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Grand Valley State University: cost, admission and results

Grand Valley State University is a public college in Allendale, Michigan. It has about 18,854 undergraduate students. It admits 83% of applicants. The average net price for students with federal aid is $16,495 a year.

At a glance

  • 83%Admission rate
  • $16,495Net price a year
  • 65%Graduation rate
  • $60,120Median earnings, 10 years on
Location
Allendale, Michigan 49401
Type
Public
Degrees
Mostly bachelor's degrees (four-year)
Setting
Town near a city
Undergraduate students
18,854
Graduate students
3,009
Students per teacher
15 to 1
Accredited by
Higher Learning Commission
Website
gvsu.edu

Getting in

Grand Valley State University admits 83% of those who apply, which makes it open to most applicants. The median admission rate of colleges on this site that report one is 77%. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1074 out of 1600.

What it costs

Tuition and fees, students from Michigan$15,872
Tuition and fees, students from elsewhere$22,588
Room and meals on campus$10,788
Books and supplies$800
Average full cost of a year (tuition, living, books), before aid$28,770
Average net price after grants and scholarships$16,495

The net price is what students who got federal aid paid on average for a year after grants and scholarships were taken off (for a public college, students from inside the state). It is 36% above the median net price of colleges in Michigan on this site ($12,147). International students are normally charged the out-of-state tuition and do not receive US federal aid.

Net price by family income

Family income a yearAverage net price
Up to $30,000$12,444
$30,001 to $48,000$12,223
$48,001 to $75,000$12,816
$75,001 to $110,000$16,724
Above $110,000$23,196

For students who received federal aid. A negative figure means grants were larger than the cost counted.

For an estimate that fits your own family, use the college's net price calculator.

Results

MeasureThis collegeMI medianUS median
Students who come back for a second year76%72%73%
Students who finish their degree (within one and a half times the normal length)65%48%49%
Median earnings 10 years after starting$60,120$52,190$53,132
Median federal loan debt of those who finish$22,500$19,500$19,994

Medians are the middle value of the colleges on this site in Michigan and in the whole country. Completion and return rates count first-time, full-time students. Earnings and debt count students who received federal aid.

The students

36% of undergraduates receive a Pell Grant, the federal grant for students from lower-income families. 50% take a federal student loan. The undergraduate body is 60% women and 40% men. By undergraduate numbers it is number 3 of the 72 colleges in Michigan on this site that report a size; the middle-sized one has 1,650.

Other colleges in Michigan of a similar size

Common questions

What is the acceptance rate of Grand Valley State University?

Grand Valley State University admits 83% of applicants, according to the College Scorecard.

How much is tuition at Grand Valley State University?

Published tuition and fees are $15,872 a year for students from Michigan and $22,588 for others. Most students with aid pay less: see the net price.

What is the graduation rate of Grand Valley State University?

65% of first-time, full-time students finish within one and a half times the normal length of the course.

Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, data released on 2 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Net price, debt and earnings describe students who received US federal aid. Costs change each year. This is official data for general information, not advice: confirm costs and admission rules on the college's own website and at collegescorecard.ed.gov.

All colleges in Michigan How to read these figures