Grand Valley State vs Chico State

Envision yourself pursuing higher education at either Grand Valley State University (GVSU) in Allendale, Michigan, or California State University-Chico (CSUC) in Chico, California. While both universities offer a vibrant college experience, they possess distinct characteristics that may influence your decision. GVSU boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option, while CSUC's smaller student body fosters a closer-knit community. Explore the comparison table to delve into further details, such as popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates, to determine which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	California State University-Chico	Grand Valley State University
Overview
Location	Chico, California	Allendale, Michigan
Campus setting	City: Midsize	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	81.0%	83.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	85.5%	91.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $70	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $30
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	19,990	17,163
Total number of admissions given out	17,086	15,730
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,929	3,807
Yield rate	11.3%	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: $23,984 Out of state: $35,864	In state: $23,604 Out of state: $29,340
Average net price	$13,749	$16,947
Tuition	In state: $5,742 Out of state: $17,622	In state: $13,560 Out of state: $19,296
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,609 Meal plan: $3,881	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)	63.0% Average amount $8,691	80.0% Average amount $8,376
Students receiving federal student loan	29.0% Average amount $4,637	50.0% Average amount $5,161
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $11,369	6.0% Average amount $13,024

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	14,462 Men 45.5% Women 54.5%	19,379 Men 38.9% Women 61.1%
Graduate students	1,240 Men 33.6% Women 66.4%	3,027 Men 28.0% Women 72.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Very Low
Out-of-state students	1.3%	10.6%
International students	2.9%	1.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,323	6,012
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Oregon Washington Arizona Colorado	Michigan Illinois Indiana Ohio Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Public Administration and Social Service Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Engineering Technologies	Health Professions Education Business Public Administration and Social Service Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	22:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	65.4%	67.1%
Dropout rate	27.4%	15.6%
Transferred out	4.8%	15.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $94,107 Year 2: $95,797 Year 3: $96,478 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $78,190 Year 2: $83,091 Year 3: $93,961 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,808 Year 2: $74,241 Year 3: $91,563 Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,244 Year 2: $70,176 Year 3: $79,499 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,761 Year 2: $69,617 Year 3: $79,308 Engineering, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,803 Year 2: $66,355 Year 3: $76,389 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,879 Year 2: $59,350 Year 3: $74,258 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,880 Year 2: $66,222 Year 3: $74,116 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $67,298 Year 2: $68,499 Year 3: $69,321 Engineering-Related Fields (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,812 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $68,680	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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