Grand Valley State University (GVSU, GV, or Grand Valley) is a public university located in Allendale, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1960 as Grand Valley State College. The main campus covers 1,322 acres (5.35 km) and is located about 12 miles (19 km) west of Grand Rapids. The university also has campuses in Grand Rapids and Holland, as well as regional centers in Battle Creek, Detroit, Muskegon, and Traverse City.

As of fall 2025, GVSU had more than 22,000 students from 82 of 83 Michigan counties and many other states and countries. The university employs nearly 4,000 people, including about 1,800 faculty members and 2,000 staff. Graduates of GVSU come from all 50 U.S. states, Canada, and 25 other countries.

GVSU's NCAA Division II sports teams are called the Lakers. These teams compete in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) in all 20 varsity sports. The Lakers have won 31 NCAA Division II National Championships.

History

In 1958, the Michigan Legislature asked for a study that showed the need for a four-year college in the Grand Rapids area, which is Michigan's second largest city. A local businessman named Bill Seidman formed a committee to examine the study and help plan and promote the creation of the college. The following year, the Michigan Legislature created the college. A contest was held to choose a name, and out of 2,500 suggestions, "Grand Valley State College" was selected. Private donations, including $350,000 to buy land and $1,000,000 for building construction, were collected from 5,000 people, groups, and businesses in West Michigan. In 1961, the Grand Valley State College Board of Control selected an 876-acre site in Ottawa County near the Grand River for the new campus. Construction of academic buildings began the next year.

Grand Valley State College welcomed its first class of 225 students in 1963. Diane (Hatch) Paton was the first student and graduated with 138 others on June 18, 1967. During the middle to late 1960s, the first dormitories were built, and new academic buildings, including the Zumberge Library, were constructed. The library was named after the university's first president, James Zumberge.

In 1969, the Grand Valley Lanthorn published an issue with offensive language. After complaints from students, faculty, and community members, the Ottawa County sheriff arrested the editor, and the prosecutor shut down the newspaper office. The university, which allowed both men and women, filed a lawsuit against the sheriff and prosecutor. Eventually, Michigan's Attorney General settled the case outside of court, supporting the university because the Lanthorn's content was protected under Freedom of Speech.

During the 1970s, Grand Valley organized its academic units into several colleges: College of Arts and Sciences, Thomas Jefferson College, William James College, Seidman College of Business, and College IV. In 1973, Michigan Governor William Milliken signed a law changing the institution's name to Grand Valley State Colleges. However, the name was changed back to Grand Valley State College in 1983 after reorganizing academic programs into divisions.

In 1987, the Michigan Legislature passed a law renaming the college to Grand Valley State University. During the 1980s and 1990s, the university added satellite campuses or centers in downtown Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Holland, and Traverse City. In 2004, the university's board reorganized the structure into a college system with the following colleges: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Interdisciplinary Studies, College of Community and Public Service, College of Education, College of Health Professions, Kirkhof College of Nursing, Seidman College of Business, and Seymour and Esther Padnos College of Engineering and Computing. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the university launched a fundraising campaign that raised nearly $100 million from over 17,000 donors. Funds from the campaign supported many campus projects, including the Mary Idema Pew Library and the L. William Seidman Center.

In 2012, GVSU announced plans for new construction projects and land purchases. Future buildings include a new biology laboratory and renovations to the Zumberge Library on the Allendale campus. Land purchases included property in downtown Grand Rapids near the medical mile for healthcare program expansion, which became the Daniel and Pamella Devos Center for Interprofessional Health. In 2013, GVSU announced plans to expand Au Sable Hall and build a new building for the GVSU Laker Store (previously called the University Bookstore) with expanded dining facilities.

Campuses

Grand Valley State University has three main campuses. The largest campus is in Allendale Charter Township, Michigan, about 15 miles (24 km) west of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Two other campuses are located in Grand Rapids. The university also has academic centers in Detroit, Holland, Muskegon, and Traverse City.

The Rapid provides free bus service between the three main campuses, funded by the university. The Laker Line, named after GVSU’s sports teams, connects all three campuses via Lake Michigan Drive. Additional shuttle services operate on the Allendale campus. These services are open to the public, and students, faculty, and staff can ride for free with their ID cards.

The Allendale campus, the university’s original location, hosts most of its programs. It covers 1,322 acres above the Grand River, near a system of ravines. The campus is divided into two areas, north and south, separated by West Campus Drive. State Highway M-45 connects the campus to US Highway 31/Lake Michigan and Grand Rapids. Lubbers Stadium, the GVSU Fieldhouse, and athletic facilities for 20 varsity sports are also on the Allendale campus. The campus includes many sculptures by artists like Dale Eldred and James Clover. Academic buildings on the Allendale campus include at least 122 classrooms, 144 research labs, 20 lab prep rooms, 21 computer labs, and the Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons. The Kindschi Hall of Science, a science facility, opened in 2015.

The Holton-Hooker Learning and Living Center, which can house 490 students, opened in August 2016. The building is LEED silver-certified.

The 65-acre Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids campus is in downtown Grand Rapids, near the Grand River. It includes 11 buildings and three leased spaces, such as the Richard DeVos Center, L.V. Eberhard Center, L. William Seidman Center, Beckering Family Carillon Tower, The Depot, Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, Keller Engineering Laboratories, John C. Kennedy Hall of Engineering, Peter F. Secchia Hall (housing), Winter Hall (housing), and the Van Andel Global Trade Center. Winter Hall is typically occupied by graduate students and includes full furnishings and appliances. The campus has 57 classrooms, 78 research labs, 23 lab prep rooms, 11 computer labs, and the Steelcase Library. The Steelcase Library was renovated in the summer of 2025 to include a University Testing Center and Psychology Lab.

The 14.5-acre Health Campus is part of the Grand Rapids Medical Mile and houses GVSU’s health programs. The Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences, opened in 2003, reached capacity in 2011. To support growth, GVSU built the $37.5 million Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall next to the Cook-DeVos Center and started construction in 2018 on the $70 million Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health, which is attached to the Cook-DeVos Center and shares a parking structure with Spectrum Health.

GVSU has three locations in Muskegon, Michigan. The James L. Stevenson Center for Higher Education at Muskegon Community College was established in 1995 as a partnership between GVSU, Ferris State University, and Western Michigan University. The center offers GVSU graduate and undergraduate programs. The Lake Michigan Center houses the Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI). The Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC) is the first fully integrated facility in the U.S. for demonstrating electricity generation using renewable energy.

The Traverse City Regional Center, established in 1995, is located in Traverse City, Michigan, at the NMC University Center in partnership with Northwestern Michigan College. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in education, social work, and liberal studies. The GVSU Physician Assistant program enrolls 10–14 students at the Traverse City campus.

The Meijer campus, near downtown Holland, Michigan, opened in 1998 and was named for the Meijer family, who donated land. It includes 30,693 square feet of space with 12 classrooms, 2 conference rooms, 3 labs, and 11 offices. Continuing education programs are offered there.

The Detroit Center was established in 2012 when GVSU purchased the Barden Building near Comerica Park in downtown Detroit. It houses GVSU’s charter school offices and the Southeast Michigan Region of the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, which GVSU supervises.

Organization and administration

Grand Valley State University is led by an eight-member board of trustees. These members are chosen by the Governor of Michigan and approved by the Michigan Senate. They serve eight-year terms. This system is outlined in the constitution of the state of Michigan from 1963. Board members do not receive pay. The board selects the university president, creates policies, manages finances, and is the main decision-making group for the university. The president carries out the board’s policies.

GVSU’s general fund budget is $351 million. Of this, $275 million comes from student tuition, and $72 million is provided by the state of Michigan. In 2019, the university gave $289 million in financial aid to students, including $90 million in scholarships and grants. During the 2013–2014 school year, full-time dependent students received an average of $13,276 in financial aid.

The Grand Valley Police Department provides law enforcement services for the Allendale Campus. The department has the authority to enforce laws on its own, but officers are also given authority by the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department. Since Allendale does not have its own police department, the university police can respond to cases in any part of Ottawa County, especially near the campus. The department also handles other tasks, such as managing parking and traffic, community policing, and lost and found items. The Allendale Fire Department serves the campus. The Department of Public Safety employs some students to help with clerical and security tasks.

The Pew Campus Security and Regional Centers is a separate group from the Department of Public Safety. It handles security and safety issues for the Grand Rapids Pew Campus and all regional campuses, including the Holland (MI) Meijer Campus, the Muskegon (MI) campus, and the Traverse City (MI) campus. This group is not officially trained or licensed. When needed, it works with the Grand Rapids Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies to handle official law enforcement tasks.

Academics

Grand Valley State University is a large university that offers many different programs and has a large number of undergraduate students. GVSU provides more than 200 areas of study, including 82 undergraduate majors and 36 graduate programs with 74 specializations and certificate options at various educational levels. In 2012–2013, GVSU awarded 4,448 undergraduate degrees and 1,033 graduate degrees. The most popular undergraduate majors, based on 2021 graduates, were:

Grand Valley has 21,636 undergraduate students and 3,458 graduate students across all campuses, with most students attending the Allendale campus (as of Fall 2014). The incoming freshman class in Fall 2014 included 4,199 students from 80 Michigan counties, 23 states, and 20 countries. About 86% of first-year students lived on campus, with 3,591 students choosing on-campus housing and 608 students living off-campus. As of Fall 2014, more than 400 international students were enrolled, representing 82 countries.

Grand Valley is officially approved by the Higher Learning Commission. It also has special approvals for certain programs from organizations like AACSB, ABET, APTA, CSWE, NASAD, NASM, NCATE, and NLN.

The university includes seven colleges that offer degrees:

• F.E. Seidman College of Business
• College of Education and Community Innovation
• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Seymour and Esther Padnos College of Engineering and Computing
• College of Health Professions
• Kirkhof College of Nursing
• Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies

GVSU also has the Frederik Meijer Honors College, which does not award degrees but offers a more challenging and interdisciplinary education in a special learning environment. The honors college is located in the Glenn A. Niemeyer Learning and Living Center on the Allendale campus.

GVSU has an art program approved by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), with specializations in illustration, graphic design, ceramics, printmaking, painting, visual studies, and sculpture. Art classes are held at the Calder Art Center, named after artist Alexander Calder. The building includes a gallery called the Stuart & Barbara Padnos Art Gallery.

The Padnos International Center helps students who want to study abroad. GVSU offers more than 4,000 study abroad programs, both connected to the university and independent.

In 1995, Peimin Ni started GVSU’s study abroad program in Shanghai, China. By the 2000s, Peimin Ni and Geling Shang co-led the program. Promotions relied on word of mouth and class announcements. Daniel Golden, author of Spy Schools, noted that organizers had difficulty finding interested students at first.

GVSU’s undergraduate admissions are classified as “more selective” by U.S. News & World Report. In 2008–2009, the university admitted 69% of applicants. For the Class of 2025 (enrolling Fall 2021), GVSU received 17,163 applications and accepted 15,730 (91.7%), with 3,807 students enrolling. The middle 50% of SAT scores for incoming freshmen was 1010–1230. The middle 50% of ACT scores was 21–27.

U.S. News & World Report ranked Grand Valley third in the “Top Public Regional Universities in the Midwest” category and 26th in the “Regional Universities (Midwest) tier 1” category in 2014.

U.S. News & World Report reported in 2011 that 98% of Grand Valley graduates found jobs or continued to advanced education after graduation.

In 2024, Washington Monthly ranked Grand Valley 187th among 438 national universities in the U.S. based on its contributions to the public good, including social mobility, research, and public service.

From 2007 to 2009, university researchers worked on more than 186 projects funded by over $32.7 million in grants. The Annis Water Resources Institute studies water resources, including ecosystems, water quality, and limnology. GVSU’s Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC) recently received funding for a $3.7 million project to test wind energy on Lake Michigan. The research will take three years using a floating buoy to collect data from different locations on the lake.

The Michigan State University College of Human Medicine operates the Secchia Center, a medical campus in Grand Rapids. Along with GVSU and two local hospitals, it is part of the Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners. This partnership provides educational opportunities for medical professionals and students.

The Early Assurance Program offers spots in MSU’s medical program for top-performing GVSU pre-medical graduates. The program aims to select first-generation college students, those from underprivileged areas, and students interested in high-demand medical specialties. Participants must agree to work in underserved areas after completing their medical degrees. The first six students joined the program in Fall 2010.

GVSU and Michigan State University announced a joint program focused on clinical trial management, designed to teach the basics of conducting drug trials in West Michigan. The program is online and started in Fall 2011 due to requests from local drug trial companies.

Libraries

Each library has a collection that matches its location and the programs it supports, with daily deliveries between different library locations.

• Mary Idema Pew Library (Allendale)
• Lemmen Library & Archives (Allendale)
• Steelcase Library (Grand Rapids)
• Frey Foundation Learning Center (Grand Rapids)
• Curriculum Materials Library (Grand Rapids)

The university libraries provide spaces for research, teamwork, and individual study. Together, the libraries have access to more than 60,000 print and electronic journals. They also hold over 1,482,633 books, including more than 829,463 electronic books.

Construction of the Mary Idema Pew Library on the Allendale campus was completed in 2013. The building is named after Mary Idema Pew. The $70 million, 140,000-square-foot (13,000 m²) facility holds 150,000 books. It also has a system that can store and retrieve 600,000 books automatically. The U.S. Department of Energy announced that the library used part of the $21 million allocated for technical assistance projects to improve energy use in commercial buildings. The library was one of only 24 projects in the United States funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Grand Valley receives government documents from the United States government and gets 44% of the documents distributed by the Federal Depository Library Program.

The Curriculum Materials Library, which is part of the Steelcase Library at the Robert C. Pew campus, holds teaching materials for preschool through grade twelve. It also provides spaces where education students can preview resources, plan lessons, create classroom materials, and test teaching tools.

The Lemmen Library & Archives on the Allendale campus holds the University Archives, which include rare books, Michigan novels, the Harvey Lemmen Collection on Abraham Lincoln, the Young Lords project online, the largest Latino oral history collection in the Midwest by Jose Cha Cha Jimenez, the American Civil War collection, and the papers of Michigan author Jim Harrison. It also includes the Anthony Powell collection, which has many editions of Dance to the Music of Time, his other novels, and a complete set of the Anthony Powell Society Newsletters and its journal, Secret Harmonies.

A collection of over 15,000 works of art includes public sculptures, prints, drawings, American Impressionism, Aboriginal art, Indian art, world photography, contemporary art, and more. Most of these items are displayed and can be found in university buildings on campuses in Allendale, Grand Rapids, Holland, Muskegon, Traverse City, and Detroit.

The Digital Collections database includes a selection of photographs, letters, diaries, interviews, and publications from the Libraries' Special Collections & University Archives and other university groups.

The Dorothy A. Johnson Collection focuses on philanthropy, volunteerism, and nonprofit leadership. It is considered one of the most complete collections in the United States and is the only one of its kind in Michigan.

Student life

The Office of Student Life at GVSU is located in the Kirkhof Center, which is near the middle of the Allendale campus. This office includes several departments, such as the Community Service Learning Center, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Laker Leadership Programs, Major Campus Events and Traditions, Student Organizations, and the Transitions Orientation Program. In fall 2016, GVSU had more than 486 student-run organizations. These organizations are grouped into categories like Academic and Professional, Student Life Sports, Cultural, Honorary, Interfaith and Religious, Media, Performing Arts, Service and Advocacy, and Special Interests.

Grand Valley State University has 29 residence halls and three on-campus apartment complexes on its main Allendale campus, and two residence halls on its Pew Grand Rapids campus, totaling 6,068 beds. The university also has six dining halls for students and faculty. These dining halls are located in five buildings, with five on the Allendale campus and one on the Pew campus.

GVSU has 30 fraternities and sororities. In winter 2016, the GVSU fraternity and sorority community had 1,600 undergraduate members, which is about 7.8% of the undergraduate population.

GVSU offers several media outlets to its students. The Grand Valley Lanthorn is the student-run newspaper, published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year. Free copies are available at both the Allendale and Grand Rapids campuses in newsstands and online. Before fall 2006, the newspaper was published only once per week. Each issue includes 8,000 copies, totaling 16,000 copies per week.

GVSU has several electronic media outlets, including three radio stations and three television stations. The university owns and operates a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) station called WGVU-TV in Allendale, Michigan, and a satellite station called WGVK-TV in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It also operates a National Public Radio (NPR) station called WGVU-FM, which plays jazz, blues, and news, including local and NPR programming. WCKS, a student-run radio station, broadcasts online and on Tunein. Grand Valley TV (GVTV) is a student-run television station that airs on channel 46.1 on the university cable system and uploads content to YouTube.

The music program at GVSU includes several performing ensembles, such as three bands, an orchestra, small performance groups, and the 230-member Laker Marching Band and athletic bands. The Performing Arts Center (PAC) has spaces for rehearsals, classrooms, labs, offices, practice halls, two dance studios, a theatre workshop, the Louis Armstrong Theatre, and the Sherman Van Solkema recital hall.

The New Music Ensemble (NME) has released two CDs that received critical praise. The first CD was a recording of Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians, which appeared on the Billboard Classical Crossover chart. The second CD, In C Remixed, was a remix project of Terry Riley’s In C and included work by top electronic composers and DJs, such as Todd Reynolds, Michael Lowenstern, and David Lang, a Pulitzer Prize winner. The NME performed at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City in 2009 and at the 2007 Bang on a Can festival.

GVSU’s trumpet ensemble has competed in the National Trumpet Competition for nearly 10 years, winning first place in the ensemble division in 2006 and 2008. Since 2005, the ensemble has commissioned four pieces from composer Erik Morales, two of which won awards, and one that has not yet been performed. The ensemble has also performed at the International Trumpet Guild’s summer conferences in 2007 and 2009.

Student government at GVSU is called the Student Senate. There are 50 student senators who work on one of seven committees. The Student Senate offices are located in the Kirkhof Center on the Allendale campus.

Sustainability is one of GVSU’s seven core values. The Office of Sustainability Practices provides information about best practices in administration, campus operations, education, student involvement, and community engagement. Programs include a community garden near the Allendale campus, which is also a laboratory for interdisciplinary learning called the Sustainable Agriculture Project. Another program is the Sustainability Reinvestment Fund, which gives small grants to students and staff for ideas that improve the environment on campus and in the community.

The university created a climate action plan with a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% compared to 2006 levels by 2020. In 2011, the university received an “A−” rating from the Sustainable Endowments Institute, the highest among nine Michigan universities and the 28th best in the nation. In other rankings, GVSU was ranked 16th globally and 10th in the United States for sustainability efforts by Universitas Indonesia GreenMetric World University Ranking in 2011.

GVSU has 11 buildings or building additions that are certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. More buildings, including the new Mary Idema Pew Library, are being built or planned to meet LEED standards. All new construction and major renovations at GVSU must follow LEED requirements. As of 2019, 25 LEED-certified projects had been completed at GVSU, saving $2.2 million annually on energy bills through energy conservation and LEED construction.

The Student Environmental Coalition (SEC) is the student-run group focused on sustainability. Its mission is to help students become environmentally aware and responsible.

Several academic programs at GVSU include the study of sustainability. These programs are in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, such as Geography and Sustainable Planning (major and minor) and Natural Resource Management (major and minor). Programs in the Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies include the Liberal Studies major and the Environmental Studies minor.

GVSU has hosted events related to sustainability, such as a summit in April 2010 where university officials and local experts discussed sustainability issues, and a meeting of the Michigan Great Lakes Wind Council in July 2010 to talk about offshore wind energy.

Athletics

The Grand Valley State Lakers are the college-level athletic teams of Grand Valley State University. These teams compete in the NCAA Division II level and offer 20 sports, with 11 for women and 9 for men. The university is part of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) and was one of the first schools to join this group. Grand Valley's athletic teams have won 28 national championships in various sports. The university has also won the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Directors' Cup, an award for top athletic programs, 14 times: in 2004 through 2011, 2014 through 2017, 2019, and 2022. The team has also finished second in this competition five times in 2002, 2003, 2012, 2013, and 2018. The Directors' Cup is given to the athletic program with the best overall results in national competitions. Grand Valley State University is the first college east of the Mississippi River to win the Directors' Cup for NCAA Division II schools.

The official mascot of Grand Valley State University is Louie the Laker. "GVSU Victory!" is the fight song for the Grand Valley State University Lakers.