2024 Best Colleges in the Grand Rapids Area

• Holland, MI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.78 out of 5  1,073 reviews

Sophomore: Hope College is a fantastic place to go to college. Ever since I've started studying at Hope, I appreciate their openness to diversity of belief. As a Christian, I appreciate that I've been given the opportunity to make my faith my own. The community is amazing. Each Sunday, the Gathering is a place where people come and worship in Dimnent Chapel. Hope is very accommodating to my needs and offer courses that fit my academic abilities. This is one of the things that helped me make my college decision. I would say that the student body is about 75% white, a majority is a mix of Christians and Catholics, so if you're not white or Christian, it might be a little difficult fitting in. Overall, Hope is a great school- they're accommodating, have a great community, decent housing and dining hall food, have lots of extracurriculars to help students get involved, and a beautiful, easy-to-navigate campus! I love it here!... Read 1,073 reviews

• grade B+

• Acceptance rate 92%

• Net price $28,688

• SAT range 1100-1330

• Grand Rapids, MI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.91 out of 5  947 reviews

Sophomore: Overall a great place to be! Calvin is really a fantastic choice if you are seeking to pursue academic excellence. Though rigorous, their academic programs are rewarding and personal. Calvin also has their largest class incoming 2023 along with the various additions they have done over the past year and future year to come.... Read 947 reviews

• grade B+

• Acceptance rate 75%

• Net price $27,120

• SAT range 1120-1340

• Allendale, MI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.76 out of 5  4,027 reviews

Sophomore: I will describe my experience with Grand Valley State University with one word, great! The professors at Grand Valley are willing to help you with everything they got all you have to do is ask and they won't hesitate to help with what you need, because they want to see you succeed. You don't understand the material they've given you? Oh just go to their office visit hours! You're not able to attend office hours because you have a class during that time? Oh don't worry about it there's zoom meetings or they will try to meet you outside of office hours! The professors aren't the only thing I like about Grand Valley. I also like the environment, the building structures (you can get lost at first but you'll find your way if you can't then there's always a person near you, you can ask them for help), the scenery (especially the scenery) it's refreshing. One thing I would like to see change would be the diversity. I would love to see more "diverse" students, more of color students.... Read 4,027 reviews

• grade B

• Acceptance rate 92%

• Net price $16,947

• SAT range 1050-1250

• Grand Rapids, MI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.81 out of 5  717 reviews

Freshman: Hello! I attend Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, MI. I have enjoyed my time at the university so far. To begin, the faculty in admissions and registration are open, honest, and kind. I have appreciated all they did to help in my entrance to college. Next, I have been overwhelmed by the respect that the professors have towards my learning. Cornerstone is a smaller sized college in terms of student numbers, so I have less people in my classes and more connection with the professors. Lastly, I have appreciated the students around me and in my degree. The people that attend Cornerstone have displayed nothing but politeness and positivity to me. However, I will be honest in why Cornerstone was given a 4 star rating. Their core curriculum classes have much more weight than most colleges possess, and many degrees struggle to fit in all of the credits for 4 years with the curriculum classes. Overall, I still believe that Cornerstone is a good fit for many, and I recommend!... Read 717 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 91%

• Net price $20,780

• SAT range 970-1220

• Grand Rapids, MI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.64 out of 5  626 reviews

Junior: Great professors and such supportive and helpful staff. I've loved my time at AQ! A beautiful campus, close-knit community and good class offerings with so many opportunities for involvement and fun.... Read 626 reviews

• grade B minus

• Acceptance rate 89%

• Net price $19,447

• SAT range 1000-1170

• Grand Rapids, MI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  1,009 reviews

Sophomore: I just finished my freshmen year at Davenport University, where I'm studying marketing! DU gave me a great freshmen year college experience that prepared me for the next three years of my life. I met so many great people and had special bonds with all the faculty and staff. Being at a small school like DU gave me the opportunities to communicate better to my teachers, and get the extra help I needed to succeed in my classes. Not only am I a full time student but I also work and am apart of the Pompon team at DU. I work under the center of campus life where I help create posters and social media posts, along with help run and set up the school events. I joined the Pom team before my freshman year not knowing much about the sport but its been the best decision I've ever made. For Pom we perform at football and basketball games along with four competitions throughout there year. Overall the school has given me so many resources to succeed along with lifelong friends.... Read 1,009 reviews

• grade C+

• Acceptance rate 98%

• Net price $18,924

• SAT range —

• Wyoming, MI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 4.09 out of 5  184 reviews

Senior: Grace Christian University saved my faith and gave me a chance to explore my educational options. When I started living on campus, it gave me a chance to get away from the chaos at home while also improving my relationship with God. In my third year I started working on campus as a housekeeper. What I noticed from that is students do not respect the work we do. I’ve seen liquids (halfway full and full) being tossed away in the trash, such as coffee, smoothies, pop, and water. If there is enough liquid thrown away, then the liquid leaks through the bag. I’ve also noticed how students do not take housekeeping seriously since they call in or quit more often than they work. I also liked going to chapel. The worship, teaching, and volunteer opportunities are important, but the fines for chapel make going there stressful sometimes. The classes are great. They are difficult at times, especially if you are taking 15 credits a semester, but the professors are fun.... Read 184 reviews

• grade C+

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $13,506

• SAT range —

• Muskegon, MI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.84 out of 5  547 reviews

Junior: My experience at Baker College of Muskegon has been great so far! I'm so glad I chose this college for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. I would definitely recommend this school to anyone searching for a local college that offers many different program options.... Read 547 reviews

• grade C

• Acceptance rate 100%

• Net price $13,003

• SAT range —

• Grand Rapids, MI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.83 out of 5  88 reviews

Junior: Kuyper is a wonderful school if you are looking for a great community and caring faculty and staff. All of the professors know almost every student and are willing to work with the students. They want to see the student exceed in life and go off to have a great career after graduation. The staff at Kuyper are willing to have lunch with you in the dining hall and get to know more than just a student. The atmosphere on campus is warm and welcoming, there is always a smiling face on campus and someone willing to talk to you or help you out. The academic offerings are amazing. I sit in awe during class as the professors know so much about what they are teaching and if it does not make sense to you they are willing to explain it better to you. They also don't make you feel dumb or stupid if you don't understand, they know that you are here to learn and that you are not going to know everything that they know.... Read 88 reviews

• grade unavailable

• Acceptance rate 69%

• Net price $19,920

• SAT range 880-1080

• Grand Rapids, MI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 3.41 out of 5  41 reviews

Sophomore: I've had a very good experience at Compass. The overall environment was very nice; it was a nice, subtle shift from high school and didn't feel too overwhelming. All of the current staff is also very nice and friendly and I really like how personal the relationships between teachers felt. There were times where a few teachers seemed a bit underprepared, however. My second semester also felt a bit empty. There were only two days where I had full days. I like having half days occasionally, but at times, it felt like I could've been learning. But, I really liked how we as freshmen got plenty of hands-on time with almost all of the equipment.... Read 41 reviews

• grade unavailable

• Acceptance rate 53%

• Net price $20,006

• SAT range 850-1160

• Grand Rapids, MI•

• 4 Year

• •
  Rating 4.11 out of 5  100 reviews

Junior: Great programs and professors! I am in the interior design program and am a junior and have loved every minute of it so far. I love the small class sizes at Kendall. All of the professors are so knowledgeable and understanding. I feel comfortable in the environment. One great thing that they offer student life wise is free lunches and events all the time. Thought the school and campus is small, they are always creating fun events for the students. Kendall College of Art and Design has so many great alumni that are always willing to help you network. I am not worried at all about getting a job after I graduate. I know I will have plenty of connections to get myself into the workforce.... Read 100 reviews

• grade unavailable

• Acceptance rate —

• Net price —

• SAT range —