Calvin University
Calvin University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Calvin University Featured Rankings
- #2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Michigan 2026
- #4 Best Private Colleges in Michigan 2026
- #4 Best Christian Colleges in Michigan
- #4 Best Small Colleges in Michigan 2026
- #7 Best CCCU Colleges 2026
- #10 Michigan's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #11 Best Colleges in Michigan
- #12 Best Christian Liberal Arts 2026
- #13 20 Best Online Master's of Speech Pathology Degree Programs
- #44 Best Christian Colleges 2026
- #48 Best Small Colleges 2026
- #50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges 2026
About Calvin University
According to Wikipedia, Calvin University, formerly Calvin College, is a private Christian university in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1876, Calvin University is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reformed tradition. Known as Calvin College for most of its history, the school is named after John Calvin, the 16th century Protestant Reformer.
Calvin University's Online Degrees
MEd in Education
Degree Concentrations
- Inclusion
- Literacy Specialist
- Educational Leadership
- Curriculum And Instruction
- Required Credits: 30-33
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
Calvin University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,719 | 71% | 87% | 77% | 1206 | 27 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Calvin University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $40,500 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $15,829 |
| 30K - 48K | $15,960 |
| 48K - 75K | $14,984 |
| 75K - 110K | $18,564 |
| 110K+ | $25,383 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Calvin University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Calvin University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $60,411 a year, and 93% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Calvin University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 3,678 | 3,252 | 426 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Calvin University?
Calvin University is located at 3201 Burton Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546.
How Safe is Calvin University?
Relative to its enrollment, Calvin University has a violent crime rate of 0.08% and a property crime rate of 0.14%. Grand Rapids has a violent crime rate of 0.91% and a property crime rate of 2.51%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Calvin University Known For?
Calvin University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Philosophy
- Religious Studies
- Computer Science
- Psychology
- Physics
- Social Work
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Literature
- Engineering
- History
- Sociology
- Education
- Economics
- Communications
- Nursing
- Medical
- Business
- Political Science
- Earth Sciences
- Mathematics
Calvin University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Calvin University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Calvin University ranks #61 in the U.S. and #198 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesCalvin University ranks #186 in the U.S. and #821 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesCalvin University ranks #395 in the U.S. and #1804 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesCalvin University ranks #396 in the U.S. and #991 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesCalvin University ranks #479 in the U.S. and #2170 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesCalvin University ranks #532 in the U.S. and #1295 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesCalvin University ranks #566 in the U.S. and #2697 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesCalvin University ranks #596 in the U.S. and #2570 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesCalvin University ranks #685 in the U.S. and #2087 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesCalvin University ranks #733 in the U.S. and #4201 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesCalvin University ranks #824 in the U.S. and #2524 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesCalvin University ranks #840 in the U.S. and #2820 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesCalvin University ranks #888 in the U.S. and #3852 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesCalvin University ranks #901 in the U.S. and #5068 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesCalvin University ranks #902 in the U.S. and #3381 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesCalvin University ranks #1050 in the U.S. and #2692 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesCalvin University ranks #1077 in the U.S. and #3708 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesCalvin University ranks #1107 in the U.S. and #4109 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesCalvin University ranks #1119 in the U.S. and #4837 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesCalvin University ranks #1201 in the U.S. and #4377 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesCalvin University ranks #1494 in the U.S. and #5645 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesWho Are Calvin University's Most Influential Alumni?
Calvin University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Psychology. Here are some of Calvin University's most famous alumni:
- Alvin Plantinga
- An American Christian philosopher.
- Cornelius Van Til
- A Dutch theologian.
- Nicholas Wolterstorff
- An American philosopher.
- Peter Kreeft
- An American philosopher.
- William Frankena
- An American philosopher.
- Justin L. Barrett
- An American academic.
- Kunle Olukotun
- An American computer scientist.
- Keith DeRose
- An American philosopher.
- Herbert Hovenkamp
- A Jurist.
- James Olthuis
- An American theologian.
- Cornelius Plantinga
- An American theologian.
- Paul Schrader
- An American screenwriter and film director.
