Grand Valley State University: An In-Depth Look at Student Demographics
Grand Valley State University (GVSU) is a comprehensive institution that attracts a diverse body of students from across Michigan, the United States, and the globe. A closer examination of the university's student population reveals key trends and characteristics across various demographics, including enrollment, race and ethnicity, age, and financial aid.
Overall Enrollment and Composition
In 2023, Grand Valley State University had a total enrollment of 22,269 students. A significant majority, 84.6%, were enrolled full-time, numbering 18,849 students, while the remaining 3,420 students attended part-time. This indicates a strong commitment from students to pursue their education on a full-time basis.
Diversity on the Rise
GVSU's student body is becoming increasingly diverse. The university embodies enrolled students from nearly every county in Michigan and has seen significant increases in Southeast and West Michigan. Enrollment grew by more than 9% from Wayne County, 4% from Kent County, and 7% from Muskegon County.
The new student body is the most diverse yet, with an increase in the amount of students that identify as minority groups. In fact, 1,900 students are the first to attend college in their families, which is an 11% increase over the past year.
Despite a 15% decrease in international students, the University has still embraced 579 students from more than 45 countries. GVSU has also various programs that aim to make higher education more accessible to, including Grand Valley Pledge, which provides tuition-free education to qualifying students.
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Race and Ethnicity
The racial and ethnic composition of GVSU's student body in 2023 was as follows:
- White: 76% (16,921 students)
- Hispanic or Latino: 7.33% (1,633 students)
- Black or African American: 6.25% (1,391 students)
- Two or More Races: 3.51%
- Asian: 2.62%
- American Indian or Alaska Native: 0.386%
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: 0.0359%
This data indicates that White students constitute the majority, but there is a notable presence of Hispanic or Latino and Black or African American students. Compared to the average for all Master's Colleges and Universities, GVSU has a higher percentage of White students (76% vs. 50.1%) and a lower percentage of Hispanic or Latino (7.33% vs. 17.7%) and Black or African American students (6.25% vs. 13.4%).
Race and Ethnicity in Degree Attainment
In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Grand Valley State University was white (5,084 degrees awarded). There were 15.3 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (333 degrees).
Gender Distribution
In 2023, Grand Valley State University awarded 6,170 degrees across all undergraduate and graduate programs. A significant majority, 64.5%, of these degrees were awarded to women, while 35.5% were awarded to men. This translates to 3,980 degrees awarded to women and 2,190 degrees awarded to men.
Gender Breakdown in Majors
In 2023, 182 degrees were awarded to men at Grand Valley State University in General Finance, which is 3.19 times more than the 57 female recipients with that same degree. Conversely, 233 degrees were awarded to men at Grand Valley State University in Registered Nursing, which is 6.13 times more than the 38 male recipients with that same degree.
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Student Age
Grand Valley State University demonstrates a good ability to attract students of all ages. A traditional college student is defined as being between the ages of 18-21. There are 22,035 current students at GVSU, which is a 1% overall increase and 4% increase in freshmen from 2024.
Financial Aid and Costs
Tuition and Net Price
The median undergraduate tuition at Grand Valley State University is $14,978, which is $9,597 less than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($24,575). After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $17,995. This represents a 5.2% increase between 2022 and 2023.
Financial Aid Statistics
In 2023, 72% of undergraduate students at Grand Valley State University received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 49% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans. Overall, 72% of undergraduate students received financial aid through grants or loans, representing a decline of 15.3% with respect to 2022, when 85% of undergraduate students received financial aid.
Student Loan Default Rate
In 2022, the default rate for borrowers at Grand Valley State University was 0%, corresponding to 0 out of the 5,174 total borrowers.
Other Expenses
The average yearly cost of room and board at Grand Valley State University was $9,246 in 2023. The cost of room and board increased by 7.86% between 2022 and 2023. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $756. The cost of books and supplies increased by 2.16% during the same period.
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Admissions and Acceptance Rate
Grand Valley State University received 24,297 undergraduate applications in 2023, which represents a 41.9% annual growth. Out of those 24,297 applicants, 23,008 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 94.7% acceptance rate. This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2022, which was 90.4%. Between 2022 and 2023, the number of applicants grew by 41.9%, while admissions grew by 48.7%.
GVSU has an overall enrollment yield of 21%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling. In 2023, 59% of enrolled first-time students submitted SAT scores with their applications.
Retention and Graduation Rates
The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Grand Valley State University was 77%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Masters Colleges and Universities (74%), Grand Valley State University had a retention rate higher than its peers.
In 2023, 41% of students graduating from Grand Valley State University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 67% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 69% within 200%.
The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2023 at Grand Valley State University is Female and Asian (75% graduation rate). Across all Masters Colleges and Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (74.3%).
Outcomes and Career Paths
In 2023, 6,170 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Grand Valley State University. The most common bachelor's degree concentration at Grand Valley State University was General Psychology with 276 degrees awarded. The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Grand Valley State University are Physicians (417,741 people), Other managers (234,872 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (195,291 people), Postsecondary teachers (193,010 people), and Social workers, all other (167,013 people). The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Grand Valley State University are General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (604,954 people), Elementary & secondary schools (535,017 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (475,999 people), uninformed (418,750 people), and Offices of physicians (217,316 people).
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