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Grand Valley State University (GVSU) is a large public university located in the Western Michigan town of Allendale, outside of Grand Rapids. The school educates over 20,000 undergraduate and around 3,000 graduate students in programs that run the gamut from accounting to writing, and everything in between. These 141 programs are offered on campus, online, and through hybrid programs. The school also supports students in their pursuit of professional licensure in healthcare and other fields.
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Overview of Grand Valley State University (GVSU)
For those who engage with GVSU on campus, the school has much to offer. They offer over 6,000 beds for those who wish to live on campus, over 300 clubs and organizations, study abroad opportunities, and a community of alumni that is 133,000 strong and growing all the time. To fuel all of these folks, the GVSU campus offers many dining opportunities including coffee shops, fast food, and cafeteria-style dining.
Students can also round off their education with healthy recreation and wellness outlets on campus. GVSU offers intramural and club sports, nutrition and wellness offerings, rock climbing, and group fitness classes. There are even outdoor activities such as cycling, rock climbing, and backpacking adventures that create memories for a lifetime.
General Information
School Type | Public |
---|---|
Campus Setting | Suburb: Large |
Campus Housing | Yes |
Student Faculty Ratio | 16:1 |
Graduation Rate | 67% |
Year Founded | 1960 |
Student Enrollment
Total Students24,033
21,112
2,921
Undergraduate Student
Male 8,445
Female 12,667
Graduate Student
Male 1,168
Female 1,753
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GVSU Acceptance Rate and Admissions
APPLICATIONS16,511
ACCEPTANCE13,704
Acceptance Rate83%
Enrollment 4,248
Admissions | |
---|---|
Application Fee | $30 |
High School GPA | Required |
High School Rank | Recommended |
High School Transcripts | Required |
College Prep Courses | Required |
Recommendations | N/A |
SAT/ACT | Required |
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) | Required |
Application Deadline | May |
Common Application Accepted | N/A |
GVSU Tuition Cost & Financial Aid
The cost of education is a huge issue for most Michigan families. Since GVSU is a public university, it can offer top-tier academics for a lower rate than most private institutions. In fact, Michigan students can take a year of courses, full-time, for around $14,000. Out-of-state students pay over $20,000, which is still a bargain for the top academics offered on campus.
Student living can be cheap, but those expenses still add up. GVSU students pay around $12,000 for their on-campus living and off-campus students pay under $10,000. All in all, the gross cost for a Michigan resident is $26,000 for on-campus and $24,000 for off-campus living. These figures rise by around $6,000 for non-Michigan students. However, these figures don't factor in grants and scholarships.
The financial aid office mitigates student costs with a range of grants and scholarships which result in a more palatable net price for a GVSU education. Indeed, the overall average net price for a year at GVSU is a mere $17,000, including all living expenses. This figure falls to an affordable $10,000 for the school's lowest-earning households and maintains affordability for top earners, who pay only $22,000 for a year of academic excellence.
Average net price | 2018-2019 |
---|---|
Net Price | $16,860 |
Average Total Aid | $7,930 |
Students Receiving Financial Aid | 87% |
Room & Board | $9,400 |
Sticker Price
- Tuition In-State - $12,860
- Tuition Out-of-State - $18,296
- Books and Supplies - $740
- Room & Board - $9,400
- Other - $2,040
Academics
Michigan students have many options for their college degree. The state is full of top-notch public and private institutions. Grand Valley State University is one of them. Undergraduate students flock to its Western Michigan campus year after year to gain the academic training that may well make them a success in their professional lives. To confirm the academic reputation that GVSU earns, researchers evaluate the hard data points including the school's retention rate and graduation rate, among other factors.
The retention rate is a figure that reflects how many first-time, full-time students return to GVSU for a second year. Since an astounding 83% of GVSU students return, researchers surmise that many students are highly satisfied with the school's faculty, staff, curriculum, and campus resources. On top of that, GVSU's 69% percent graduation rate indicates high satisfaction, as well. Researchers also found that 22% of GVSU students chose to leverage their transcripts for a degree at another institution. Thus, it can be said that GVSU prepares 91% of its student for a college degree.
Retention
Rate
4 year
Graduation
Rate
6 year
Graduation
Rate
Student Population Total
Student Population 24,033
21,112
2,921
Most Popular Programs & Majors
(# of Diplomas Awarded by Subject)
All Business Majors | 1,020 Total Graduates / 22% |
---|---|
Marketing/Marketing Management, General | 251 Graduates |
Finance, General | 197 Graduates |
Accounting | 118 Graduates |
Hotel/Motel Administration/Management | 105 Graduates |
Management Science | 105 Graduates |
Health Professions and Related Programs | 653 Total Graduates / 14% |
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | 276 Graduates |
Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | 198 Graduates |
Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician | 53 Graduates |
Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy | 40 Graduates |
All Biological & Biomedical Majors | 415 Total Graduates / 9% |
Biomedical Sciences, General | 220 Graduates |
Biology/Biological Sciences, General | 102 Graduates |
Neurobiology and Behavior | 64 Graduates |
Biochemistry | 19 Graduates |
Communication, Journalism, and Related Program | 298 Total Graduates / 7% |
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 151 Graduates |
Speech Communication and Rhetoric | 97 Graduates |
Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia | 30 Graduates |
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other | 20 Graduates |
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology | 271 Total Graduates / 6% |
Exercise Science and Kinesiology | 248 Graduates |
Sport and Fitness Administration/Management | 23 Graduates |
All Other Diplomas | 42% |
Outcome & Salary
While it's impossible to guarantee that a college degree will yield any specific job or salary, educational researchers do collect data on GVSU's alumni and their early earnings. Of their top-earning graduates, the computer and information systems graduates report the highest median salary, which is over $72,000. The business administration students round out the top five highest earning degrees with a median salary of $65,000. The median salary of the top five earning degrees is $69,000, which goes to students who studied quality control and safety technologies.
These median salaries may be good guides for new students, but they are not averages, nor do they reflect other forms of compensation such as bonuses or other benefits.
Graduates Salary | |
---|---|
College Grads Early Career Salary | $49,900 |
College Grads Average Salary | $59,908 |
College Grads Mid Career Salary | $86,600 |
Return on Investment (ROI) | |
---|---|
10 Year Salary Earnings Potential | $599,080 |
20 Year Salary Earnings Potential | $1,465,080 |
Cost of Education (Net Price) 4 Year | $67,440 |
10 Year Projected ROI | $531,640 |
20 Year Projected ROI | $1,397,640 |
No College Education Salary Comparison | |
---|---|
National Average Salary | $38,792 |
10 Year Projected Income | $387,920 |
20 Year Projected Income | $775,840 |
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