More selective than 66% of Michigan colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $54,222. College Scorecard.
Higher than 90% of Michigan colleges we cover and 84% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 71% of Michigan colleges we cover and 66% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Calvin University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 4,719 applicants, Calvin University admitted 3,365 and 725 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1083–1330 on the SAT or 24–30 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Calvin University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Calvin University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Calvin University took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Michigan. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $19,281 | $80,595 | 3.2 years |
| $30–48k | $18,330 | $76,619 | 3.1 years |
| $48–75k | $19,447 | $81,288 | 3.3 years |
| $75–110k | $21,128 | $88,315 | 3.5 years |
| $110k+ | $26,713 | $111,660 | 4.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (65% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($58,375) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $24,964 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Calvin University majors, earnings & careers
Calvin University offers 64 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 16
- Science & Math · 10
- Business & Finance · 9
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Arts & Design · 5
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Technology & Computing · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 3
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at Calvin University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $95,410 | $19,000 |
| Engineering | $82,326 | $23,000 |
| Accounting | $75,085 | $23,250 |
| Nursing | $74,810 | $26,924 |
| Business Administration | $73,155 | $21,072 |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | $60,986 | $21,000 |
| Psychology | $54,412 | $23,767 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $53,949 | $24,833 |
Quick list of all 64 majors
- Accounting$75,085
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biological and Physical Sciences—
- Biology$44,763
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business / Corporate Communications—
- Business Administration$73,155
- Chemistry—
- Classical and Ancient Studies—
- Classics—
- Communications$43,138
- Computer Science$95,410
- Computer Systems Analysis—
- Criminology—
- Data Analytics—
- Data Science—
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics$48,169
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$47,157
- Education (Subject Teaching)$45,579
- Engineering$82,326
- English—
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Film and Photography—
- Finance—
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- History—
- Human Resources—
- International Relations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$53,949
- Linguistics—
- Literature—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Nursing$74,810
- Pastoral Counseling / Ministry—
- Philosophy—
- Philosophy, Politics, and Economics—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$54,412
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising$52,281
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Sciences—
- Social Work$49,811
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$50,218
- Special Education—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$60,986
- Statistics—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Writing$32,843
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Grand Rapids
Overall prices in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,630. Housing costs 13% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 40 inches of rain a year, 75 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Kent County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Kent County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Calvin University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Michigan by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calvin University | 71% | $22,992 | 74% | $58,375 | This school |
| Hope College | 79% | $27,182 | 80% | $58,427 | |
| University of Detroit Mercy | 75% | $15,232 | 67% | $71,030 | |
| Kalamazoo College | 75% | $19,072 | 76% | $65,590 | |
| Northwood University | 65% | $27,232 | 63% | $63,075 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Calvin University would cost you $4,190 less per year than Hope College, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Calvin University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$2,620).
- Calvin University gives aided families $2,766 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Michigan resident | Calvin University | Hope College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $39,350 | $41,970 | −$2,620 |
| Books & supplies | $1,300 | $1,150 | +$150 |
| Housing & meals | $11,950 | $12,180 | −$230 |
| Personal & travel | $3,000 | $2,040 | +$960 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,378 | −$1,694 | +$316 |
| Sticker price | $54,222 | $55,646 | −$1,424 |
| Average grants | −$31,230 | −$28,464 | −$2,766 |
| You pay | $22,992 | $27,182 | −$4,190 |
“+” means Calvin University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Calvin University
What is the Calvin University acceptance rate?
Calvin University accepts 71% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,365 of 4,719 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1083–1330 on the SAT or 24–30 on the ACT.
How much does Calvin University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $54,222 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $22,992 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $19,281 and families earning $110k+ pay $26,713.
How much do Calvin University graduates earn?
Former Calvin University students earn a median $58,375 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Calvin University graduation rate?
74% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 87% return for their second year.
How long does a Calvin University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Calvin University costs about $81,288 after grants ($19,447 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $58,375 ten years after starting, $24,964 more than high school graduates in Michigan ($33,411), so the cost is repaid in 3.3 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Calvin University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/calvin-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).