Quick Facts:
- Location: Allendale, Michigan (near Grand Rapids)
- Undergraduate enrollment: 22,000
- Average ACT/SAT sore of the freshman class: 21-28 ACT composite, 940-1190 SAT
- Known for: being the 3rd largest college in Michigan and winning the DII Directors’ Cup frequently
- Learn more: https://www.gvsu.edu/
Impressive Engineering, Business, and Nursing Programs
Grand Valley offers opportunities to access majors that may be more limited (sometimes called “impacted”) at other colleges, including engineering, business, and nursing. But that’s not to say these programs are slacking; nursing students have a sky-high NCLEX pass rate, while engineering has a 96% placement rate after graduation.
Three Main Campuses: Lots to Offer!
Grand Valley has three main campuses in West Michigan. We toured the sprawling green Allendale “Valley” campus, located 12 miles from Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids is also home to the Pew campus and the Health campus in the “Medical Mile.” These downtown residential campuses provide upperclassmen access to internships, simulator technology, and hands-on experiences in business, engineering, education, and health professions. The free Laker bus line and off-campus apartment shuttles run frequently, so students can access all the resources of the city and the main campus easily.
Sports Culture and Free Student Tickets
Sports culture is strong on campus, with twenty-two DII varsity sports and free student tickets to all home competitions. Grand Valley is proud of their athletic success, which includes thirty NCAA National Championships and sixteen Directors’ Cup awards.
Merit Scholarship Opportunities
Grand Valley offers merit scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $11,000 per year. Students qualify based on GPA and standardized test scores, starting from a 3.3 GPA. What’s more, out-of-state students receiving any level of merit scholarship will receive Michigan resident tuition rates on top of their award amount.
Need more time to get that GPA up? Grand Valley will reconsider merit scholarship awards using seniors’ final cumulative GPA.
Why consider Grand Valley State?
Students looking for a large campus with a sports culture as well as access to majors like nursing, engineering, and business should learn more about Grand Valley. The merit scholarship opportunities may also make this a cost-effective out-of-state option for some students.
