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.
- 56% Employment
- 18% Graduate School
- 12% Post-Graduate Service
- 3% 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
- Minneapolis & St. Paul, MN
- 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 |
|---|---|
| Boys and Girls Club | education specialist |
| Finsbury Glover Hering | associate |
| Government Accountability Office | analyst |
| Habitat for Humanity | family services coordinator |
| Iowa Legal Aid | intake paralegal |
| Mid Iowa Community Action | food insecurity & COVID-19 response leader |
| Teach for America | elementary teacher |
| University of Minnesota | clinical research coordinator |
Sociology
Employment Data
| Employer | Position | Location |
|---|---|---|
| AcademyHealth | research assistant | Washington, DC |
| Bank of America | Java developer | Chicago, IL |
| BlackRock | software engineering analyst | Atlanta, GA |
| Boys and Girls Club | education specialist | St. Paul, MN |
| Catholic Charities | senior companion program coordinator | Crest Hill, IL |
| Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute | public policy fellow | Washington, DC |
| Crowd Cow | head of local marketing | Chapel Hill, NC |
| CSL Plasma | plasma processing technician | Gilbert, AZ |
| Deloitte | analyst | Arlington, VA |
| ECONorthwest | administrative and project assistant | Seattle, WA |
| Finsbury Glover Hering | associate | Washington, DC |
| Fraser | clinical program assistant | Minneapolis, MN |
| GE Gallery | location manager | Mexico City, Mexico |
| Government Accountability Office | analyst | Washington, DC |
| Grinnell College | admission counselor | Grinnell, IA |
| Habitat for Humanity | family services coordinator | Des Moines, IA |
| HEAPS Magazine | project assistant | Tokyo, Japan |
| International Business Initiatives (IBI) | business analyst associate | Arlington, VA |
| Iowa Legal Aid | intake paralegal | Iowa City, IA |
| JP Morgan Chase & Co. | software engineer | Chicago, IL |
| Latin American Women's Aid | counsellor | London, UK |
| 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 |
| McLean Hospital | school counselor | Arlington, MA |
| Mears Law Office | legal assistant | Iowa City, IA |
| Mid Iowa Community Action | food insecurity & COVID-19 response leader | Grinnell, IA |
| Morningstar | Morningstar Development Program | Chicago, IL |
| PhenoVista Biosciences | research associate | San Diego, CA |
| private family | au pair | Madrid, Spain |
| Rally Health | associate project manager | Chicago, IL |
| Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC | paralegal | Denver, CO |
| School District 159 | substitute teacher | Matteson, IL |
| 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 |
| Smithsonian Institution | intern | Washington, DC |
| Street Roots | correspondent | Portland, OR |
| Teach for America | elementary teacher | Boston, MA |
| The Handbuilt City | social innovation intern | Detroit, MI |
| The People's Lobby | Chicago Student Action lead organizer | Chicago, IL |
| Total Quality Logistics | logistical sales representative | Chicago, IL |
| Tuscany at Your Table | worker | Atlanta, GA |
| University of Iowa | post-baccalaureate research intern | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Minnesota | clinical research coordinator | Minneapolis, MN |
| University Prep | after school supervisor | Seattle, WA |
| 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!
- 34% Completely
- 63% Moderately
- 3% 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 |
| Northwestern University | PhD | sociology |
| University of Illinois | MS | management |
| University of Michigan | JD | law |
| University of Pennsylvania | MS | education |
| Yale University | PhD | sociology |
Sociology
Graduate Schools Data
| Institution | Degree | Field of Study | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Performing Arts | MFA | documentary photography | Prague, Czechia |
| Bowling Green State University | MA | American culture studies | Bowling Green, OH |
| Chicago-Kent College of Law | JD | law | Chicago, IL |
| Johns Hopkins University | MEd | education | Baltimore, MD |
| Lewis & Clark College | MSL | environmental, natural resource & energy law | Portland, OR |
| Mitchell Hamline School of Law | JD | law | St. Paul, MN |
| Northwestern University | PhD | sociology | Evanston, IL |
| University of Illinois | MS | management | Urbana-Champaign, IL |
| University of Iowa | MCA | clinical anatomy | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Iowa | MPH | epidemiology | Iowa City, IA |
| University of Michigan | JD | law | Ann Arbor, MI |
| University of Minnesota | JD | law | Minneapolis, MN |
| University of Minnesota | MPP | public policy | Minneapolis, MN |
| University of Pennsylvania | MS | education | Philadelphia, PA |
| University of Southern California | PhD | comparative media & culture | Los Angeles, CA |
| 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.
67%
67% 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
- Urban Teachers
- Avodah
- Land of Lincoln Legal Aid
- Peace Corps
- Samuel Huntington Fund
Sociology
Service Data
| Organization | Location |
|---|---|
| Urban Teachers | Dallas, TX |
| AmeriCorps | Grinnell, IA |
| AmeriCorps | Sioux Falls, SD |
| Avodah | New York, NY |
| College Possible | Chicago, IL |
| College Possible | St. Paul, MN |
| La Puente Home | Alamosa, CO |
| Land of Lincoln Legal Aid | Carbondale, IL |
| Peace Corps | Rabat, Morocco |
| Ramsey County Community Corrections | St. Paul, MN |
| 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
- Thomas J. Watson Foundation
Sociology
Fellowships Data
| Organization | Location |
|---|---|
| Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs | St. Louis, MO |
| Grinnell College | Grinnell, IA |
| Thomas J. Watson Foundation | Hungary, India, South Africa |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 3311 Productions, Inc. | creative/performing arts | Los Angeles, CA |
| Al Exito | education | Des Moines, IA |
| 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 VISTA | education | Grinnell, IA |
| Antieviction Mapping Project | communications/media | San Francisco, CA |
| Belen Educa | education | Santiago, Chile |
| Benach Collopy LLP | law/legal services | Washington, DC |
| BlackRock Inc | computing/technology | remote |
| Blank Park Zoo | research/science | Des Moines, IA |
| Bread and Puppet Theater | creative/performing arts | Glover, VT |
| Bread for the World | government/public policy | Washington, DC |
| Breakthrough New York | education | New York, NY |
| Cambridge Women's Center | social services | Cambridge, MA |
| Camp Thunderbird | education | Bemidji, MN |
| Capital and Main | communications/media | Los Angeles, CA |
| Carver College of Medicine | healthcare | Iowa City, IA |
| Center for Constitutional Rights | law/legal services | New York, NY |
| Challenging Heights | social services | Winneba, Ghana |
| Chloe Smith MP, House of Commons | government/public policy | London, UK |
| 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 |
| Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence | social services | Hartford, CT |
| Coppola Enterprises | sales/marketing | Des Moines, IA |
| D4DR Inc. | computing/technology | Tokyo, Japan |
| Delaware Museum of Nature & Science | education | Wilmington, DE |
| Deloitte Tohmatsu Venture Support | communications/media | Tokyo, Japan |
| Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance | healthcare | Chicago, IL |
| DoSomething.org | social services | New York, NY |
| Dr. Laura Ferguson | healthcare | Grinnell, IA |
| Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos SHS | education | Chicago, IL |
| El Proyecto Corazon | law/legal services | Matamoros, Mexico |
| ELOP | social services | London, UK |
| ExtraHop Networks | sales/marketing | Seattle, WA |
| Fair | communications/media | New York, NY |
| First Stage Theater Academy | education | Milwaukee, WI |
| Gender Dynamix | social services | Cape Town, South Africa |
| Gender Justice | law/legal services | St. Paul, MN |
| Girls Inc | education | Washington, DC |
| 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 Area Chamber of Commerce | communications | Grinnell, IA |
| Grinnell College Office of Admissions | education | Grinnell, IA |
| Grinnell Community Daycare and Preschool | education | Grinnell, IA |
| Grinnell Disability Resources | social services | Grinnell IA, IA |
| Grinnell Historical Museum | education | Grinnell, IA |
| Grinnell Regional Medical Center | communications | Grinnell, IA |
| Harlem RBI | education | New York, NY |
| Havas Media Group | sales/marketing | New York, NY |
| Hunch Media | creative/performing arts | London, UK |
| Iowa Center for Economic Success | social services | Des Moines, IA |
| Iowa Senate Democrats Policy Research Staff | government/public policy | Des Moines, IA |
| John Lewis Constituent Services Office | government/public policy | Atlanta, GA |
| Kaiser Permanente | communications/media | Portland, OR |
| KIPP New Orleans | education | New Orleans, LA |
| 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 |
| Loyola Law School | law/legal services | Los Angeles, CA |
| Mary's Center | healthcare | Washington, DC |
| Mastercard | computing/technology | St. Louis, MO |
| Mayflower | social services | Grinnell, IA |
| Mercy Medical Center | healthcare | Des Moines, IA |
| Meridian Freedom Project | education | Meridian, MS |
| mPulse Mobile | computing/technology | Los Angeles, CA |
| mTheory | creative/performing arts | Nashville, TN |
| MTV | communications | New York, NY |
| Ninjitsu Technologies | computing/technology | remote CA |
| Northwest Film Forum | creative/performing arts | Seattle, WA |
| On Earth Peace | social services | remote |
| One Refugee | social services | Chicago, IL |
| Philanthropy in Motion | business administration/management | Beijing, China |
| Philip Morris International | business administration/management | Lausanne, Switzerland, Switzerland |
| Ping Chong + Company | creative/performing arts | New York, NY |
| Prateepsana Ismail Memorial School | education | Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand |
| Propeller: A Force for Social Innovation | education | New Orleans, LA |
| Quarter Zero | education | New York, NY |
| RefugeeOne | social services | Chicago, IL |
| Restorative Justice Project of Midcoast Maine | law/legal services | Belfast, ME |
| Revolution Tailors | business administration/management | Chicago, IL |
| Salt IO | data science/analytics | Royersford, PA |
| Scripps Research | research/science | San Diego, CA |
| Seattle Documentary Association | creative/performing arts | Seattle, WA |
| Sesame Workshop | creative/performing arts | Tokyo, Japan |
| Shedd Aquarium | education | Chicago, IL |
| Sisters4Sisters | social services | Cape Town, South Africa |
| Sports Monster | sales/marketing | St. Louis, MO |
| Teach for America | education | Los Angeles, CA |
| Teamster Union 705 | law/legal services | Chicago, IL |
| The Coca-Cola Company | business administration/management | Tokyo, Japan |
| The GenderCool Project | social services | remote |
| The Posse Foundation | education | Washington, DC |
| Umkhumbane Schools Project | education | Durban, South Africa |
| Union Avenue Opera | creative/performing arts | St. Louis, MO |
| Unity Point Health | healthcare | Des Moines, IA |
| University of Iowa | research/science | Iowa City, IA |
| Urban Dreams | social services | Des Moines, IA |
| Venice Family Clinic | healthcare | Santa Monica, CA |
| Veteran Affairs Central Iowa Healthcare System | social services | Des Moines, IA |
| Viva Tanzania | education | Arusha, Tanzania |
| Volunteer Fox Cities | sales/marketing | Appleton, WI |
| Vote Smart | government/public policy | Des Moines, IA |
| Waypoint Services | social services | Cedar Rapids, IA |
| Wells Fargo | communications/media | Des Moines, IA |
| Wells Fargo | sales/marketing | Des Moines, IA |
| Workers Defense Project | social services | Austin, TX |
| Youth Action Youth Build | social services | New York, NY |
| Youth Action YouthBuild | social services | New York, NY |
| ZÖe Center for Pediatrics & Adolescent Health | healthcare | Thomaston, GA |
Research
52%
Sociology
Research Data
| Organization | Field | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Grinnell Chamber of Commerce | social & economic sustainability | Grinnell, IA |
| Grinnell College | civic education in India | Bangalore, India |
| Grinnell College | social movement community | New York, NY |
| Harvard University | sociology | Cambridge, MA |
| Hawaii Permanente Medical Group | cultural awareness in prenatal care | Honolulu, HI |
| 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 and society in transition | Paro, Bhutan |
| University of California | biomedicine | Los Angeles, CA |
| University of California | placental response to environmental pollution | Los Angeles, CA |
| University of Freiburg | organic chemistry | Freiburg, Germany |
| University of Illinois | diagnosing learning disabilities | Chicago, IL |
| University of Illinois | psychology | Chicago, IL |
| University of Southern California | effect of community on youth development | Santa Cruz, CA |
Service
73%
Off-Campus Study
51%