Academic Excellence

Grand Valley students don’t just learn skills; they learn how to think for a lifetime. Graduates leave Grand Valley’s campuses with experiences that prepare them well for success in life, on the job, and in the community.

  • The middle 50 percent of the Fall 2022 freshmen class earned high school GPAs from 3.2 to 3.92, Composite ACT scores of 20 to 27, and SAT scores of 970 to 1210.
  • Grand Valley’s liberal education foundation spans all 100 undergraduate and 45 graduate programs, integrating disciplines so students connect topics and view the world from a broad perspective — better equipping them to make both personal and civic decisions.
  • Our liberal education, whether through foundation courses or the liberal studies major, allows personalization through electives, clubs, and events — ensuring every student receives the education that prepares them for success.
  • Grand Valley offers opportunities for undergraduate students to collaborate with faculty members on research projects that are only available to graduate students at other schools.
  • At Grand Valley, learning takes place outside the classroom, as well as inside. More than 7,300 students participated in internships, co-ops, practica, and student teaching in 2020-2021.
  • Inclusion is a university value, a part of the culture, and a cornerstone of the curriculum. Grand Valley has many offices, centers, and student organizations dedicated to meeting the needs of a diverse university. During the 2021-2022 academic year, 400 international students representing 67 different countries enrolled at Grand Valley.
  • Grand Valley also ranked 6th in the nation among U.S. master’s degree-granting institutions for total number of study abroad students, with 752 students studying abroad in 2018-2019.
  • Grand Valley’s graduation rate is consistently in the top tier of state public universities and currently ranks fourth.
  • The Graduate School at Grand Valley provides leadership and support for graduate education. The office offers programming and advising to assist masters and doctoral students, oversees graduate assistantships, and works with all 45 of Grand Valley’s graduate programs.
  • In the 2018-2019 academic year, Grand Valley student-athletes logged more than 5,800 hours of community service and more than 62 percent achieved a 3.0 or better GPA.
  • Grand Valley students and alumni secured awards in international competitions worth more than $5 million thanks to help from the Meijer Office of Fellowships in the Frederik Meijer Honors College.
  • The Peter C. Cook Leadership Academy at the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies inspires potential leaders to serve their community, state, and nation. Each year 60+ students take part in the cocurricular and crossdisciplinary program that provides them opportunities to expand their horizons and engage the community.


Page last modified November 17, 2022