale, Ghana |
Fellowships
Fellowships
Grinnell has a rich history of producing recipients of some of the most prestigious post-graduate fellowships and awards.
Organization
- Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs
- Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship
- The Fulbright Program
Sociology
Fellowships Data
| Organization | Location |
|---|---|
| Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs | St. Louis, MO |
| Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship | Sacramento, CA |
| National Institutes of Health | Bethesda, MD |
| The Fulbright Program | Luodong, Taiwan |
| The Fulbright Program | Ostrava, Czechia |
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
77%
Sociology
Internships Data
| Organization | Field | Location |
|---|---|---|
| American Chemical Society | education | remote |
| American for the Arts Action | creative/performing arts | Washington, DC |
| American Institutes for Research | government/public policy | Rockville, MD |
| AmeriCorps | education | Grinnell, IA |
| AmeriCorps | education | Minneapolis, MN |
| AmeriCorps VISTA | education | Grinnell, IA |
| Antieviction Mapping Project | communications/media | San Francisco, CA |
| ANYAR | education | Panama City, Panama |
| Benach Collopy LLP | law/legal services | Washington, DC |
| BioXFEL NSF Science & Technology Center | research/science | Buffalo, NY |
| BlackRock Inc | computing/technology | remote |
| Blank Park Zoo | research/science | Des Moines, IA |
| BlueTickSocial | sales/marketing | remote |
| Bohannon for Congress | government/public policy | Iowa City, IA |
| Boys & Girls Club of Topeka Teen Center | education | Topeka, KS |
| Bread & Puppet Theater | creative/performing arts | Glover, VT |
| Bread for the World | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
| Breakthrough Twin Cities | education | Minneapolis, MN |
| Cambridge Women's Center | social services | Cambridge, MA |
| Camp Thunderbird | education | Bemidji, MN |
| Canopy NWA | social services | Fayetteville, AR |
| Capital & Main | communications/media | Los Angeles, CA |
| Carver College of Medicine | healthcare | Iowa City, IA |
| Center for Constitutional Rights | law/legal services | New York, NY |
| Center for Human-Environmental Research | environment/sustainability | remote |
| Challenging Heights | social services | Winneba, Ghana |
| City Council | government/public policy | Los Angeles, CA |
| City of Grinnell | government/public policy | Grinnell, IA |
| City Year | education | Los Angeles, CA |
| Classick Studios LLC | creative/performing arts | Chicago, IL |
| Cocoa Creatives | communications/media | Des Moines, IA |
| Community Homestead | social services | Osceola, WI |
| Compulse | sales/marketing | Los Angeles, CA |
| Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence | social services | Hartford, CT |
| Cox-Smith Funeral & Cremation Service of Grinnell | social services | Grinnell, IA |
| Cre8Lab | communications/media | remote |
| Crisis Intervention Services | social services | Oskaloosa, IA |
| Dallas Museum of Art | creative/performing arts | Dallas, TX |
| Delaware Museum of Nature & Science | education | Wilmington, DE |
| Deloitte Tohmatsu Venture Support | communications/media | Tokyo, Japan |
| Design Museum Foundation | communications/media | Boston, MA |
| DoSomething.org | social services | New York, NY |
| Dovetail Partners | environment/sustainability | Minneapolis, MN |
| EchoAce | communications/media | San Francisco, CA |
| El Proyecto Corazon | law/legal services | Matamoros, Mexico |
| ELOP | social services | London, UK |
| Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | law/legal services | Chicago, IL |
| Externat des Enfants Nantais | education | Nantes, France |
| Fair | communications/media | New York, NY |
| Gathr Now | sales/marketing | San Francisco, CA |
| The GenderCool Project | social services | remote |
| Gender Dynamix | social services | Cape Town, South Africa |
| Georgia Innocence Project | law/legal services | Atlanta, GA |
| Global Nomads Group | government/public policy | New York, NY |
| Government Accountability Office | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
| Grinnell Area Arts Council | creative/performing arts | Grinnell, IA |
| Grinnell College | sales/marketing | Grinnell, IA |
| Grinnell College Disability Resources | social services | Grinnell, IA |
| Grinnell College Office of Admissions | education | Grinnell, IA |
| Grinnell United Church of Christ | social services | Grinnell, IA |
| Hillcrest Ministries | social services | Liberty, MO |
| Hunch Media | creative/performing arts | London, UK |
| Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development | communications/media | remote |
| International Rescue Committee | social services | Des Moines, IA |
| Iowa Civil Rights Commission | government/public policy | Des Moines, IA |
| John Lewis Constituent Services Office | government/public policy | Atlanta, GA |
| Last Cut Project | communications/media | Los Angeles, CA |
| Life Moves | social services | Palo Alto, CA |
| LINK Grinnell | social services | Grinnell, IA |
| Loeb Enterprises | computing/technology | New York, NY |
| Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office | law/legal services | Los Angeles, CA |
| Mastercard | computing/technology | O'Fallon, MO |
| Meridian Freedom Project | education | Meridian, MS |
| Midwest Conference | business administration/management | Grinnell, IA |
| Monsoon Asian & Pacific Islanders in Solidarity | social services | Des Moines, IA |
| Monsoon Asian & Pacific Islanders in Solidarity | social services | Des Moines, IA |
| mPulse Mobile | computing/technology | Los Angeles, CA |
| mTheory | creative/performing arts | Nashville, TN |
| National Endowment for Democracy | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
| Ninjitsu Technologies | computing/technology | remote |
| On Earth Peace | social services | remote |
| One Refugee | social services | Chicago, IL |
| Outsider | communications/media | Nashville, TN |
| Philanthropy in Motion | business administration/management | Beijing, China |
| Philip Morris International | business administration/management | Lausanne, Switzerland, Switzerland |
| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | communications/media | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Public Defense Office | law/legal services | Iowa City, IA |
| Quarter Zero | education | New York, NY |
| Refugees Welcome Stockholm | social services | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Restorative Justice Project of Midcoast Maine | law/legal services | Belfast, ME |
| Revolution Tailors | business administration/management | Chicago, IL |
| Rogers & Rosewater | social services | San Francisco, CA |
| Scripps Research | research/science | San Diego, CA |
| Sesame Workshop | creative/performing arts | Tokyo, Japan |
| Shahid Buttar for Congress | communications/media | San Francisco, CA |
| Shalom Bayit | social services | San Francisco, CA |
| SIT Abroad | education | remote |
| Sitka Conservation Society | environment/sustainability | Sitka, AK |
| SLAM | sales/marketing | New York, NY |
| Sports Monster | sales/marketing | St. Louis, MO |
| Sustainable Outcomes | consulting | New Delhi, India |
| TechStyleOS | business administration/management | El Segundo, CA |
| U.S. Census Bureau | government/public policy | Little Rock, AR |
| U.S. Foreign Service | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
| U.S. House of Representatives | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
| Umkhumbane Schools Project | education | Durban, South Africa |
| Union Avenue Opera | creative/performing arts | St. Louis, MO |
| University of Iowa | healthcare | Iowa City, IA |
| Virtual Student Federal Service | government/public policy | remote |
| VMLY&R Commerce | communications/media | Chicago, IL |
| Volunteer Fox Cities | sales/marketing | Appleton, WI |
| Vote Smart | government/public policy | Des Moines, IA |
| Wells Fargo | communications/media | Des Moines, IA |
| Wells Fargo | sales/marketing | Des Moines, IA |
| Workers Defense Project | social services | Austin, TX |
| Youth Action YouthBuild | social services | New York, NY |
| ZÖe Center for Pediatrics & Adolescent Health | healthcare | Thomaston, GA |
Research
48%
Sociology
Research Data
| Organization | Field | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Grinnell College | social movement community | New York, NY |
| Harvard University | sociology | Cambridge, MA |
| Mayo Clinic | biomedicine | Rochester, MN |
| Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship | asylum seekers' navigation of immigration system | Matamoros, Mexico |
| Princeton University | public policy & international affairs | Princeton, NJ |
| School for Field Studies | Himalayan environment & society in transition | Paro, Bhutan |
| Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital | genome editing | Guangzhou, China |
| University of Maryland | algorithm robusticity | remote |
Service
92%
Off-Campus Study
46%