Grand Valley State University
Allendale, Michigan · Public · 18,854 undergraduates · gvsu.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
93%
of 27,261 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
920 to 1170
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$31,940Est.Estimate
$39,280 out of state
Your chances and merit aid at Grand Valley State University
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
93% of applicants admitted
Target
Your SAT is inside the range where the middle half of enrolled freshmen scored, and your GPA is near freshmen's average.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$39,280
a year in 2027-28, from a $39,280 sticker price (out of state)
What to do with your 1030
Send your score
Your SAT is at or above the median of freshmen who sent scores (1030).
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
- Reviews applications as they arrive, so applying early helps.
Source: Undergraduate Application - Admissions - Grand Valley State University · Checked October 17, 2026
Who gets in
93%
of applicants were admitted: 25,274 of 27,261 for fall 2025.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2025)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 54% of them sent SAT scores and 3% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 920 to 1170
Reading and Writing 480 to 600
Math 460 to 590
ACT composite 21 to 30
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 16004.1%
- 1200 to 139917%
- 1000 to 119938%
- 800 to 99935%
- 600 to 7995.9%
- 400 to 5990.3%
Source: Common Data Set 2025-26
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$31,940
a year, in state
$39,280
a year, out of state (tuition $24,150)
- Tuition (in state)$16,810
- Food and housing$11,420
- Books and supplies$850
- Transportation and other$2,860
Grand Valley State University published $30,160 in state for 2025-26. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-26
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24 (in-state students), by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$12,444
- $30,001 to $48,000$12,223
- $48,001 to $75,000$12,816
- $75,001 to $110,000$16,724
- Over $110,000$23,196
Financial aid
78%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$15,400
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
29%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $5,217 on average
- FAFSA
- Not required.
- CSS Profile
- Not required. Only the FAFSA is needed.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-26
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
41 of 41
Earn credit with a score of 3
41 exams
A 3-credit course is worth
about $1,680Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition for in-state students
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 | ART 150 |
| 3-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 | ART 151 |
| African American Studies | 3 | 3 | AAA 201 |
| Art History | 3 | 3 | ART 101 |
| Biology | 3 | 4 | BIO 120 |
| Biology | 4 | 8 | BIO 120 & 121 |
| Calculus AB | 3 | 4 | MTH 201 |
| Calculus BC | 1 | 4 | MTH 201 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 8 | MTH 201 & 202 |
| Calculus BC: AB Subscore | 3 | 4 | MTH 201 |
| Chemistry | 3 | 4 | CHM 109 |
| Chemistry | 4 | 4 | CHM 125 & 126 |
| Chemistry | 5 | 9 | CHM 125, 126 & 127 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | CHI 101 & 102 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | 12 | CHI 101, 102 & 201 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 5 | 16 | CHI 101, 102, 201 & 202 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | PLS 103 |
| Computer Science A | 3 | 4 | CIS 162 |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | 3 | CIS 101 |
| Drawing | 3 | 3 | ART 155 |
| English Language and Composition | 3 | 4 | WRT 150 |
| English Literature and Composition | 3 | 4 | WRT 150 |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 3 | BIO 105 |
| European History | 3 | 3 | HST 102 |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | FRE 101 & 102 |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 12 | FRE 101, 102 & 201 |
| French Language and Culture | 5 | 16 | FRE 101, 102, 201 & 202 |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | GER 101 & 102 |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | 12 | GER 101, 102 & 201 |
| German Language and Culture | 5 | 16 | GER 101, 102, 201 & 202 |
| Human Geography | 3 | 3 | GPY 220 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | ITA 101 & 102 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | 12 | ITA 101, 102 & 201 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 5 | 16 | ITA 101, 102, 201 & 202 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | JPN 101 & 102 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | 12 | JPN 101, 102 & 201 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 5 | 16 | JPN 101, 102, 201 & 202 |
| Latin | 3 | 3 | LAT general credit |
| Latin | 4 | 4 | LAT 201 |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECO 210 |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECO 211 |
| Music Theory | 3 | 3 | MUS 130 |
| Physics 1 | 3 | 4 | PHY general credit |
| Physics 1 | 4 | 5 | PHY 220 |
| Physics 2 | 3 | 4 | PHY general credit |
| Physics 2 | 4 | 5 | PHY 221 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 3 | 5 | PHY general credit |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 | 8 | PHY 230 & PHY general credit |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | 4 | PHY general credit |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 4 | 5 | PHY 230 |
| Pre-Calculus | 3 | 5 | MTH 124 |
| Psychology | 3 | 3 | PSY 101 |
| Research | 3 | 3 | IDS 180 |
| Seminar | 3 | 3 | IDS 180 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | SPA 101 & 102 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 12 | SPA 101, 102 & 201 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | 16 | SPA 101, 102, 201 & 202 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | 16 | SPA 101, 102, 201 & 202 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 22 | SPA 101, 102, 201, 202, 321 & 322 |
| Statistics | 3 | 3 | STA 215 |
| United States Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | PLS 102 |
| United States History | 3 | 3 | HST 103 |
| United States History | 4 | 6 | HST 205 & 206 |
| World History: Modern | 3 | 3 | HST 101 |
| World History: Modern | 4 | 6 | HST 203 & 204 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
65%
Come back for a second year
76%
Typical earnings
$60,120
a year, 10 years after starting here
- Grand Valley State University$72,101
- All colleges$74,459
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 60 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with Grand Valley State University. The Grand Valley State University logo is a trademark of the college.