Grand Valley State University

Grand Valley State University Overview

Grand Valley State University is a public, state school in a small town setting in Allendale, Michigan. Grand Valley was founded in 1960 and now enrolls around 23,350 students a year, including 20,405 undergrads. Grand Valley offers housing for up to 6,012 students. Most students live in off campus housing, and 55% of students spend their weekends on campus.

There are many ways for students to get involved at Grand Valley! Love music or performing? Join a campus band, sing in a chorus, or perform with one of Grand Valley's theater groups.

Interested in journalism or communications? Grand Valley students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Excited for Greek life? Grand Valley has fraternities and sororities.

Planning to play sports? Grand Valley has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at Grand Valley on the Student Life page.

Learn more about life at Grand Valley on the Student Life page.

Mark your calendar! The deadline to apply regular decision to Grand Valley for Fall 2022 is May 1.

Is Grand Valley a Good School?

There is no one way to define a "good" college or university. Admissions criteria, acceptance rate and average GPA are good indicators of how selective an institution is, but they don't tell you how happy or successful students are. However, there are a few good ways to get a better sense how satisfied students are and how well a school supports its student body.

Let's take a look at each of these factors to get a clearer sense of what Grand Valley offers and if it might be a good choice for you.

2021 Acceptance Rate for Grand Valley State University

It is moderately difficult to get into Grand Valley. Around 88% of applicants get into Grand Valley each year. Last year, 15,415 students applied to Grand Valley and 13,535 were admitted.

Retention and Graduation Rates at Grand Valley

Retention is the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. This is a way to get a sense of how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

About 83% of students who start at Grand Valley return for their second year of college.Around 67% of students who started at Grand Valley earn their Bachelor's degrees within six years. Compare this to the average six-year graduation rate for colleges and universities in the U.S., which is around 61% for public schools and 67% for private.

Job Outcomes for Grand Valley Grads

Job placement statistics for recent graduates can give you a sense of the return on investment a school offers. Within six months of graduating, 74% of graduates receive at least one full-time job offer.

Check with Grand Valley directly, for information on any information on starting salaries for recent grads.

Grand Valley's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students. Grand Valley's endowment was valued at $131.7 million in 2021, compared to a national average of $905 million.

Tuition and Financial Aid at Grand Valley

Cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need. Grand Valley meets 68.2% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. First-year students that attend Grand Valley full-time are awarded $12,606 a year in financial aid, on average.

Graduates in the class of 2021 had an average of $28,969 in student loans per borrower. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2022-2023 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2021

Some financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA asap. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! You should never have to pay to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), so don't give your money (or info!) to any website that claim you do.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at Grand Valley. Based on this information, how does Grand Valley sound? Remember, a school that is perfect for one person may not be the right school for someone else! So ask yourself: Is Grand Valley a good school for you?

If Grand Valley State University seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

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Where is Grand Valley State University Located?

Grand Valley is located in the small town setting of Allendale, Michigan, less than an hour from Grand Rapids.

If you want to see Grand Valley for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take Interstate I-96 to Allendale, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Kent County International.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what Grand Valley and Allendale are like without leaving home.

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