Grand Valley State University

Grand Valley is on a 1,391-acre campus in a small town setting in Allendale, Michigan, not far from Grand Rapids. Grand Valley has many clubs, organizations, and activities for students to participate in – band, chorus, theater groups, a campus newspaper, a radio station and more.

Grand Valley also has fraternities and sororities.

Grand Valley has a thriving Habitat for Humanity. In fact, more students participate in Habitat for Humanity than any other on-campus activity.

Other popular student organizations at Grand Valley include Alternative Breaks, Hospitality and tourism Management Club, Dance Troupe and Colleges Against Cancer.

Grand Valley students' favorite campus traditions are Campus Life Night, Homecoming and President's Ball.

Does Grand Valley Offer Student Housing?

Grand Valley offers housing for students. Students are not required to live on campus. First year students are guaranteed on-campus housing.

Most Grand Valley students live off campus. In 2021, 24% of undergrads at Grand Valley lived in some kind of on-campus housing and 76% of students lived off-campus or commuted to Grand Valley. There are 6,012 spots available in on-campus housing for all 20,405 undergraduates. In the 2020-21 school year, 4,834 students chose to live on-campus. On the weekends, about 55% students stay on-campus. First year students are allowed to park a car on campus.

Grand Valley offers coed housing.

Grand Valley Athletics

At Grand Valley there are a variety of athletic options for students interested in joining a sports program.

Intercollegiate sports are the highest tier of college sports and can be very competitive. Intercollegiate teams are regulated by the NCAA, funded by the university, and compete against teams from other universities. The division of a sports team depends on the size of the university, funding, and competition level. An intercollegiate school team will be Division I, II or III, with Division I being the highest level.

Club sports are not regulated by the NCAA and are a great option for students not interested in trying out for an intercollegiate team. Club sports are usually student run but can also be funded by the university.

Intramural sports are the most casual and informal. Intramural sports are often free and require very little time commitment.

Let's take a look at the athletic options available at Grand Valley:

Is Grand Valley Safe?

College is like a home away from home. Whether you're walking to class or coming back from late-night studying (or partying!), it's important to feel safe on campus.

Grand Valley State University is patroled 24 hours a day by trained security. The Grand Valley campus has emergency telephones or alarms for students to use anytime of day or night. The school also has student security patrols.

Grand Valley offers late-night transportation or safety escorts for students. Dorms can only be accessed with secure key cards so that students can feel confident that they are safe in on-campus housing.

Plan a Visit to Grand Valley

Visiting colleges is one of the best ways to get a sense of the campus and student body. If you'd like to visit Grand Valley, take Interstate I-96 to Allendale, MI. If you need to fly, book your flight to Kent County International airport.

While you're planning, check out other schools in Michigan you may want to visit too. Click the heart at the top of each school's page to save it to your college list.

Want to visit but can't make the trip? Explore Grand Valley's campus without leaving home by taking a virtual campus tour

Keep Reading About Grand Valley

To learn more about Grand Valley, choose from the options below:

Overview

Admissions

Academics

Tuition & Aid

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