GVSU a 'Best College Buy', again

ALLENDALE, Mich. (WOOD) - For the 14th year in a row, Grand Valley State University has been named one of America's 100 Best College Buys by Institutional Research and Evaluation, Inc. in Georgia, a news release said.

Each year, Institutional Research identifies the 100 American colleges and universities providing students the very highest quality education at the lowest cost. GVSU has made the list far more times than any other Michigan institution, the release states. Authors of the report say it is because of Grand Valley's high academic performance coupled with its low cost. Hillsdale and Calvin colleges were the only other Michigan schools to make the list.

To be considered for the designation, an institution must:
• Be an accredited, four-year institution
• Offer full residential facilities
• Have an entering freshman class in the fall of 2008 with a high school GPA and/or SAT/ACT equal to or above the national average for entering college freshmen
• Have out-of-state tuition in 2009-2010 be below the national average or not exceeding the national average cost by more than 10 percent

The average GPA for incoming freshmen at GVSU for fall 2008 was 3.53, compared to the national average of 3.30, according to Institutional Research. The average ACT score for incoming freshmen at GVSU for fall 2008 was 24, compared to the national average of 23.