Grand Valley State Enrolls Most Freshmen, Minority, Out Of State And International Students In Its History

ALLENDALE (WWJ) -- Grand Valley State University announced today that a record number of first-year students arrived on campus this fall. This year's number rose to 4,124 freshmen from last year's record of 4,005.

Their academic scores are also higher. The average high school GPA of this year's class is 3.52 and the average ACT is 23.8.

The percentage of minority students is also a record at 15.2 percent; there's a record number of international students, with 378 students enrolled; and the number of out-of-state students has been rising steadily and is now up to 1,260, another record at Grand Valley.

Enrollment in science, technology, engineering, math and health professions is also up significantly. The number of undergraduates in engineering is up nearly 16 percent, and enrollment in health professions programs is up nearly 23 percent at the graduate level. Credit hours are also the highest in university history, due to Grand Valley having more full-time and fewer part-time students. The total number of students enrolled at Grand Valley is 24,477, which keeps enrollment stable and aligns with the university's strategic plan for budget stability.

Grand Valley's fall enrollment report also shows:

* More than 80 percent of Grand Valley students attend full time;
* Students are taking more credit hours;
* The investment in health programs is paying off with a notable increase of graduate students in the College of Health Professions.

The report indicates that students are moving through their programs to graduation in a timely manner. Administrators are attributing this in part to the Grand Finish Program, which doubled recipients in its second year. The Grand Finish is awarded to students entering their senior year who are on track to finish their degree in four years. In the 2012/2013 academic year, 2,745 students received Grand Finish grants of up to $1,000. In the first year of the program, approximately 1,000 students received the grant.

For full details on the Grand Finish program, see www.gvsu.edu/grandfinish. For data on Grand Valley's academic and financial accountability, see www.gvsu.edu/accountability.

Grand Valley State University is one of the 100 largest universities in the nation and attracts more than 24,000 students. Grand Valley offers 82 undergraduate and 31 graduate degree programs from campuses in Allendale, Grand Rapids and Holland, and from regional centers in Muskegon and Traverse City.