Grand Valley State vs Saint Cloud State University (SCSU)

Grand Valley State University (GVSU) and Saint Cloud State University (SCSU) are two public universities located in different regions of the United States, each offering unique educational experiences. GVSU, situated in Allendale, Michigan, boasts a higher acceptance rate (84%) compared to SCSU's 79% in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. While both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, GVSU excels in business, engineering, and health professions, while SCSU is known for its strong programs in education, nursing, and the arts. GVSU's student body is slightly larger, with over 25,000 students, while SCSU has a more intimate community of around 15,000 students. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, with GVSU's four-year rate at 58% and SCSU's at 56%. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we've compiled
Grand Valley State University logo

Grand Valley State University

Saint Cloud State University logo

Saint Cloud State University

Overview

Location Allendale, Michigan Saint Cloud, Minnesota
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: Small
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 83.0% 62.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 91.7% 94.3%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $30

Graduate: $30
$40
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A 18 - 24
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score 39.0%
Total number of applicants 17,163 4,228
Total number of admissions given out 15,730 3,988
Admitted students who chose to enroll 3,807 837
Yield rate 24.2% 21.0%
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
In state: $22,317

Out of state: $31,157
Average net price $16,947 $13,615
Tuition
In state: $13,560

Out of state: $19,296
In state: $7,839

Out of state: $16,679
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,380

Meal plan: $3,500
Room/dormitory: $6,036

Meal plan: $3,311
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

80.0%
Average amount $8,376
83.0%
Average amount $6,233
Students receiving federal student loan 50.0%
Average amount $5,161
48.0%
Average amount $5,504
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $13,024
12.0%
Average amount $10,683

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 19,379
Men 38.9% Women 61.1%
8,956
Men 45.7% Women 54.3%
Graduate students 3,027
Men 28.0% Women 72.0%
1,818
Men 36.9% Women 63.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Low
Out-of-state students 10.6% N/A
International students 1.8% 10.2%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Small
Dormitory capacity 6,012 1,642
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 N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Business
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio 15:1 16:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 67.1% 47.2%
Dropout rate 15.6% 16.2%
Transferred out 15.4% 34.9%
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
Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $80,556
  • Year 3: $94,800
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $79,020
  • Year 2: $75,204
  • Year 3: $92,834
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,563
  • Year 2: $70,009
  • Year 3: $81,117
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,734
  • Year 2: $59,253
  • Year 3: $78,506
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,589
  • Year 2: $63,377
  • Year 3: $74,072
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,404
  • Year 2: $66,377
  • Year 3: $68,544
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $58,522
  • Year 3: $66,211
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,623
  • Year 2: $55,964
  • Year 3: $63,637
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,397
  • Year 2: $62,154
  • Year 3: $62,291
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,276
  • Year 2: $51,273
  • Year 3: $57,748

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