Grand Valley State vs Butler University
Grand Valley State University (GVSU) and Butler University are two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique opportunities and experiences to their students. GVSU, a public university located in Allendale, Michigan, boasts an acceptance rate of 84%, while Butler, a private university in Indianapolis, Indiana, has a more selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 67%. GVSU's student body is significantly larger, with over 25,000 undergraduate students compared to Butler's approximately 4,500. Both universities offer a diverse range of academic programs, with popular majors at GVSU including nursing, business, and engineering, and popular majors at Butler including business, education, and health sciences. While GVSU has a higher graduation rate of 68% compared to Butler's 65%, both universities provide their students with a solid foundation for success in their chosen fields. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey,
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![]() Butler University |
![]() Grand Valley State University |
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Overview |
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Location | Indianapolis, Indiana | Allendale, Michigan |
Campus setting | City: Large | Suburb: Large |
College type | 4 year | 4 year |
Control/business model | Private (Non Profit) | Public |
Calendar system | Semester | Semester |
Degrees offered | Undergraduate and Graduate | Undergraduate and Graduate |
Students retention rate | 87.0% | 83.0% |
![]() |
Yes | Yes |
Religious affiliation | ||
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Admission |
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Acceptance rate | 80.5% | 91.7% |
Application fees |
Undergraduate:
$30
Graduate:
$30
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SAT range | 1150 - 1340 | N/A |
ACT range | 25 - 31 | N/A |
Students submitting SAT score | 39.0% | |
Students submitting ACT score | 35.0% | |
Total number of applicants | 15,340 | 17,163 |
Total number of admissions given out | 12,356 | 15,730 |
Admitted students who chose to enroll | 1,132 | 3,807 |
Yield rate | 9.2% | 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) | Required | Required |
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Tuition and Fees |
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Sticker price | $62,710 |
In state:
$23,604
Out of state:
$29,340
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Average net price | $38,643 | $16,947 |
Tuition | $42,410 |
In state:
$13,560
Out of state:
$19,296
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Room & board |
Room/dormitory:
$6,950
Meal plan:
$7,430
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Room/dormitory:
$6,380
Meal plan:
$3,500
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Available payment plans |
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Financial Aid |
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Students receiving financial aid
(Grants & scholarships) |
98.0%
Average amount $24,418 |
80.0%
Average amount $8,376 |
Students receiving federal student loan |
51.0%
Average amount $5,444 |
50.0%
Average amount $5,161 |
Students taking out private loans |
11.0%
Average amount $21,756 |
6.0%
Average amount $13,024 |
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Students and Campus |
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Undergraduate students |
4,537
Men 40.0% Women 60.0% |
19,379
Men 38.9% Women 61.1% |
Graduate students |
1,022
Men 33.6% Women 66.4% |
3,027
Men 28.0% Women 72.0% |
Racial/ethnic diversity |
Very Low
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Very Low
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Out-of-state students | 56.6% | 10.6% |
International students | 1.5% | 1.8% |
Campus local/setting | City: Large | Suburb: Large |
Dormitory capacity | 2,718 | 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 Missouri | Michigan Illinois Indiana Ohio Texas |
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Academics |
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Popular study areas |
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Students to faculty ratio | 11:1 | 15:1 |
Institutional accreditation | Higher Learning Commission | Higher Learning Commission |
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Outcome |
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Graduation rate | 83.8% | 67.1% |
Dropout rate | 3.9% | 15.6% |
Transferred out | 11.9% | 15.4% |
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) |
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
Insurance (Bachelor's Degrees)
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
International Business (Bachelor's Degrees)
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees)
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Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology (Master's Degrees)
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees)
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