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You are here: Home / Schools / Calvin College

Calvin College

Grand Rapids, MI
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Calvin College

Photo: Calvin College. Retrieved from: unknown source.

Calvin College is widely known for its strong Christian faith, but also for its dedication to supporting the acceptance and understanding of all religions and faith equally. This school strives to provide a free-thinking atmosphere to enable students the tools and information they need to make their own educated decisions. Calvin College provides a well-balanced experience for students both academically and individually – instilling vital values and insight that mold them into model citizens and professionals.

Although Calvin College is strictly a Christian affiliated school, students of all religious and faith backgrounds are welcome and encouraged to apply. The school and faculty are dedicated to cultivating a free spirited community where students can build and strengthen their faith while learning about others. Offering over 100 different majors and minor programs, students are encouraged to explore all opportunities available to them, in and outside of the classroom.

School History

Calvin College is affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church, which was established in 1857 by early immigrants. Several years later, in 1876, Calvin College and Seminary was founded, hosting a first year of 87 ministry training students. During this time, the curriculum consisted of six year training, broken down between literature and theology education. Evolving with the changing times and delivering the support students needed has always been important to Calvin College – thus the reason they altered their curriculum over the years to accommodate more students. By the early 1900s, Calvin College offered programs to non-theology majors – offering a strong foundation and prep school experience for students.

It was not until 1921 that Calvin College awarded their first Bachelor of Arts degree, which started a long lasting line of future leaders.

Throughout the years, Calvin College has developed and strengthen its community and inner structure, including moving the campus to Knoll crest in 1957. The school is dedicated to empowering students by the word of God. Providing a strong support community at Calvin College means providing endless knowledge, structure and sense of civility to students – teaching them how to implement the word of God throughout all aspects of their lives.

Campus Life

Calvin College is located on the beautiful terrain of Grand Rapids, Michigan – offering a wealth of opportunity both on and off campus. The campus itself is home to the astonishing Hekman Library where students can indulge in over 2 million literary choices! Students can also utilize the Rhetoric Center for education resources, support or private space to get their studies done as well.

At Calvin College, helping students to achieving their own sense of greatness is the main goal and it shows with their focus on career development. Faculty and staff are available to help students at anytime prepare themselves for the professional work place, offering services such as resume building, career workshops and of course, internships. More importantly, Calvin College ensures that all students learn the fundamental values and core qualifications needed to help them excel through college and beyond.

The atmosphere of campus life at Calvin College truly offers students a solid core of community and overall well-being. Many students get involved with the Mentoring Program available on campus. This program not only helps the students to get to know and help each other, but also to work together in helping the community. Entertainment is never an issue for students at Calvin College, as the Student Event Calendar is always packed with activities scattered throughout the campus grounds.

Financial Aid

When it comes down to facing the cost of tuition at Calvin College, the faculty and staff could not be more considerate. Counselors remain available during the entire academic calendar to ensure that students receive the assistance they need to apply for various financial aid options, explore grants and scholarship availabilities and of course fill out all of the important paperwork. Financial aid can be one of the most overwhelming aspects of the college experience, which is why the faculty at Calvin College ensures to walk you through the entire process.

When it comes time to qualify for loans and scholarships, not everyone will meet the criteria. This is no reason for you to miss out on the solid college education and experience offered by Calvin College. This school offers various on and off campus work study programs to help students pay for expenses and tuition. Counselors are also available to offer assistance qualifying for the various tax incentives available to students.

Rankings

2017 College Rankings
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  • Overview
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Overview

Despite college rankings and countless beautiful college websites, most students and families know very little about the actual student experience at particular schools. College websites, campus tours and conversations with high school guidance counselors provide very limited information.

The Voice of the Student Survey compares the responses of over 7,500 liberal arts college undergraduates on more than 40 questions about college life. As a result, we learned what “real life” looks like at individual schools.

Some of the best (and worst) performers in our research are surprising. Some are among the U.S. News & World Report’s top ranked liberal arts colleges in the country, while others are ranked much lower but provide a successful student experience.

Our Liberal Arts Insider members know exactly how these colleges compare.

We surveyed thousands of liberal arts students to help you get the real scoop about the student experience… the good, the bad and the ugly.

Campus Community Coach & Safety Sherpa

How safe, accepted, and comfortable students feel on their college campus is one of the largest influencing factors as to how satisfied they feel with their college experience. Having a tight-knit college community is the cornerstone of a successful college experience, as proven by our Voice of the Students survey.

We can compare what the college brochures advertise to what students are actually experiencing; sometimes the admissions representatives have no idea how students on their campus really feel. This “Community” section is a way to find out exactly what students think about their campus, in their own words. Here, we have data about student satisfaction, housing, social cliques, and student’s sense of safety.

Get Our In Depth Analysis of Liberal Arts Colleges

The smartest way to cut through the college marketing hype and pick a college that is a perfect fit for your child is to become a Liberal Arts Insider member. Our research reveals inside information that colleges will never tell you.
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Academics Advisor

Without a doubt, academics are a major focus, if not the top priority, for many college students. Schools will often advertise their classrooms as collaborative, but we’ve found that students sometimes describe the academic environment as highly competitive. Are students helping each other with academic work or trying to get ahead? Do students spend every waking moment with their nose in a book?

We asked students both qualitative and quantitative questions to find out how the academics at this school challenge them, and contribute to their college experience. Find out directly from the students how they feel about academics, challenging or otherwise, at their school.

Get Our In Depth Analysis of Liberal Arts Colleges

The smartest way to cut through the college marketing hype and pick a college that is a perfect fit for your child is to become a Liberal Arts Insider member. Our research reveals inside information that colleges will never tell you.
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Social Life Navigator

In addition to academics, social life is integral to the campus experience, and it’s dictated by a few different elements. Do students feel discriminated against based on their identities? Where do students spend most of their time socializing? Do drugs and alcohol dominate the social scene? This is the kind of information that schools will NOT advertise.

So, to find truthful answers these to questions, we asked students for their perspectives. We looked into social aspects such as extracurricular involvement, opportunities in the local community, and alcohol/drug culture on this campus.

Get Our In Depth Analysis of Liberal Arts Colleges

The smartest way to cut through the college marketing hype and pick a college that is a perfect fit for your child is to become a Liberal Arts Insider member. Our research reveals inside information that colleges will never tell you.
Learn More

Fast Facts

Location:Grand Rapids, MI
Year Founded:1876
Number of Students:2001 or more
Avg Net Price:$ 26,000
Retention Rate (%):86
Reported Test Type:SAT
Test Scores (75% percentile):1400
Test Scores (25% percentile):1130
Freshman in Top 10% of HS Class (%):29
Admit Rate (%):74
School Selectivity:Moderately Selective
4 Year Graduation Rate (%):57

Note: Facts compiled from school website as well as other data sources including: US Department of Education, IPEDS, College Board and NCES.

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