History
L. William Seidman, widely recognized as “the father of Grand Valley State University,” was interviewed for GVSU’s 50th Anniversary Video History Project shortly before his death in May of 2009. The Grand Rapids businessman, who became an economic advisor to Presidents Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, chair of the FDIC and head of the Resolution Trust Corp.
Education
Grand Valley features a rich academic environment focusing on excellent faculty, outstanding students, hands-on research opportunities and nationally ranked graduate programs. Grand Valley offers over 200 areas of study, including 87 undergraduate majors and 36 graduate programs.
Research
Independent research and scholarship can be a daunting undertaking. To support students in their pursuit of research and scholarship, GVSU and OURS offer a number of resources to help with the research and creative process, submitting conference proposals and presentations, drafting publications and grant proposals, and doing formal presentations.
Career
Find employment opportunities on campus by visiting the Student Employment Office at 103 Student Services Building in person or looking at their website.
Student services
Student Life wants to help you Become More than just another student. We have resources, programs, services, and organizations of every kind that will help you become who you want to be during college.
Housing services
If you plan on studying at Grand Valley for more than one year, we recommend you apply for a Resident Assistant ( RA) position. The application to become an RA will be due in November for the following fall and winter.
Library services
Grand Valley State University Libraries was the proud recipient of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) 2012 Excellence in Academic Libraries Award. The University Libraries purposefully collect, teach, display, discover, disseminate and preserve information, in all its forms, to support the university curriculum and fuel the intellectual life of the university.
Medical services
The Metro Health GVSU Campus Health Center is a full-service, on-campus health center focused on providing convenient and high-quality care for Grand Valley students and faculty. Our medical staff, including physicians and mid-level providers, offers a variety of health services, including treatment for injuries, infections and illness; women’s health; allergy shots; physicals and more.
Campus life
Living on campus gives you opportunities and advantages that can make your college experience more memorable, more enjoyable, and more successful. And because students who live on campus get better grades and are more likely to graduate than those who don't, you realize that living on campus is really about more than a lifestyle - it's about your life.
Sports facilities
- Baseball
- Bowling
- Cricket
- Ice Hockey
- Lacrosse
- Roller Hockey
- Rugby
- Rowing
- Soccer
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Volleyball
- Water Polo
- Wrestling
- Archery
- Backpacking
- Boxing
- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Capoeira Mandinga
- European Martial Arts
- Fencing
- Just Tennis
- Kung Fu
- Table Tennis
- Taekwondo
- Vertical Earth
- Women's Basketball
- Yoga
- Bass Anglers
- Cycling
- Dodgeball
- Equestrian
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Quidditch
- Running
- Sailing
- Shooting
- Ski and Snowboard
- Strength
- Swim
- Tennis
- Triathlon
- Water Ski & Wakeboard
Student clubs
We are home to 32 inter/national fraternity and sorority organizations, representing about 7% of the GVSU student community.
Grand Valley Fraternity & Sorority Life goes toe-to-toe as they battle to be the winner of Greek Week! LipSync is the highlight event of Greek Week where students show off their best dance moves in an effort to win the crown.
Accreditation
Grand Valley as an institution is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.[71] Grand Valley also has baccalaureate program accreditation with AACSB, ABET, APTA, CSWE, NASAD, NASM, NCATE, and NLN.
Grand Valley State University Overview
Grand Valley State University Rankings
Study Portals Meta Ranking
Top 26.6% United States
Top 17.6% Worldwide
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
World University Rankings
1501
By Times Higher Education
The university hasn’t moved up or down in the rankings over the past year.
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
3 year trend World University Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | 1501 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Grand Valley State University Campus Locations
#1 Main Campus
United States Country
Allendale City
#2 Branch Campus
United States Country
Grand Rapids City
Grand Valley State University Student Reviews & Awards
4.2
Based on 27 reviews
- 5 Star 13 Reviews
- 4 Star 11 Reviews
- 3 Star 1 Review
- 2 Star 0 Reviews
- 1 Star 2 Reviews
How Students Rated This University
- Student Teacher Interaction 4.6
- Student Diversity 4.5
- Admission Process 4.5
- Quality of Student Life 4.1
- Career Development 4.7
My experience as a student with a disability
my experience as a first year was quite challenging they weren't exactly guidelines to assist me with my Learning after a year of trying to find a way to make learning for me easier the overall experience the campus is disability friendly easy to move around however has sometimes challenges lectures were very kind and accommodating and this year there are more clear guidelines to assist and help make my experience is here and my lectures are friendly the content learning is incredible and I am quite enjoying all my lectures and my overall experience with the other students and what I am studying
what next
What I appreciated most about my study experience was the opportunity to gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. The programme provided a solid academic foundation, and many of the courses were relevant to real world challenges in technology. I particularly enjoyed the collaborative learning environment, where discussions, group projects, and interactions with lecturers helped deepen my understanding of complex topics. Access to digital learning resources and supportive instructors also contributed positively to my learning experience. Another aspect I valued was the diversity of perspectives among students. Working with people from different backgrounds encouraged critical thinking and helped me develop communication and teamwork skills that are essential in professional environments. However, there are areas that could be improved. One improvement could be increasing the number of practical projects, internships, or industry collaborations. This would allow students to apply theoretical knowledge more directly to real world situations. Additionally, more updated laboratory resources and industry guest lectures could further enhance the learning experience by exposing students to current trends and innovations.
Small classes, caring teachers
It's a great school if you're looking for a small tight community! The classes are small enough to build relationships with teachers and receive extra help. They have a great nursing program that provides a multitude of opportunities.
Studied here? Share your experience
Global Student Satisfaction Awards 2025
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2025. Universities with a score above 4.0 (out of 5) in any of the 7 award categories, receive Badges of Excellence. Congratulations!
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Student Teacher InteractionHow helpful were your teachers?
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Student DiversityHow diverse was the atmosphere at your university?
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Admission ProcessHow simple was it to apply to your programme?
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Quality of Student LifeHow was your everyday life?
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Career DevelopmentDid the university provide support for your career development?