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Liberal Education

Reframing a Liberal Education for Today's World

The value of higher education is under tighter scrutiny than ever before as the cost of an education has become perceived as disproportionately high compared to the return on investment. 

Grand Valley is reframing a liberal education as one with easy-to-understand benefits that delivers real value and provides skills employees seek — now and into the future.

An engineering student wearing protective goggles sends sparks flying as they use a grinder on a piece of metal in a workshop.
Core Elements of a Grand Valley Education
Digital Literacy

We empower students to leverage modern technology while also being critical, ethical, collaborative, and innovative participants in our digitally driven world. 

Student Agency

Our students are not merely passive recipients of knowledge; they are motivated and purposeful learners who play an active role in shaping their own education, pursuing the path that will provide their future with meaning.

Experiential Learning

At Grand Valley, learning is a cycle of informing, engaging, applying, and reflecting so that students aren’t just building knowledge; they’re building valuable experience in collaboration with their professors as well as the business and professional community.

The New Midwest

Embodying the ideals of the New Midwest

Located at the center of the Great Lakes Region, Grand Valley is poised to capitalize on the macro trends behind the growing prominence of the Midwest as a climate haven and center for innovation where people can enjoy a lower cost of living and better work/life balance. 

In claiming the “New Midwest” for itself, Grand Valley is redefining what it means to learn hard, play hard, pursue work that is impactful and rewarding, and avoid the burnout associated with East and West Coast hustle culture. 

This is about more than geography — it’s about a philosophy rooted in hard work, kindness, respect for others, resilience, and open-mindedness.

Two students walking near the Keller Engineering Lab in Spring, with blossoms in the foreground.
A Modern, Forward-Thinking Midwest

Grand Valley is positioning itself as a leader in reshaping the region into a vibrant hub of innovation — where traditional Midwest values meet forward-thinking entrepreneurship.

Authentic and Aspirational

The New Midwest honors the region’s culture of hard work and community while embracing creativity, openness, and a progressive spirit.

Education Grounded in Values

Grand Valley students embody with the New Midwest values of ingenuity, grit, and kindness while pursuing careers and lives of purpose. 

More than a University, a Movement

Grand Valley has nurtured a campus culture and industry partnerships that inspire growth, belonging, and reinvention. 

Campuses

Creating a Multifaceted Campus Experience

Grand Valley's campuses do more than provide a place to learn — they exemplify our brand by transforming potential into purpose through immersive, inclusive, and innovative living and learning environments.

An aerial view of the Valley Campus in Allendale in autumn.
Valley Campus

Our Valley Campus in Allendale is the foundation of the Grand Valley student experience. 

Set in a scenic, welcoming environment, this campus is the academic, residential, and social heart of Grand Valley — a place where ideas are nurtured, friendships are formed, and futures begin to take shape. 

With strong support services, a vibrant campus culture, cutting-edge learning facilities, and dedicated faculty members, the Valley Campus gives students the space to explore their interests and the encouragement to ask “What if?”

City Campus

Just a short drive away, our City Campus in downtown Grand Rapids propels our students’ growth with real-world momentum. 

Home to the Robert C. Pew Campus and Health Campus and programs including business, engineering, and health care, our City Campus allows students to apply their skills right away, through internships, co-ops, research, and professional partnerships. 

This is where classroom theory meets resume-building experience — where “what if I could work in that field?” becomes “I already am.”

Our dual-campus model isn’t a gimmick — it’s our mission, our values, and our brand promise brought to life. This model enables Grand Valley to deliver a “Future for All.” 

From the welcoming, growth-centered culture of the Valley Campus to the high-impact, career-driven opportunities of the City Campus, students experience a dynamic, personal, and transformational education.

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Page last modified October 17, 2025