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 logo

Grand Valley State University

Northwood University logo

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%
Common app member 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
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

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
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Business
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Business
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Health Professions
  • Computer and Information Science
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)
  • 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
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,002
  • Year 2: $62,409
  • Year 3: $68,640
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,419
  • Year 2: $53,775
  • Year 3: $66,020
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,793
  • Year 2: $57,995
  • Year 3: $64,374
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,230
  • Year 2: $48,823
  • Year 3: $57,193
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,225
  • Year 2: $52,941
  • Year 3: $55,845
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,048
  • Year 2: $47,116
  • Year 3: $50,522
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,054
  • Year 2: $42,384
  • Year 3: $46,338
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,281
  • Year 2: $35,701
  • Year 3: $44,404
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $29,440
  • Year 2: $35,594
  • Year 3: $38,949
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,025
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A

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