Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, U.S. known for its strong tradition of social activism and rigorous academic environment. It was founded in 1846, when a group of pioneer New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College. In its 2011 edition of America's Best Colleges, Grinnell was ranked 18th among all liberal arts colleges in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, tied with Hamilton College and Harvey Mudd College. In 2004, it received the "Best All-Around" college rating from Newsweek. As of 2007, Grinnell has the third-largest endowment amongst liberal arts colleges. In 1843, eleven Congregational ministers, all of whom trained at Andover Theological Seminary in Massachusetts, set out to proselytize on the frontier. Each man pledged to gather a church and together the group or band would seek to establish a college. When the group arrived in Iowa later that year, each selected a different town in which to establish a congregation. In 1846, they collectively established Iowa College in Davenport. A few months later, Iowa joined the Union. The first 25 years of Grinnell's history saw a change in name and location.