Grand Valley has increased the number of graduates by an amount greater than any Michigan public campus, the university announced today.The number of degrees awarded is up by 91.8% compared to the 1998-99 academic year – a rate more than double that of the university’s enrollment growth of 42%.
The data come from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System ( IPEDS) Completion Survey of degrees awarded by Michigan Public Universities. Compared to 2002-03, three universities are producing fewer graduates while 12 show increases, with GrandValley’s being the largest. Three of the institutions also award associate’s (2-year) degrees, which GrandValley does not. GrandValley also now offers clinical doctorates in physical therapy and nursing and the Specialist’s degree in Education.
Ten years ago, GrandValley awarded 2,478 degrees; this grew to 4,754 in 2008-09, an increase of 91.8%. About 35% of that growth occurred in the last six academic years, reflecting the university’s deliberately slower rate of growth. In the current academic year (2009-10) GrandValley enrolls 24,408 students, an all-time high. Currently, 96.4% are Michigan residents. GVSU attracts students from across the entire state, and has enrolled this year the highest percentage of Michigan Promise Scholarship recipients.
Thomas J. Haas, now in his fourth year as GrandValley’s president, arrived in Michigan shortly after the publication of the Lt. Governor’s Report on Higher Education and Economic Growth (the “Cherry Commission Report”). The report urged more Michigan high school students to continue their education after graduation and called on Michigan’s higher education institutions to double the number of graduates. “At Grand Valley, we were already well on our way and now have nearly done it,” Haas said.
“GrandValley’s accomplishment is all the more remarkable because the university’s graduation increases have come at a time when state aid has dropped dramatically and our tuition held to a rate below the state average,” Haas said. “I have long maintained that GrandValley provides a great return on taxpayer’s and student’s investment. This proves it.” GrandValley receives the least funding per student of all state universities; in the current year, GrandValley’s appropriation per student is $3,026 as compared to the state average of $5,719.
The President also noted that the vast majority of GrandValley’s graduates remain in Michigan. The most recent data (for 2008 graduates) show that 96% of GrandValley’s alumni are employed or in graduate school; of those working, 94% are pursuing their careers in Michigan.
“We are doing our part to ensure that the State of Michigan has the well-educated college graduates it needs for the knowledge economy of the 21st centuryand keeping them here,” Haas said. “GrandValley is also an economic powerhouse, creating more than half a billion dollars worth of regional economic activity.”
Degrees Awarded by Michigan public Universities |
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| 1998-99 | 1999-00 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
Central Michigan University | 5230 | 5511 | 5849 | 6249 | 6435 | 6119 | 6175 | 5782 | 5886 | 5613 | 5662 |
Eastern Michigan University | 3854 | 3934 | 4038 | 4148 | 4144 | 4129 | 4070 | 4067 | 4113 | 4246 | 4152 |
Ferris State University | 2103 | 2132 | 2107 | 2291 | 2352 | 2527 | 2563 | 2794 | 2845 | 3054 | 3143 |
Grand Valley State University | 2478 | 2755 | 2737 | 3223 | 3515 | 3522 | 3858 | 4142 | 4361 | 4633 | 4754 |
Lake Superior State University | 711 | 652 | 651 | 624 | 639 | 608 | 573 | 535 | 653 | 569 | 522 |
Michigan State University | 9255 | 9549 | 9460 | 9703 | 10140 | 10648 | 10511 | 10390 | 10695 | 10528 | 10611 |
Michigan Technological University | 1211 | 1393 | 1292 | 1257 | 1216 | 1289 | 1305 | 1276 | 1241 | 1416 | 1322 |
Northern Michigan University | 1204 | 1244 | 1326 | 1374 | 1336 | 1438 | 1491 | 1377 | 1494 | 1480 | 1483 |
Oakland University | 2502 | 2603 | 2620 | 2708 | 2773 | 3011 | 2918 | 3047 | 3124 | 3250 | 3327 |
Saginaw Valley State University | 1133 | 1227 | 1289 | 1016 | 1548 | 1573 | 1587 | 1606 | 1606 | 1620 | 1571 |
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 9383 | 9642 | 10514 | 10524 | 11298 | 10734 | 10849 | 10420 | 10784 | 11077 | 11528 |
University of Michigan-Dearborn | 1365 | 1385 | 1452 | 1603 | 1680 | 1687 | 1774 | 1771 | 1826 | 1728 | 1778 |
University of Michigan-Flint | 1060 | 1012 | 1072 | 1102 | 1114 | 1040 | 1113 | 1130 | 1125 | 1239 | 1246 |
Wayne State University | 5166 | 5482 | 5393 | 5387 | 5334 | 5549 | 5322 | 5227 | 5303 | 5810 | 5613 |
Western Michigan University | 4853 | 5343 | 5215 | 5453 | 5953 | 5822 | 5810 | 6112 | 5903 | 5435 | 5410 |
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Percent change compared to 2008-09 |
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| 1998-99 | 1999-00 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
Central Michigan University | 8.3% | 2.7% | -3.2% | -9.4% | -12.0% | -7.5% | -8.3% | -2.1% | -3.8% | 0.9% |
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Eastern Michigan University | 7.7% | 5.5% | 2.8% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 2.0% | 2.1% | 0.9% | -2.2% |
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Ferris State University | 49.5% | 47.4% | 49.2% | 37.2% | 33.6% | 24.4% | 22.6% | 12.5% | 10.5% | 2.9% |
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Grand Valley State University | 91.8% | 72.6% | 73.7% | 47.5% | 35.2% | 35.0% | 23.2% | 14.8% | 9.0% | 2.6% |
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Lake Superior State University | -26.6% | -19.9% | -19.8% | -16.3% | -18.3% | -14.1% | -8.9% | -2.4% | -20.1% | -8.3% |
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Michigan State University | 14.7% | 11.1% | 12.2% | 9.4% | 4.6% | -0.3% | 1.0% | 2.1% | -0.8% | 0.8% |
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Michigan Technological University | 9.2% | -5.1% | 2.3% | 5.2% | 8.7% | 2.6% | 1.3% | 3.6% | 6.5% | -6.6% |
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Northern Michigan University | 23.2% | 19.2% | 11.8% | 7.9% | 11.0% | 3.1% | -0.5% | 7.7% | -0.7% | 0.2% |
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Oakland University | 33.0% | 27.8% | 27.0% | 22.9% | 20.0% | 10.5% | 14.0% | 9.2% | 6.5% | 2.4% |
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Saginaw Valley State University | 38.7% | 28.0% | 21.9% | 54.6% | 1.5% | -0.1% | -1.0% | -2.2% | -2.2% | -3.0% |
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University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | 22.9% | 19.6% | 9.6% | 9.5% | 2.0% | 7.4% | 6.3% | 10.6% | 6.9% | 4.1% |
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University of Michigan-Dearborn | 30.3% | 28.4% | 22.5% | 10.9% | 5.8% | 5.4% | 0.2% | 0.4% | -2.6% | 2.9% |
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University of Michigan-Flint | 17.5% | 23.1% | 16.2% | 13.1% | 11.8% | 19.8% | 11.9% | 10.3% | 10.8% | 0.6% |
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Wayne State University | 8.7% | 2.4% | 4.1% | 4.2% | 5.2% | 1.2% | 5.5% | 7.4% | 5.8% | -3.4% |
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Western Michigan University | 11.5% | 1.3% | 3.7% | -0.8% | -9.1% | -7.1% | -6.9% | -11.5% | -8.4% | -0.5% |
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Grand Valley State University attracts more than 24,400 students with high-quality programs and state-of-the-art facilities. It is a comprehensive university offering 77 undergraduate and 28 master's and doctoral degree programs from campuses in Allendale, Grand Rapids and Holland, and from regional centers in Muskegon and Traverse City.
