Grand Valley State University

Allendale, MI · MidwestQuad's selectivityAccessible

Website Admissions Apply Visit Financial aid

Admissions · Fall 2024

8 in 10 applicants admitted

Grand Valley State admits about 8 in 10 applicants (83%). That puts it in the "Accessible" tier, more selective than 38% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.

83%

acceptance rateQuad's selectivityAccessible

Applied

27,059

Admitted

22,464

Yield

19%

of admits enroll

SAT middle 50%

940–1190

8001600

ACT middle 50%

22–30

1836

Applications +60% since fall 2014 · admit rate 80% → 83%Over time

Getting in, in detail: funnel, what they look at, your scores

Students

Who's on campus

A large campus of 18,854 undergrads, where 29% receive Pell Grants, a typical share compared to other colleges.

18.9K

undergrads · larger than 94% of colleges

Diversity index

0.43

Pell Grant

29%

below the median

First generation

27%

below the median

Town near a cityNCAA D-II · Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceROTCStudy abroadUndergrad research

More diverse · index 0.30 → 0.43 since fall 2014Over time

Students and campus life in detail

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse (7% of graduates). 15 students for every faculty member, more than at 66% of colleges. 66% of faculty are full-time. Spends $10,704 a year on instruction per student.

15 to 1

students per faculty member · more than at 66% of colleges

What it costs

In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $19,516 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $4.8K less than the national median. The 90% who received grants paid $17,198 on average; the other 10% paid the full sticker price of $29,027 in-state / $35,219 out-of-state.

34%

$19.5K

average total cost per year, all first-years, after grants (est.) · $4.8K below the national median

Full price, in-state: $29,027 a year; tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid: Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for higher incomes

Aid generosity

Moderate

grants cover 34% of full price

Federal loans

50%

of undergrads · national median 45%

Your price

Net price calculator

the college's own

Financial aid

Financial aid office Veterans' benefits

Cost falling · −20% after inflation since 2013–14Over time

Prices, who gets aid, and borrowing in detail

Outcomes

What it pays

Former students earn a median $56,118 ten years after enrolling, more than at 57% of colleges; 66% graduate within six years. Four years of net price is about 1.4 years of that salary.

66%

graduate within six years · national median 59%

Median earnings

$56.1K

10 years after entry

Median debt

$24.5K

≈ $260/month for 10 years

Retention

76%

come back for year two

Graduation rate 65% → 67% since the class that entered fall 2008Over time

Earnings, finishing, 8-year outcomes, by group

Over time · since 2013–14

How it's changed

Since 2013–14, the full price fell 2% after inflation, while what the average first-year paid fell 20%, because grants grew faster. Applications rose 60% since fall 2014, and the acceptance rate went from 80% to 83%.

Cost
Falling
−20% after inflation
Applications
Growing
+60%
Selectivity
Steady
admit rate 80% → 83%
Diversity
More diverse
index 0.30 → 0.43

Every series, year by year

Keep exploring

Schools like this one

Southern Utah University

82% admit · 9.3K undergrads

Similar selectivitySimilar sizeAlso public

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University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

86% admit · 9.4K undergrads

Similar selectivitySimilar sizeAlso Midwest

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Idaho State University

7.6K undergrads

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Western Michigan University

85% admit · 12.6K undergrads

Similar selectivitySimilar sizeAlso Midwest

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Sources for this overviewEvery dataset and year behind the numbers on this profile; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources for this profile

1
IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
2
College Scorecard
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release; Entered fall 2023; Fall 2024; 2023–24; Fall 2023 · retrieved 2026-10-12
3
IPEDS Admissions survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
4
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
5
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
6
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
7
IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2024–25 graduates · retrieved 2026-10-12
8
College Scorecard Field of Study data
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
9
IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
10
IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
11
Common Data Set
Each college (voluntary, standardized template) · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
12
IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Entered fall 2018 · retrieved 2026-10-12
13
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
14
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
15
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (distance education)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
16
IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
17
IPEDS Outcome Measures survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Students entering fall 2016 · retrieved 2026-10-12
18
Grand Valley State University (2026)
Grand Valley State University · 2026 · retrieved 2026-10-04

IPEDS unit ID 170082 · Data retrieved 2026-10-12. Tap any ⓘ to see where that number came from and what year it describes. National ranks and medians include every 4-year college that reports the measure. How we source and calculate everything