Grand Valley State University
Allendale, Michigan · Also known as Grand Valley|GVSU|Grand Valley State| · Website
$56,118
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$56,118
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Grand Valley State University is a public 4-year college in Allendale, Michigan with 18,854 undergraduates and 3,009 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $16,317 a year (tuition and fees $15,140 in-state, $21,548 out-of-state). It admits 83% of applicants and 67% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $56,118 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $24,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$16,317
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$15,140
Out-of-state $21,548
Admission rate
83%
US median 78%
Completion rate
67%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$24,500
About $260 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$56,118
Rank 1,020 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $16,317
- Tuition in-state
- $15,140
- Tuition out-of-state
- $21,548
- Cost of attendance
- $28,367
- Students with a need-based grant
- 29%
- Students with federal loans
- 50%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $12,272
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $11,902
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $12,861
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $16,609
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $22,534
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $11,363 in 2015-16 to $15,140 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 83%
- Average SAT
- 1,074
- Undergraduates
- 18,854
- Graduate students
- 3,009
- Part-time students
- 9.1%
- Women
- 60%
- Students per teacher
- 15
- Completion rate
- 67%
- Retention rate
- 76%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 161
- Endowment
- $209.4M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,020 of 5,094 US colleges and 21 of 145 in Michigan (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | MI median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $16,317 | $17,194 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $15,140 | $15,221 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 83% | 81% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 67% | 59% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 76% | 70% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $24,500 | $13,000 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $47,840 | $32,840 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $56,118 | $36,115 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 64% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 78% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
161 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 282 | $24,250 | $40,959 | $52,176 | $57,214 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 276 | $23,000 | $30,100 | $51,460 | $50,706 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 269 | $22,530 | $46,022 | $69,592 | $69,303 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 239 | $25,000 | $71,181 | $79,188 | $88,910 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 239 | $21,500 | $52,872 | $71,348 | $83,343 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 235 | $24,250 | $29,913 | $53,175 | $54,562 |
| Education, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 224 | $28,250 | $44,071 | $49,225 | $49,808 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, OtherBachelor's | Bachelor's | 183 | $24,945 | $34,203 | $62,482 | $68,245 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 140 | $25,000 | $38,172 | $57,599 | $63,560 |
| Social WorkMaster's | Master's | 128 | $41,693 | $50,344 | $59,369 | $65,123 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 123 | $21,823 | $51,186 | $80,153 | $76,194 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 121 | $25,000 | $39,857 | $57,537 | $55,378 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 121 | $25,216 | $37,233 | $50,690 | $51,790 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 120 | $25,000 | $46,886 | $69,603 | $86,176 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 114 | $24,250 | $74,360 | $94,330 | $92,374 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 113 | $25,000 | $57,760 | $79,324 | $68,257 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 112 | $29,000 | $46,124 | $49,612 | $51,389 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchBachelor's | Bachelor's | 91 | $22,587 | $32,118 | $49,113 | $55,012 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 82 | $27,036 | $39,334 | $45,237 | $48,590 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 80 | $27,660 | $35,767 | $51,497 | $53,072 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 79 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $58,928 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 78 | $21,025 | $45,285 | $61,553 | $68,407 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsMaster's | Master's | 77 | $89,091 | $113,240 | $122,497 | $127,347 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionMaster's | Master's | 76 | $27,226 | $53,932 | $65,512 | $71,685 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 73 | $23,000 | $32,755 | $46,938 | $56,359 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Allendale and Michigan on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Michigan
- Homes: Homes for sale in Michigan
Questions and answers
How much does Grand Valley State University cost?
$16,317 a year is the average net price at Grand Valley State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $15,140 for in-state students and $21,548 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $28,367. Families earning under $30,000 pay $12,272 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Grand Valley State University?
83% of applicants are admitted to Grand Valley State University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,074. The median admission rate of colleges in Michigan is 81%.
How much do Grand Valley State University graduates earn?
$56,118 a year is the median pay of former Grand Valley State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($47,840 after 6 years). That ranks 1,020 of 5,094 US colleges and 21 of 145 in Michigan. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's) at $113,240.
How much student debt do Grand Valley State University graduates have?
$24,500 is the median federal student loan debt of Grand Valley State University graduates, about $260 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 50% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Grand Valley State University?
67% of first-time, full-time students at Grand Valley State University finish within 6 years. 76% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Grand Valley State University?
Biology, General (282 bachelor's graduates), Psychology, General (276 bachelor's graduates), Marketing (269 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 161 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.