Lake State vs Grand Valley State

Envision yourself pursuing higher education in the picturesque landscapes of Michigan. Lake Superior State University (LSSU) and Grand Valley State University (GVSU) stand out as two prominent institutions offering distinct academic experiences. LSSU, nestled in the vibrant city of Sault Ste. Marie, boasts a close-knit community and a focus on hands-on learning, while GVSU, located in the bustling city of Allendale, prides itself on its comprehensive curriculum and diverse student body. With acceptance rates of 88% and 79% respectively, both universities welcome students from various backgrounds. Explore the comparison table below to delve into further details about these institutions, including popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and more, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Grand Valley State University	Lake Superior State University
Overview
Location	Allendale, Michigan	Sault Ste Marie, Michigan
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	83.0%	67.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.7%	73.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $30
SAT range	N/A	950 - 1160
ACT range	N/A	18 - 27
Students submitting SAT score		43.0%
Students submitting ACT score		9.0%
Total number of applicants	17,163	2,411
Total number of admissions given out	15,730	1,767
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,807	373
Yield rate	24.2%	21.1%
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	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,604 Out of state: $29,340	$24,150
Average net price	$16,947	$13,583
Tuition	In state: $13,560 Out of state: $19,296	$12,912
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,380 Meal plan: $3,500	$11,516
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	80.0% Average amount $8,376	97.0% Average amount $10,820
Students receiving federal student loan	50.0% Average amount $5,161	59.0% Average amount $4,800
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $13,024	10.0% Average amount $14,945

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	19,379 Men 38.9% Women 61.1%	1,812 Men 44.2% Women 55.8%
Graduate students	3,027 Men 28.0% Women 72.0%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	10.6%	13.8%
International students	1.8%	1.2%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	6,012	850
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 Indiana Minnesota Illinois Ohio

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

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.1%	52.4%
Dropout rate	15.6%	16.6%
Transferred out	15.4%	27.7%
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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,165 Year 2: $58,601 Year 3: $60,574 Fire Protection (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $54,778 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,343 Year 2: $39,639 Year 3: $48,561 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,312 Year 3: $47,637 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,532 Year 2: $35,988 Year 3: $41,129 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,840 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $40,637 Fishing and Fisheries Sciences and Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,289 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $34,996 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: N/A Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,914 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: N/A

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