Calvin University

Private · Moderately Selective · MI

Photo: Michael Shade (CC0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationMI · Midwest

SettingUrban

Undergrads3,193

Student:faculty13:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate63.8%

6-yr grad rate74.1%

Drop-out rate13.2%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$39k

Out-of-state tuition$39k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity32%

Gender diversity50%

International14.5%

IdentityChristian Reformed Church

Overview

Calvin University, in Grand Rapids, is a Christian liberal arts university rooted in the Reformed tradition and historically tied to the Christian Reformed Church. It has a reputation for taking both religious conviction and academic rigor seriously at once, rather than treating them as being in tension.

Academics

Engineering, nursing, education, and philosophy are particular strengths, with the philosophy department in particular carrying real weight within Reformed and Christian scholarship circles nationally. Faith and learning are explicitly integrated across the curriculum rather than confined to religion courses, and the university maintains a genuine research culture for a school its size.

Campus & student life

Calvin's campus includes a substantial ecosystem preserve used directly for teaching and research, giving environmental science and biology students unusual hands-on access. Student life is shaped by its Christian Reformed roots, though the community includes a broader range of Christian traditions, and the culture tends toward serious and intellectually engaged rather than strictly insular.

Getting in

Applicants should expect Calvin to weigh both academic preparation and interest in its faith-integrated approach to learning; it is not simply a secular curriculum with chapel attached.

After graduation

Calvin sends a steady stream of graduates into Christian school teaching, ministry, and Reformed seminaries, alongside strong placement from its engineering and nursing programs into regional employers and graduate programs.

Worth knowing

The philosophy department's national reputation within Christian scholarship is disproportionate to the university's size, and it's a real draw for students interested in that specific intersection of faith and rigorous academic philosophy.

calvin.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate70.9%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1083–1330 · ACT 24–30

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying