More selective than 34% 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 $28,367. College Scorecard.
Higher than 77% of Michigan colleges we cover and 73% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 67% of Michigan colleges we cover and 59% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
GVSU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 24,297 applicants, Grand Valley State University admitted 23,008 and 4,836 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 940–1190 on the SAT or 22–30 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
GVSU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Michigan residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What GVSU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Grand Valley State University took 4.4 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 | $12,272 | $54,242 | 2.4 years |
| $30–48k | $11,902 | $52,607 | 2.3 years |
| $48–75k | $12,861 | $56,846 | 2.5 years |
| $75–110k | $16,609 | $73,412 | 3.2 years |
| $110k+ | $22,534 | $99,600 | 4.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (45% 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 ($56,118) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $22,707 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.
GVSU majors, earnings & careers
Grand Valley State University offers 83 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 15
- Business & Finance · 12
- Humanities & Languages · 12
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 12
- Health & Medicine · 10
- Engineering · 7
- Arts & Design · 5
- Communications & Media · 4
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
Highest-earning majors at GVSU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $103,253 | $26,676 |
| Electrical Engineering | $100,456 | $29,172 |
| Manufacturing Engineering | $95,416 | $26,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $94,330 | $27,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $90,565 | $28,000 |
| Information Science / Studies | $81,420 | $29,000 |
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies / Technicians | $80,398 | $29,000 |
| International Business | $80,324 | $24,397 |
Quick list of all 83 majors
- Accounting$80,153
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$70,655
- Anthropology$42,796
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry$59,476
- Biological and Physical Sciences$45,090
- Biology$52,176
- Biomedical Engineering—
- Biopsychology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media$43,011
- Business$61,553
- Business Administration$79,324
- Business Economics$73,241
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences$63,043
- Chemistry$70,611
- Classics—
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other$57,771
- Communications$46,938
- Computer and Information Sciences$94,330
- Computer Engineering$103,253
- Criminal Justice$57,537
- Dance—
- Dietetics—
- Economics—
- Education$49,225
- Education (Subject Teaching)$49,612
- Electrical Engineering$100,456
- Engineering—
- English$45,237
- Entrepreneurship$77,581
- Environmental Science / Conservation$49,113
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$51,872
- Film and Photography$39,082
- Finance$71,348
- Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management—
- Geography$61,831
- Geology / Earth Science$61,868
- German—
- Health Administration$51,027
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other$62,482
- History$47,218
- Hospitality Management$58,413
- Human Resources$75,800
- Information Science / Studies$81,420
- Information Technology—
- International / Global Studies—
- International Business$80,324
- International Relations$58,802
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$53,175
- Legal Support Services$57,728
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$51,497
- Management Science / Analytics$69,603
- Manufacturing Engineering$95,416
- Marketing$69,592
- Mathematics$51,753
- Mechanical Engineering$90,565
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology—
- Music$49,111
- Neuroscience$57,842
- Nursing$79,188
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$48,896
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health$62,501
- Psychology$51,460
- Psychology (Research)—
- Public Administration$49,776
- Public Relations and Advertising$57,599
- Quality Control and Safety Technologies / Technicians$80,398
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences$50,291
- Religious Studies—
- Social Sciences$52,520
- Social Work$50,690
- Sociology$48,664
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$53,715
- Special Education$49,814
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders—
- Statistics$74,229
- Studio Art$39,307
- Theatre—
- Writing$43,552
- Zoology / Animal Biology—
— 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 →Marketing → Marketing specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.0% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Finance → Financial analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.2% 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 $1,546. Housing costs 13% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 43 inches of rain a year, 75 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Ottawa County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Ottawa County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare GVSU with similar schools
Similar public 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Valley State University | 83% | $16,317 | 67% | $56,118 | This school |
| Wayne State University | 81% | $12,766 | 58% | $53,493 | |
| Western Michigan University | 85% | $15,273 | 58% | $53,562 | |
| Oakland University | 88% | $9,120 | 58% | $58,612 | |
| Central Michigan University | 90% | $17,597 | 59% | $55,874 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Grand Valley State University would cost you $3,551 more per year than Wayne State University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Grand Valley State University, mostly from more Wayne State University students living at home, which lowers its average (+$4,156).
- Wayne State University gives aided families $2,534 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Michigan resident | GVSU | WSU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $15,140 | $15,190 | −$50 |
| Books & supplies | $780 | $1,316 | −$536 |
| Housing & meals | $11,142 | $11,762 | −$620 |
| Personal & travel | $2,477 | $4,410 | −$1,933 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,172 | −$5,328 | +$4,156 |
| Sticker price | $28,367 | $27,350 | +$1,017 |
| Average grants | −$12,050 | −$14,584 | +$2,534 |
| You pay | $16,317 | $12,766 | +$3,551 |
“+” means GVSU 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 GVSU
What is the GVSU acceptance rate?
Grand Valley State University accepts 83% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 23,008 of 24,297 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 940–1190 on the SAT or 22–30 on the ACT.
How much does Grand Valley State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $28,367 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $16,317 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,272 and families earning $110k+ pay $22,534.
How much do GVSU graduates earn?
Former Grand Valley State University students earn a median $56,118 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the GVSU graduation rate?
67% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 76% return for their second year.
How long does a GVSU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Grand Valley State University costs about $56,846 after grants ($12,861 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $56,118 ten years after starting, $22,707 more than high school graduates in Michigan ($33,411), so the cost is repaid in 2.5 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: “Grand Valley State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/grand-valley-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).