GVSU named one of 'America's 100 Best College Buys' for 25 consecutive years

For the 25th year in a row, Grand Valley State University has been named one of America's 100 Best College Buys by Institutional Research and Evaluation, Inc. (IR&E) in Georgia.

Grand Valley is the only Michigan public higher education institution that has made the list every year since the designation began in 1995.

IR&E is an independent research and consulting organization specializing in the recruitment and retention of students for institutions of higher education. Each year, IR&E identifies the 100 colleges and universities across the country that provide students the highest quality education at the lowest cost. Institutions are included solely on the basis of merit.

To be considered for the designation, an institution must:

Be an accredited, four-year institution offering bachelor's degrees;

 Offer full residential facilities, including residence halls and dining services;

 Have an entering first-year class in fall 2019 with a high school GPA and/or SAT/ACT equal to or above the national average for their peers entering college;

Have out-of-state tuition in 2020-2021 below the national average or not exceeding the national average cost by more than 10 percent.

The average GPA for first-year students at Grand Valley for fall 2019 was 3.68, compared to the national average of 3.41, according to IR&E. The average SAT score for first-year students entering college for fall 2019 was 1145, compared to the national average of 1119. The average ACT score for first-year students at Grand Valley for fall 2019 was 24, compared to the national average of 23. 

IR&E calculates cost of attendance by using out-of-state tuition at public institutions and regular cost of tuition at private institutions. Room and board is also included using the cost of a double occupancy room and the most common meal plan. Under these guidelines, the 2020-21 cost of out-of-state attendance is $28,900, compared to the national out-of-state average of $46,264, according to IR&E. 

Grand Valley State University attracts more than 23,300 students with high-quality programs and state-of-the-art facilities. Grand Valley is a comprehensive university serving students from all across Michigan and dozens of other states and foreign countries. Grand Valley offers 95 undergraduate and 43 graduate degree programs and has campuses in Allendale, Grand Rapids and Holland. The university offers programming and classes from outreach centers in Battle Creek, Detroit and Traverse City; the Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute and the Muskegon Innovation Hub are located in Muskegon. The university is dedicated to individual student achievement, going beyond the traditional classroom experience, with research opportunities and business partnerships.