Grand Valley State vs Ball State

Grand Valley State University (GVSU) and Ball State University (BSU) stand out as two prominent universities offering diverse academic programs and vibrant campus life. While both institutions share a commitment to excellence in education, they possess distinct characteristics that cater to different student preferences. GVSU boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring undergraduates. In contrast, BSU's lower acceptance rate indicates a more selective admissions process. When it comes to popular majors, GVSU excels in business, health professions, and engineering, while BSU shines in business, education, and communication. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details regarding acceptance rates, student demographics, graduation rates, and more, empowering you to make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Ball State University	Grand Valley State University
Overview
Location	Muncie, Indiana	Allendale, Michigan
Campus setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	73.0%	83.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	68.2%	91.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $30
SAT range	1010 - 1210	N/A
ACT range	20 - 27	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	42.0%
Students submitting ACT score	13.0%
Total number of applicants	22,947	17,163
Total number of admissions given out	15,642	15,730
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,278	3,807
Yield rate	21.0%	24.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $25,254 Out of state: $42,488	In state: $23,604 Out of state: $29,340
Average net price	$12,968	$16,947
Tuition	In state: $9,628 Out of state: $26,862	In state: $13,560 Out of state: $19,296
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,862 Meal plan: $6,282	Room/dormitory: $6,380 Meal plan: $3,500
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	86.0% Average amount $11,442	80.0% Average amount $8,376
Students receiving federal student loan	88.0% Average amount $5,451	50.0% Average amount $5,161
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $13,381	6.0% Average amount $13,024

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	14,898 Men 38.7% Women 61.3%	19,379 Men 38.9% Women 61.1%
Graduate students	5,421 Men 23.0% Women 77.0%	3,027 Men 28.0% Women 72.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	9.4%	10.6%
International students	1.4%	1.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	7,531	6,012
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Indiana Illinois Ohio Michigan Florida	Michigan Illinois Indiana Ohio Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Liberal Arts Psychology	Health Professions Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	68.0%	67.1%
Dropout rate	11.4%	15.6%
Transferred out	20.1%	15.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $95,451 Year 2: $92,124 Year 3: $94,146 Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $69,551 Year 2: $75,989 Year 3: $81,236 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,545 Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $77,057 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $75,885 Year 2: $65,610 Year 3: $75,003 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,368 Year 2: $53,108 Year 3: $65,967 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,067 Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $64,046 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,195 Year 2: $54,296 Year 3: $63,441 Business/Commerce, General (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $62,410 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,157 Year 2: $56,776 Year 3: $60,714 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,299 Year 2: $52,357 Year 3: $59,898	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $103,525 Year 2: $105,839 Year 3: $111,967 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $91,846 Year 2: $96,539 Year 3: $93,695 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $79,623 Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $83,454 Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $68,965 Year 2: $68,666 Year 3: $73,434 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,881 Year 2: $62,691 Year 3: $72,792 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,211 Year 2: $65,969 Year 3: $72,474 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,095 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $71,736 Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,039 Year 2: $58,479 Year 3: $69,240 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,382 Year 2: $59,124 Year 3: $68,410 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $69,161 Year 2: $67,939 Year 3: $68,289

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