Grand Valley State vs Northwood U
Grand Valley State University and Northwood University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Michigan, offer distinct educational experiences. Grand Valley State, located in Allendale, boasts a significantly larger student body and a higher acceptance rate compared to Northwood's campus in Midland. While Grand Valley State excels in fields like business, engineering, and health professions, Northwood's strengths lie in business and management studies. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further differences, including graduation rates, student demographics, and popular majors, to determine which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
|
![]() Grand Valley State University |
![]() Northwood University |
---|---|---|
Overview |
||
Location | Allendale, Michigan | Midland, Michigan |
Campus setting | Suburb: Large | City: Small |
College type | 4 year | 4 year |
Control/business model | Public | Private (Non Profit) |
Calendar system | Semester | Semester |
Degrees offered | Undergraduate and Graduate | Undergraduate and Graduate |
Students retention rate | 83.0% | 85.0% |
![]() |
Yes | Yes |
Religious affiliation | ||
|
||
Admission |
||
Acceptance rate | 91.7% | 83.3% |
Application fees |
Undergraduate:
$30
Graduate:
$30
|
Undergraduate:
$30
Graduate:
$50
|
SAT range | N/A | N/A |
ACT range | N/A | N/A |
Students submitting SAT score | ||
Students submitting ACT score | ||
Total number of applicants | 17,163 | 1,123 |
Total number of admissions given out | 15,730 | 936 |
Admitted students who chose to enroll | 3,807 | 293 |
Yield rate | 24.2% | 31.3% |
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 |
|
||
Tuition and Fees |
||
Sticker price |
In state:
$23,604
Out of state:
$29,340
|
$47,100 |
Average net price | $16,947 | $23,080 |
Tuition |
In state:
$13,560
Out of state:
$19,296
|
$29,000 |
Room & board |
Room/dormitory:
$6,380
Meal plan:
$3,500
|
Room/dormitory:
$5,960
Meal plan:
$5,480
|
Available payment plans |
|
|
|
||
Financial Aid |
||
Students receiving financial aid
(Grants & scholarships) |
80.0%
Average amount $8,376 |
98.0%
Average amount $20,911 |
Students receiving federal student loan |
50.0%
Average amount $5,161 |
89.0%
Average amount $5,569 |
Students taking out private loans |
6.0%
Average amount $13,024 |
11.0%
Average amount $16,970 |
|
||
Students and Campus |
||
Undergraduate students |
19,379
Men 38.9% Women 61.1% |
2,116
Men 59.6% Women 40.4% |
Graduate students |
3,027
Men 28.0% Women 72.0% |
306
Men 54.6% Women 45.4% |
Racial/ethnic diversity |
Very Low
|
Low
|
Out-of-state students | 10.6% | 17.4% |
International students | 1.8% | 2.3% |
Campus local/setting | Suburb: Large | City: Small |
Dormitory capacity | 6,012 | 916 |
First year students are required to live on campus? | No | No |
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from | Michigan Illinois Indiana Ohio Texas | Michigan Ohio Florida Texas |
|
||
Academics |
||
Popular study areas |
|
|
Students to faculty ratio | 15:1 | 9:1 |
Institutional accreditation | Higher Learning Commission | Higher Learning Commission |
|
||
Outcome |
||
Graduation rate | 67.1% | 61.6% |
Dropout rate | 15.6% | 36.9% |
Transferred out | 15.4% | N/A |
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) |
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)
|
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees)
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
|
Compare Similar Colleges
The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing
statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you
don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page.
There, you can search for the
specific colleges and initiate your comparison.



















































































