# Grand Valley State University (GVSU)

Public college in Allendale, MI. IPEDS ID 170082.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/grand-valley-state-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/grand-valley-state-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 83% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $16,317 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 67%; beats 77% of MI colleges and 73% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $56,118; beats 67% of MI colleges and 59% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $19,500

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $12,272 |
| 30-48k | $11,902 |
| 48-75k | $12,861 |
| 75-110k | $16,609 |
| 110k+ | $22,534 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.42 years on average (45% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $56,118 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $28,367 in-state; about $34,775 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $15,140 in-state, $21,548 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $11,142; books: $780

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 480–600; SAT math: 460–590; ACT: 22–30 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 24,297 applicants, 23,008 admitted, 4,836 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 83%, ACT 22–30 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 95%, ACT 21–28 (IPEDS Admissions)

### Common Data Set 2025-26 (Fall 2025)
- Very important: rigor, gpa; important: test scores; considered: class rank, essay, recommendations, extracurriculars, character, first generation, volunteer, work experience
- Early decision: no; early action: no; waitlist: no
- Average high school GPA of enrolled first-years: 3.4
- Aid (full-time first-years): average 77.7% of need met; 622 of 2822 with need fully met; merit aid to students without need: 1239 students, average $5,217
- Source: https://www.gvsu.edu/cms4/asset/EFAB4AD2-A926-8D16-A5685AB71E0C7DC3/cds_2025-2026.xlsx

## Majors (83 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $80,746 | $103,253 | $26,676 |
| Electrical Engineering | $80,732 | $100,456 | $29,172 |
| Manufacturing Engineering | $76,754 | $95,416 | $26,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $74,360 | $94,330 | $27,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $75,777 | $90,565 | $28,000 |
| Information Science / Studies | $66,967 | $81,420 | $29,000 |
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies / Technicians | $58,781 | $80,398 | $29,000 |
| International Business | $58,746 | $80,324 | $24,397 |
| Accounting | $51,186 | $80,153 | $23,750 |
| Business Administration | $57,760 | $79,324 | $27,000 |
| Nursing | $71,181 | $79,188 | $27,000 |
| Entrepreneurship | $43,391 | $77,581 | $26,000 |
| Human Resources | $50,259 | $75,800 | $25,452 |
| Statistics | $43,668 | $74,229 | $27,000 |
| Business Economics | $53,536 | $73,241 | $25,000 |
| Finance | $52,872 | $71,348 | $24,199 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | $57,161 | $70,655 | $27,000 |
| Chemistry | $46,496 | $70,611 | $25,000 |
| Management Science / Analytics | $46,886 | $69,603 | $26,000 |
| Marketing | $46,022 | $69,592 | $25,000 |
| Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | not reported | $63,043 | not reported |
| Pre-Med / Pre-Health | $35,374 | $62,501 | $26,300 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | $34,203 | $62,482 | $26,262 |
| Geology / Earth Science | $38,675 | $61,868 | $28,750 |
| Geography | $35,838 | $61,831 | $20,500 |
| Business | $45,285 | $61,553 | $21,025 |
| Biochemistry | $30,141 | $59,476 | $26,625 |
| International Relations | $28,202 | $58,802 | $19,000 |
| Hospitality Management | $35,406 | $58,413 | $26,000 |
| Neuroscience | $32,644 | $57,842 | $24,946 |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other | $40,415 | $57,771 | $25,479 |
| Legal Support Services | $40,778 | $57,728 | $21,500 |
| Public Relations and Advertising | $38,172 | $57,599 | $26,377 |
| Criminal Justice | $39,857 | $57,537 | $26,000 |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | $31,569 | $53,715 | $28,740 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $29,913 | $53,175 | $26,300 |
| Social Sciences | $43,217 | $52,520 | $27,400 |
| Biology | $40,959 | $52,176 | $26,748 |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | $51,872 | $26,814 |
| Mathematics | $45,349 | $51,753 | $27,000 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $35,767 | $51,497 | $31,000 |
| Psychology | $30,100 | $51,460 | $25,187 |
| Health Administration | $40,032 | $51,027 | $28,457 |
| Social Work | $37,233 | $50,690 | $27,000 |
| Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences | $43,631 | $50,291 | $27,000 |
| Special Education | $49,494 | $49,814 | $30,350 |
| Public Administration | $36,236 | $49,776 | $25,697 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $46,124 | $49,612 | $30,750 |
| Education | $44,071 | $49,225 | $29,364 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $32,118 | $49,113 | $24,158 |
| Music | $34,882 | $49,111 | $29,198 |
| Political Science | $35,358 | $48,896 | $24,250 |
| Sociology | $32,132 | $48,664 | $26,000 |
| History | $27,341 | $47,218 | $26,500 |
| Communications | $32,755 | $46,938 | $26,000 |
| English | $39,334 | $45,237 | $28,570 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | $44,525 | $45,090 | $27,000 |
| Writing | $31,016 | $43,552 | $25,000 |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | $24,894 | $43,011 | $27,000 |
| Anthropology | $27,350 | $42,796 | $27,000 |
| Studio Art | $24,135 | $39,307 | $27,000 |
| Film and Photography | $25,256 | $39,082 | $25,899 |
| Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Area Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Information Technology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biomedical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| German | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Classics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Zoology / Animal Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biopsychology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International / Global Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | $26,500 |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology (Research) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | $53,985 | not reported | $27,000 |
| Dance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Medical Laboratory Science | $63,038 | not reported | $31,741 |
| Dietetics | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Marketing → Marketing specialist: median wage $64,880 (Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI), $66,780 (MI), $78,760 (U.S.)
- Finance → Financial analyst: median wage $88,210 (Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI), $95,420 (MI), $102,740 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).