Grand Valley State University (GVSU) is a public liberal arts university in Allendale, Michigan which has a diverse student population of 24,000 representing over 70 different countries. It offers 94 undergraduate degree programmes over eight different colleges which are: Business, Community and Public Services, Education, Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Computing, Health Professions, Nursing and Interdisciplinary Studies.
Sustainability is a key principle for GVSU, and it has been ranked as 16th in the world for environment-friendly university management by GreenMetric World University Ranking.
Programmes of study
Grand Valley State University offers a wide range of programmes of study that include Business, Management and Marketing, Communication Studies, Journalism, Computer Science and Information Studies, Social studies and lots more. Full details of the majors on offer can be found on the GVSU website.
Exchange students will be required to follow a full programme of study for the academic year based at Grand Valley State University.
DMU student stories
Sophie’s exchange year in Michigan, USA
Sophie Bartrop is a final year student on the Design Crafts course and specialises in metalsmithing. She went to Grand Valley State University in Michigan and describes it as being one of the best years of her life. Why did you decide to study on exchange? I was desperate to discover and experience new things…
Learn more about campus activities and events
There are lots of ways to get involved in student life while on exchange at GVSU. There are over 400 student organisations to choose from, focuses of which range from academic, cultural, media and special interests to performing arts, sports and more. The vibrant Campus Life Night, comparable to a society fair at DMU is an annual event, allowing students to learn more about these organisations. The Community Service Learning Center is a great way to participate in programmes that benefit the entire West Michigan Community. Initiatives beneficial particularly to exchange students include Fitt the Mitt and Bringing Together the World (BTW).
Grand Valley State University’s Recreation and Wellness offers not only Intramural and Unified sports but also fitness services including personal and group training, nutrition and even massage services! The wellness focuses on health and well-being, both physical and mental health are accounted for with many resources available to support this. Facilities include, 95,000 square feet of recreational space at the Recreation Center, a pool, both with free access for students and much more.
Travel & accommodation
Visas & insurance
Costs
Living costs in the US tend to be higher than those in the UK. We recommend that you do further independent research to gain a better understanding of the cost of your year abroad. To help you, we have a created a simple cost comparison between the UK and USA: