GVSU named Best College Buy for 22 consecutive years

For the 22nd 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. in Georgia.

Each year, Institutional Research and Evaluation identifies the 100 American colleges and universities providing students the very highest quality education at the lowest cost. Grand Valley has made the list far more times than any other Michigan institution; authors of the report say it is because of Grand Valley's high academic performance coupled with its low cost. 

The only other Michigan institutions on the list this year are Hillsdale College and Western Michigan University.

To be considered for the designation, an institution must:

• Be an accredited, four-year institution;

• Offer full residential facilities;

• Have an entering freshman class in fall 2016 with a high school GPA and/or SAT/ACT equal to or above the national average for entering college freshmen;

• Out-of-state tuition in 2017-2018 below the national average or not exceeding the national average cost by more than 10 percent.

The average GPA for incoming freshmen at Grand Valley for fall 2016 was 3.54, compared to the national average of 3.45, according to Institutional Research and Evaluation. The average ACT score for incoming freshmen at Grand Valley for fall 2016 was 24, compared to the national average of 23.

Grand Valley State University, one of the 100 largest universities in the nation, attracts more than 25,000 students with high-quality programs and state-of-the-art facilities. Grand Valley is a comprehensive university serving students from all 83 Michigan counties and dozens of other states and foreign countries. Grand Valley offers 88 undergraduate and 38 graduate degree programs from campuses in Allendale, Grand Rapids and Holland, and from centers in Muskegon, Traverse City and Detroit. The university is dedicated to individual student achievement, going beyond the traditional classroom experience, with research opportunities and business partnerships.