Grand Valley State University (GVSU) : Overview, Courses, Scholarships & Rankings
About Grand Valley State University
Framed by wooded ravines with a quick hop to a lively downtown, Grand Valley State University balances a close-knit vibe with big-campus options. It's known for strong teaching in health, business, computing, education, and the liberal arts, with classes built around discussion, projects, and real-world problem solving. Students tap modern labs and studios, a responsive library, and support that shows up daily, from advising and tutoring to writing help, counseling, and a career center.
Campus life mixes easygoing and energetic: clubs, music and theater, service projects, intramurals, and time outside, plus quick escapes to Lake Michigan. The culture feels welcoming and practical, with collaboration at its core. A two-campus rhythm between Allendale and nearby Grand Rapids brings internships with hospitals, firms, agencies, and nonprofits close by. Laker pride fuels small traditions, and alumni include NFL standouts Matt Judon and Brandon Carr.
Key Institutional Details
Contact & Profile
Academic & Institutional
Academic Programs & Fields of Study
Grand Valley State University (GVSU) offers 137 degree programs across 26 major academic fields, graduating approximately 6,172 students annually. The most popular fields by graduate volume are Business (17 programs, 1,317 graduates), Health (21 programs, 992 graduates), Education (15 programs, 687 graduates), Biological Sciences (10 programs, 422 graduates) and Computer & IT (4 programs, 351 graduates). Explore program details, award levels, and graduate demographics below.
Business (17 programs, 1,317 graduates)
Business Administration, Marketing and Entrepreneurship
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Management | 307 |
|
Bachelor's
|
52.1401 |
| Finance, General | 208 |
|
Bachelor's
|
52.0801 |
| Accounting | 191 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
|
52.0301 |
| Management Science | 150 |
|
Bachelor's
|
52.1301 |
| Business Administration | 143 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
|
52.0101 |
| Logistics and Supply Chain Management | 105 |
|
Bachelor's
|
52.0203 |
| Business Economics | 51 |
|
Bachelor's
|
52.0601 |
| Human Resources Management | 46 |
|
Bachelor's
|
52.1001 |
| Hotel and Motel Management | 40 |
|
Bachelor's
|
52.0904 |
| Operations Management and Supervision | 14 |
|
Bachelor's
|
52.0205 |
| Project Management | 13 |
|
Other Award
|
52.0211 |
| Entrepreneurship Studies | 13 |
|
Bachelor's
|
52.0701 |
| International Business and Trade | 13 |
|
Bachelor's
|
52.1101 |
| Business Administration and Management | 9 |
|
Other Award
|
52.0299 |
| Business Communications | 5 |
|
Other Award
|
52.0501 |
| Real Estate | 5 |
|
Other Award
|
52.1501 |
| Taxation | 4 |
|
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
52.1601 |
Health (21 programs, 992 graduates)
Healthcare Professions, Medical Sciences and Clinical Practice
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 272 |
|
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (P)
|
51.3801 |
| Health Professions and Related Sciences | 169 |
|
Bachelor's
|
51.9999 |
| Occupational Therapy | 67 |
|
Master's
Doctorate (P)
|
51.2306 |
| Physical Therapy | 56 |
|
Doctorate (P)
|
51.2308 |
| Communication Sciences and Disorders | 55 |
|
Bachelor's
|
51.0201 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonography | 53 |
|
Bachelor's
|
51.0910 |
| Therapeutic Recreation | 49 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
|
51.2309 |
| Speech-Language Pathology | 45 |
|
Master's
|
51.0203 |
| Physician Assistant | 45 |
|
Master's
|
51.0912 |
| Public Health | 41 |
|
Master's
|
51.2201 |
| Health Administration and Management | 27 |
|
Master's
|
51.0701 |
| Medical Radiologic Technology | 20 |
|
Master's
|
51.0907 |
| Clinical Laboratory Science and Medical Technology | 18 |
|
Bachelor's
|
51.1005 |
| Health Information Administration | 17 |
|
Bachelor's
|
51.0706 |
| Clinical Nutrition | 17 |
|
Master's
|
51.3102 |
| Dietetic Technician | 16 |
|
Bachelor's
|
51.3103 |
| Audiology | 10 |
|
Doctorate (P)
|
51.0202 |
| Athletic Training | 7 |
|
Master's
|
51.0913 |
| Pre-Medicine | 5 |
|
Bachelor's
|
51.1102 |
| Medical Informatics | 2 |
|
Postbac Cert.
|
51.2706 |
| Palliative Care Nursing | 1 |
|
Postbac Cert.
|
51.3819 |
Education (15 programs, 687 graduates)
Educational Sciences, Teaching Methods and Pedagogy
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Education | 262 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
|
13.0101 |
| Computer Teacher Education | 98 |
|
Bachelor's
|
13.1321 |
| Educational Leadership and Administration | 73 |
|
Master's
Post-Master's
Other Award
|
13.0401 |
| Special Education Teaching | 71 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
|
13.1001 |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 49 |
|
Master's
|
13.0301 |
| School Counseling and Guidance | 39 |
|
Master's
|
13.1101 |
| Early Childhood Special Education Teaching | 26 |
|
Bachelor's
|
13.1015 |
| Higher Education Administration | 20 |
|
Master's
|
13.0406 |
| Physical Education Teaching and Coaching | 16 |
|
Bachelor's
|
13.1314 |
| Bilingual and Multicultural Education | 9 |
|
Other Award
|
13.0299 |
| English as a Second Language (ESL) Teaching | 9 |
|
Postbac Cert.
|
13.1401 |
| Instructional Technology | 8 |
|
Master's
|
13.0501 |
| Art Education | 5 |
|
Bachelor's
|
13.1302 |
| Social Studies Teacher Education | 1 |
|
Other Award
|
13.1318 |
| Earth Science Teacher Education | 1 |
|
Bachelor's
|
13.1337 |
Biological Sciences (10 programs, 422 graduates)
Life Sciences, Biotechnology and Biomedical Research
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biomedical Sciences | 158 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
|
26.0102 |
| Biology and Biological Sciences | 79 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
|
26.0101 |
| Neurobiology and Behavior | 67 |
|
Bachelor's
|
26.1504 |
| Cell and Molecular Biology | 36 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
|
26.0406 |
| Wildlife Biology | 27 |
|
Bachelor's
|
26.0709 |
| Biochemistry | 21 |
|
Bachelor's
|
26.0202 |
| Bioinformatics | 18 |
|
Master's
|
26.1103 |
| Biostatistics | 10 |
|
Master's
|
26.1102 |
| Microbiology | 4 |
|
Bachelor's
|
26.0502 |
| Genome Sciences and Genomics | 2 |
|
Postbac Cert.
Other Award
|
26.0807 |
Computer & IT (4 programs, 351 graduates)
Computer Science, Information Technology and Cybersecurity
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | 259 |
|
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
11.0101 |
| Information Systems Security and Auditing | 47 |
|
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
11.1003 |
| Information Science | 23 |
|
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
|
11.0401 |
| Information Technology | 22 |
|
Bachelor's
|
11.0103 |
Psychology (3 programs, 343 graduates)
Psychological Sciences, Mental Health and Behavioral Studies
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Psychology | 314 |
|
Bachelor's
|
42.0101 |
| School Psychology | 19 |
|
Master's
Post-Master's
|
42.2805 |
| Applied Behavior Analysis | 10 |
|
Postbac Cert.
|
42.2814 |
Public Services (3 programs, 276 graduates)
Public Administration, Social Work and Community Services
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Work | 217 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
|
44.0701 |
| Public Administration | 50 |
|
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
|
44.0401 |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | 9 |
|
Master's
Other Award
|
44.0201 |
Kinesiology (3 programs, 238 graduates)
Exercise Science, Sports Medicine and Physical Recreation
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise Science and Kinesiology | 174 |
|
Bachelor's
|
31.0505 |
| Sport and Fitness Management | 61 |
|
Bachelor's
|
31.0504 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education | 3 |
|
Other Award
|
31.0501 |
Communication (5 programs, 225 graduates)
Media Communications, Journalism and Public Relations
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Relations and Advertising | 98 |
|
Bachelor's
|
09.0900 |
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric | 91 |
|
Bachelor's
Master's
Other Award
|
09.0101 |
| Digital Media and Multimedia | 20 |
|
Bachelor's
|
09.0702 |
| Health Communication | 13 |
|
Bachelor's
|
09.0905 |
| Broadcast Journalism | 3 |
|
Bachelor's
|
09.0402 |
Social Sciences (8 programs, 201 graduates)
Sociology, Anthropology and Political Science Studies
| Program Name | Graduates | Gender Distribution | Award Levels | CIP Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Political Science and Government | 62 |
|
Bachelor's
|
45.1001 |
| Geographic Information Science and Cartography | 35 |
|
Other Award
|
45.0702 |
| Social Sciences | 30 |
|
Bachelor's
|
45.0101 |
| Sociology | 19 |
|
Bachelor's
|
45.1101 |
| International Relations | 18 |
|
Bachelor's
|
45.0901 |
| Anthropology | 16 |
|
Bachelor's
Other Award
|
45.0201 |
| Geography | 11 |
|
Bachelor's
Other Award
|
45.0701 |
| Economics | 10 |
|
Bachelor's
|
45.0601 |
Admission Requirements & Test Scores
Comprehensive overview of admission criteria, standardized test score ranges, and application requirements for prospective students at Grand Valley State University (GVSU).
Application Requirements
Data based on IPEDS for 2022-2023 academic year. Test score ranges represent the middle 50% of admitted students (25th-75th percentile). Requirements may vary by program.
Tuition, Fees & Estimated Costs
Overview of tuition rates, housing, and other annual education expenses for undergraduate and graduate students
Financial Aid & Student Support
Summary of scholarships, grants, student loans, and financial aid statistics for undergraduate students
Student Success Metrics
Graduation rates and post-graduation earnings to help assess student outcomes and long-term value of education.
Loan Burden & Repayment Outcomes
Breakdown of loan repayment rates and student debt levels by income and dependency status.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about Grand Valley State University (GVSU)
How much does it cost to attend Grand Valley State University (GVSU)?
The annual tuition at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) is $14,978 for in-state students and $21,154 for out-of-state students. When including room and board, books, and other expenses, the total estimated cost is approximately $29,377 for in-state students and $35,553 for out-of-state students. Additional costs include room and board $11,142 (on) / $8,829 (off) and books and supplies $780.
Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2022-2023 academic year. Tuition and cost estimates are approximate and may not include all fees, personal expenses, or transportation costs.
What academic programs and degree levels does Grand Valley State University offer?
Grand Valley State University (GVSU) offers 137 academic programs across 26 major fields of study, with available degree levels: Bachelor's, Postbac Cert., Master's, Post-Master's, Doctorate (Professional), Other Award.
Most popular program areas include:
- Business Administration, Marketing and Entrepreneurship (17 programs)
- Healthcare Professions, Medical Sciences and Clinical Practice (21 programs)
- Educational Sciences, Teaching Methods and Pedagogy (15 programs)
- Life Sciences, Biotechnology and Biomedical Research (10 programs)
- Computer Science, Information Technology and Cybersecurity (4 programs)
Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated, not all offered programs.
What is the acceptance rate for Grand Valley State University?
Grand Valley State University (GVSU) has an 94.7% acceptance rate and a 21% yield rate, making it moderately selective.
Admission statistics breakdown:
- Total applicants: 24,297
- Students admitted: 23,008
- Students enrolled: 4,836
Data based on IPEDS for 2022-2023 academic year. Admission statistics may vary by program and application cycle.
What financial aid and scholarships are available at Grand Valley State University?
Grand Valley State University (GVSU) provides financial aid to 21% of first-time, full-time students, with average grants of $8,925 and average loans of $6,868.
Average financial aid amounts by type:
- Pell grants: $5,120
- State/Local grants: $1,657
- Institutional grants: $6,827
- Federal loans: $5,215
The university supports 3,322 students with grants and 1,964 students with loans annually.
Data based on IPEDS for 2022-2023 academic year. Financial aid amounts and percentages may vary by program, enrollment status, and individual circumstances.
What is the average salary for Grand Valley State University graduates?
Grand Valley State University (GVSU) graduates earn a median salary of $47,840 after 6 years and $56,118 after 10 years.
The salary range 10 years after graduation spans from $38,569 (25th percentile) to $78,636 (75th percentile).
Data based on IPEDS for 2022-2023 academic year. Salary data reflects graduates who received federal financial aid (approximately 60% of all graduates). Actual earnings may vary significantly based on program, location, and individual circumstances.
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