Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State 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
Grand Valley State University Featured Rankings
- #5 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Michigan 2026
- #6 Michigan's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #9 Most Affordable Colleges in Michigan 2026
- #9 Best Public Colleges in Michigan 2026
- #12 Michigan's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #15 Best Colleges in Michigan
- #18 Best Online MBAs Michigan
- #39 Online Master’s in Education
About Grand Valley State University
According to Wikipedia, Grand Valley State University is a public university in Allendale, Michigan. It was established in 1960 as Grand Valley State College. Its main campus is situated on approximately west of Grand Rapids. The university also features campuses in Grand Rapids and Holland and regional centers in Battle Creek, Detroit, Muskegon, and Traverse City.
Grand Valley State University's Online Degrees
Undergraduate Certificate in Project Management
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Undergraduate Certificate in Applied Data Analytics
- Required Credits: 18
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Education
Degree Concentrations
- Online/Blended Instruction
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis
- Required Credits: 21
- Format: Fully online
EdS in Education Specialist In Leadership
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
MEd in Education, Instruction And Curriculum
Degree Concentrations
- Early Childhood Education
- Educational Differentiation
- Required Credits: 33
- Format: Fully online
MEd in Literacy Studies
Degree Concentrations
- Reading And Language Arts
- Required Credits: 33-36
- Format: Fully online
Undergraduate Certificate in Leadership
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Undergraduate Certificate in Intercultural Communications
- Required Credits: 14
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership
- Required Credits: 15
- Format: Fully online
Grand Valley State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24,297 | 83% | 76% | 65% | 1065 | 26 |
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 Grand Valley State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $15,872 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $12,444 |
| 30K - 48K | $12,223 |
| 48K - 75K | $12,816 |
| 75K - 110K | $16,724 |
| 110K+ | $23,196 |
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 Grand Valley State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Grand Valley State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $60,120 a year, and 94% 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.
Grand Valley State 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 25,119 | 21,083 | 4,036 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Grand Valley State University?
Grand Valley State University is located at 1 Campus Dr, Allendale, MI 49401-9403.
How Safe is Grand Valley State University?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Grand Valley State University publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Grand Valley State University has a violent crime rate of 0.10% and a property crime rate of 0.08%. 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).
What Is Grand Valley State University Known For?
Grand Valley State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Social Work
- Earth Sciences
- Criminal Justice
- Anthropology
- Sociology
- Business
- Political Science
- Economics
- Nursing
- Biology
- Education
- History
- Engineering
- Computer Science
- Chemistry
- Literature
- Medical
- Philosophy
- Communications
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Religious Studies
- Psychology
Grand Valley State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Grand Valley State 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
Grand Valley State University ranks #310 in the U.S. and #755 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #325 in the U.S. and #1392 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #336 in the U.S. and #592 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #359 in the U.S. and #1104 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #376 in the U.S. and #1337 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #417 in the U.S. and #1467 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #426 in the U.S. and #1718 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #433 in the U.S. and #2626 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #441 in the U.S. and #1190 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #442 in the U.S. and #1877 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #452 in the U.S. and #1989 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #477 in the U.S. and #1368 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #525 in the U.S. and #3132 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #538 in the U.S. and #2466 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #558 in the U.S. and #2674 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #573 in the U.S. and #1743 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #629 in the U.S. and #2311 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #666 in the U.S. and #2229 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #682 in the U.S. and #2538 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #687 in the U.S. and #2781 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #741 in the U.S. and #3149 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #785 in the U.S. and #3685 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesGrand Valley State University ranks #896 in the U.S. and #2317 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWho Are Grand Valley State University's Most Influential Alumni?
Grand Valley State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Anthropology. Here are some of Grand Valley State University's most famous alumni:
